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Artists, craftsmen and other creative souls: Have you been waiting all winter to be inspired? Have you been searching for a new project to pour your heartfelt energy into? Well, the wait is over, because Tyler Arboretum has a call for entries that is sure to stir the artist within. This Winter, Tyler Arboretum is inviting everyone to participate in its Sit A Spell: Seats That Tell A Tale contest. Selected entries for this contest will become the featured exhibit at Tyler Arboretum in 2012. If you are already an enchanted fan of Tyler, you know how exciting this opportunity is!

Tyler Arboretum, comprising of 650 acres of meadows, wetlands and unbroken forest, is a cornerstone of Media’s history. Home to five state champion trees, the Wister Rhododendron Collection and a multitude of other horticultural points of interest, Tyler Arboretum has been developing itself as a community resource, cultural destination and natural sanctuary for nearly 70 years.

Tyler’s annual featured exhibit, which showcases the artistic talent and spirit of its surrounding community, has become a new favorite tradition in Media. From their Big Bugs Exhibit to their well-cherished Tree Houses, Tyler’s exhibits have been a popular hit with both its membership and the public. Betsey Ney, Tyler’s Director of Public Programs, sees these exhibits as an opportunity for Tyler to support its mission and provide visitors with the resources to enjoy nature and reconnect with the natural world. She is particularly excited and looking forward to submissions for the Sit A Spell contest, which she hopes will entice people to “sit, look and see” and encourage both children and adults to be carefree and imaginative.

Tyler Arboretum borrowed its Sit A Spell concept from the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden of North Carolina, which hosted a tremendously successful and similar contest and exhibit last year. Tyler’s version of the contest is a bit broader in range than Daniel Stowe’s because it will have two submission categories—seating for adults, which is hoped to inspire rustic, modern and whimsical chairs, and seating for children, which is meant to tie in to storybook themes, particularly those pertaining to nature and the garden.

With a booming population of artists and craftsmen in the area and so many community organizations and school groups, Tyler anticipates the submission turnout to be both ample and diverse. The contest is a great opportunity not only to get your creative juices flowing but also to promote yourself, your business, your school or your community group. Tyler Arboretum has upwards of 40,000 visitors per year, the swell of which will visit during the warmer months when the exhibit is to be displayed. If the incentives of artistry and fame are not compelling enough on their own, Tyler is also offering a range of cash prizes and awards for contest winners!

Being an artist and playful person myself, Tyler’s Sit A Spell contest has had me abuzz ever since I caught wind of it. I have envisioned everything from life-size nursery rhymes and J. Seward Johnson–style vignettes to luxurious and decadent thrones of ancient Egypt. I hope to have sufficiently piqued your interest, too—is that an engine I hear turning over, or is it the rustling of your imagination excited to build a seat that tells a tale?

The entry form and illustration deadline for the Sit A Spell: Seats That Tell a Tale contest is March 8, 2012, with installation of selected entries to begin in May 2012.

For more information about the contest and its rules, visit Tyler’s website!

—Kate Bundrick

Kate Bundrick is an artist who resides in Media Borough. She pursues her artistic endeavors both professionally and through volunteer work with the Media Arts Council as their 2nd Saturday Arts Stroll coordinator. Look for Kate’s articles on the Media art scene every few weeks here on figmediapa.com!