Gretsch Partnership Guitar Art in the Schools
Since 2004 the Gretsch Guitar company has donated 8 guitars to the IRRMA to be placed in school art departments throughout the state of Iowa for our guitar art contest. The schools complete their guitars in an IRRMA music related theme by Memorial Day of each year. The guitars are then placed on display in the IRRMA Music Museum at Arnolds Park, IA for the summer. On Labor Day weekend two winners judged by a panel of artists and also by peoples choice are announced. The non winning guitars are auctioned with funds benefiting the IRRMA education program. The winners remain in the Museum for the following year. The winning art departments receive gift certificates for purhchase of art supplies. This has become a very popular program and we look forward to the continued support of the Gretsch Guitar Company and thank all the schools that have participated. If your school is interested in participating click on the "contact us" button to the left and let us know! <br />for more information visit www.gretsch125th.com
2007 Competition
To see Pictures of the 2007 Entries ClIck Here
Gretsch Guitar Art Program - 2006 Results
Nora Springs-Rock Falls High School successfully defended its Grand Champion title in the annual Art Guitars in Schools Contest sponsored by the Iowa RockNRoll Music Association and the Gretsch Guitar Foundation.
NS-RF had won the 2005 competition allowing the students to compete for a second championship title against six other schools in Iowa and South Dakota. The Grand Champion is determined by a panel of artists and art critics and based on technical merit. The competition was extremely tough this year and Nora Springs-Rock Falls retained their title by a mere one-point margin over second place Sibley-Ocheyedan High School.
The Peoples Choice award for 2006 went to Lenox High School. The students at Lenox created a copper masterpiece that was clearly the favorite among over 2600 RockNRoll Museum visitors who voted during June, July and August. The guitar created by Sioux Falls Christian High School came in second in the voting.
Other high schools participating in the contest for 2006 were: Dallas Center-Grimes, Washington, Ia High School and Kennedy High School of Cedar Rapids.
Businesses providing the prizes are: Ebert Construction of Sioux Falls, the band The Thunderbirds, Keith Merrick Co., Inc. of Sibley, Scott Lindmeier, DeeJay of Washington, Ia and First State Bank of Nora Springs. Gretsch donates the guitars used in the project. The winning schools receive gift certificates to purchase art supplies.
Peoples Choice Award for 2006 from Lenox High School, Lenox Ia.
We greatly appreciate the support of all the sponsors and the Gretsch Guitar Company for allowing us to participate in this project!
for more information see
http://www.guitarart.org
