Blue Man Group Announces Winners of 2016 Art Competition

Celebrating 25 years of living in full color, Blue Man Group has announced the six winners of the 2016 Blue Man Group Art Competition. The winners, each receiving $2,500 cash prizes, include Giana DiBartolomeo, Miami, Fla.; Alice Harrison, Morristown, N.J.; Harriet Helfricht, San Jose, Calif.; Tammie Hildreth, Indianapolis, Ind.; Katherine Larson, Dexter, Mich.; and Xavier Nuez, Chicago, Ill.

Coinciding with Chicago Artists Month, 10-foot by 10-foot reproductions of the winning works will be unveiled Wednesday, October 5 at 11:30 a.m. at Blue Man Group Chicago's Outdoor Art Gallery, located on the south exterior wall of the Briar Street Theatre (3133 North Halsted Street), with the original pieces on display inside the theater lobby.

The juried Art Competition included a panel comprised of Anna Cerniglia, Director and Founder of Johalla Projects, freelance producer and lecturer at School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Cory Jobe, Director of the Illinois Office of Tourism; Tom Galassi, Blue Man Chicago Captain and Assistant Director of Performer Development; Jeff Quay, Blue Man Group Associate Music Director; Vesna Stelcer, Co-founder, Board Chair and Director of the Ed Paschke Art Center; Candace Wark and Shirley Nannini of Wind Flow Photography, winners of the 2013 Blue Man Group Art Competition; and Chris Wink, Co-founder of Blue Man Group.

More information about the 2016 Blue Man Group Art Competition Winners:

Gianna DiBartolomeo "Touch from Above"
DiBartolomeo was born and raised in Miami, Fla. Her work is characterized by the unconventional use of ordinary materials. "Touch from Above" was inspired by all benefits of touch including a hug, pat on the back or an aptly spoken word. DiBartolomeo hopes that her work will bridge communication gaps and make relatable connections with her viewers, similar to the unspoken connections between the Blue Men and their audience.

Alice Harrison "Worlds Together Worlds Apart 6"
Harrison is a native of Morristown, N.J. She enjoys working in layers to create art containing sensations of movement and color with harmonious and joyful themes. After seeing Blue Man Group with her grandchildren, Harrison felt a special connection to the unique layers of the show.

Harriet Helfricht "Con Fuoco"
Abstract painter and sculptor Harriet Helfricht was born and raised in Dresden, Germany and now resides in San Jose, Calif. Inspired by Blue Man Group's love of bright and vivid colors, her piece "Con Fuoco" depicts classical music performed in a fiery manner.

Tammie Hildreth "Junonia Buckeye"
Originally from Illinois and now living in Indianapolis, Hildreth's work "Junonia Buckeye" was inspired by the dynamism, energy and vibrancy of Blue Man Group. Focusing on color, luminescence, contrast and movement, the color source for the piece was a macro photograph of spots on a butterfly wing. The acrylic painting contains approximately 29,000 dots and a nuanced palette of more than 50 individual colors.

Katherine Larson "Vessel 1"
Dexter, Mich. resident Katherine Larson began painting at age 14. Since then, Larson has painted more than 150 murals nationwide, from retail stores and restaurants to corporations including Google. Larson's work for the Blue Man Group Art Competition is part of a series of pieces inspired by vessels. She hopes that those who view the piece will gain a sense of daring to live in full color.

Xavier Nuez "A Universe Beckons"
Chicago resident Xavier Nuez first experienced Blue Man Group four years ago. His photographs have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in museums and galleries internationally. Nuez's winning work for the competition, "A Universe Beckons" was inspired by the delirious use of color in the show along with epic stories that can be told from a small slice of life.

The 2016 Blue Man Group Art Competition is Blue Man Group's second art competition. The inaugural competition was held in 2013. The 2013 winning artwork, currently located in the lobby of the Briar Street Theatre, will be moved to other locations within the building for patrons to enjoy.

Blue Man Group is comedy, theater, rock concert and dance party all rolled into one. This wildly popular phenomenon delivers an outrageous multi-sensory entertainment experience you'll never forget. A dynamic combination of music, comedy and technology, the show appeals to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds. It is continually refreshed with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments and state-of-the-art technology.

Tickets are available from $49-$99. Tickets may be purchased at the Briar Street Theatre by calling the box office at (773) 348-4000; by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 982-2787; at all Ticketmaster ticket centers or online at www.ticketmaster.com/bluemanchicago. For more information and a full show schedule, visit www.blueman.com/tickets/chicago.

Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more, varying from $46- $64 per person. For groups of 10 or more, call the group sales department to book at: 773.348.3300 or email chicagogroups@blueman.com to request information.

In 2016, global entertainment phenomenon Blue Man Group celebrates 25 years of living in full color with a series of new projects and appearances. The company is best known for the award-winning Blue Man Group show, performed in more than 20 countries and seen by more than 35 million people worldwide since 1991. A dynamic combination of music, comedy and technology, the show appeals to a broad range of age groups and cultural backgrounds. It is continually refreshed with new music, fresh stories, custom instruments and state-of-the-art technology.

The company developed through a creative collaboration among three close friends, Chris Wink, Phil Stanton and Matt Goldman on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Blue Man Group now has permanent theatrical productions in Las Vegas, Orlando, Boston, Chicago, New York and Berlin, a North American tour and a World Tour.

This creative collective is part of the pop culture zeitgeist. Beyond the stage show, they have toured the globe with the "Megastar World Tour" rock concert parody, released multiple albums, including the Grammy-nominated Audio, and the recently released, THREE, and contributed to numerous film and TV scores. They've served as the face of branding campaigns for Intel and TIM/Brasil and appeared countless times on hit shows like "The Tonight Show", "Arrested Development", "Ellen", "Schlag den Raab" (Germany), "WOWOW" (Japan), and "Caldeirão do Huck" (Brasil).

Based in New York City, Blue Man Productions has extensive production facilities, recording studios and a 6,000 square foot Research & Development Lab with numerous new creative projects in the pipeline.

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