The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council and the Starkville Area Arts Council are hosting a competition between two teams of artists recruited by their respective communities. From now until the Egg Bowl football game on Thanksgiving Day, the inaugural Scrambled Egg Bowl competition will feature a variety of art from across the state.
Playing on the age-old rivalry between the two Mississippi universities, the arts councils’ respective teams will score points by selling their art and receiving community votes.
Artists auditioned for the teams by submitting art to the councils, and auditions were open to all Mississippi residents. Jessica Richardson, Mississippi Presenters’ Network coordinator, said the Scrambled Egg Bowl is a good way to connect the two towns.
“We wanted to emphasize the strength of art around the state so partnering with the Starkville Area Arts Council allows us to build relationships with artists and communities and really showcase their work,” Richardson said.
For artists, this is an opportunity to showcase their art while “playing” for their local communities. Paul Gandy, an Ole Miss alumnus, is competing on the Oxford team and said he has enjoyed the challenge so far.
“It’s a great way to network and get your name out there,” Gandy said. “Any chance to show some work is worth it. The competition is really good. I’m just honored to be selected as one of the artists for the first Scrambled Egg Bowl.”
Uptown Coffee hosted “Kickoff & Coffee,” an event for the opening of the Scrambled Egg Bowl, on Nov. 6. Uptown Coffee is currently housing much of the art from both teams. All donations and purchases of $5 or more at the coffee shop allow a patron to vote on his or her favorite art piece, adding to the respective team’s score.
The winner will be announced on Black Friday, and the victorious team will take home the Golden Paintbrush trophy. Debbie Myers, a member of the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, said she hopes the Oxford artists can bring home the trophy.
“This is the first ever Scrambled Egg Bowl and we have to bring home the trophy for Oxford. It would only be right, ” Myers said. “Especially since we don’t know how football is going to go.”
