13th Annual Gingerbread House Decorating Contest Announced at Artists' Exchange

Artists' Exchange announces its 13th annual Gingerbread House Decorating Contest! The event is scheduled for Saturday, December 2nd from 9am to 5pm at the Artists' Exchange, located at 50 Rolfe Square in Cranston.

How does it work? Participants start with a simple graham cracker construction and craft it into a work of art. There are heaping supplies of frosting, cereal, pretzels and of course, an array of colorful candy to decorate your dream candy home. And with no age limit, everyone is invited to join in on the fun!

"The Gingerbread Decorating Contest is a family tradition for so many families in the neighborhood, not just for the staff and students, but the community as well. It is exciting to see families return year after year and watch how the children and the event have grown. This is my 11th year working to organize the event and every year is more fun than the last." says Shannon Casey, the event's coordinator and Director of Visual Arts Programming at Artists' Exchange. Casey says attendance grows every year, so she and the staff are gearing up for a big crowd. Construction on the houses has already begun, and with the help of volunteers, Artists' Exchange plans to have at least 600 houses by the week before the event. This year they have added school field trips the week after the event and will need an additional 400 houses. "It's a lot of work to prepare for, but it's absolutely worth it!" The studios will then be transformed into a holiday wonderland, creating an atmosphere designed to inspire childlike wonder and creativity.

Participants are able to take their houses home that day, they are invited to submit their creations for judging in their corresponding age category. Families can also opt to work on a house together and be judged in a separate family category. This year there will be a special guest appearance from Santa Claus himself to help judge some of the entries. Houses entering the contest will be photographed and the winners will be announced online by Monday, December 4th Prizes include Artists' Exchange class gift certificates towards classes in our upcoming winter session.

Registration for the winter session of classes is available on the Artists' Exchange website beginning November 3rd. Be sure to check the schedule before coming because all class registrations processed on the day of the event will get 20% off tuition.

Also included in the weekend's festivities will be holiday grab bags, raffles, face painting, give-a-ways from guest judge Andy the Texas Roadhouse Armadillo, holiday photo booths and artwork from students and artist residents on display and for sale. Artist Exchange staff will also be taking photos of contestants and families in front of a painted backdrop of a mural depicting the Abominable Snowman, a giant gingerbread house to commemorate the day and will be posting them on their Facebook Page. Be sure to like Artists' Exchange on Facebook to stay up-to-date on all the great events and activities happening!

Inset
Reservations are strongly recommended
For reservations visit www.artists-exchange.org/gingerbreadevent.html

Contest Cost: $15 per house. $13 in advance (online only waive the fee with the code GBRD17)
Questions: visit www.artists-exchange.org

Location: 50 Rolfe Square in Cranston.

ABOUT ARTISTS' EXCHANGE
Artists' Exchange is a nonprofit art collaborative whose mission is to create an atmosphere in which creativity, learning, and discovery converge and individuality is celebrated. Artists' Exchange houses The Black Box Theatre and multiple art studios, as well as a gallery, art boutique and café, and offers enriching classes and weekly events in art, theatre, music and film.

Artists' Exchange is owned and operated by Gateways to Change; a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing of the quality of life for all human beings.

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