Hay, listen up!

The Platte Valley Arts Council is sponsoring the 5th annual Hay Bale Sculpture Contest. All local ranches, businesses or families are invited to show off some good ole’ fashioned ranch ingenuity that could give their outfit creative bragging rights for a year. The rules state that sculptures must be made predominantly of hay, whether loose, round, square or rectangle bales but then are given artistic leeway to incorporate wood, metal, wire, paint, canvas damns, or anything other medium they could dream up. The council did want all of the valley residents to have a chance to see the handiwork, so participants are asked to place the works of art near highways, county roads or streets in our communities for all to enjoy.

The entry forms which are available on the Arts Council Facebook Page or at Shivley Hardware are due by October 1, 2021 with sculptures to be completed by October 10th. Photos of the completed works of art will be posted on the on the organizations Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/PlatteValleyArts where “LIKES” will be tallied between October 15 through October 31st.

In addition to promoting awareness of all the ranching operations in Encampment, Saratoga & Riverside, the Platte Valley Arts Council hopes to share the creative agricultural minds in our midst. The “People’s Choice” winner will take home a traveling trophy created by Saratoga artist, Sierra Smith. The winner will be announced during the Arts Council Annual Meeting/Chamber Social in November. The winning ranch, business or family will keep the trophy for one year and then surrender it to the next years winner. The past winners have been: The Barkhurst Family (2017), TA Ranch (2018), Town & Country Realty (2019) and CSU Beef Improvements Center (2020).

The mission of the Platte Valley Arts Council is to keep art in your everyday life and you can help us do that by participating or voting in this unique and exciting contest.