Carve out some time for a cut-out

Across the country, fans have been filling seats at sporting events or live performances with cardboard representations of themselves to try to make the empty seats a little less sad.

From now through July 3, the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts is joining this growing movement by encouraging community members, including kids and families, to create cardboard likenesses for display at the Newport Visual Arts Center and the Newport Performing Arts Center.

“The Virtual Art-Fan Cutout Project will be a fun way for artists, community members and families to show their support for the arts and to engage in a safe, distance-based art project,” said Director Tom Webb. “Participants will also be creating temporary pieces of public art. We encourage participation by all ages.”

You might have already seen the images of virtual fan cutouts that are basically a blowup of a photo. But the OCCA is taking the idea one step further, calling on community members to make more creative virtual art-fan cutouts to grace the windows and theater seats at the VAC and the PAC.

Participants may paint, draw or otherwise design either a self-portrait or a likeness of a well-known figure from the arts and culture community.

The art-fan cutouts are being accepted and placed on an ongoing basis and will remain on display at the VAC and PAC while the facilities continue to operate under reduced public hours.

OCCA is working to source larger cardboard sheets and create cardboard blanks for pick-up at the VAC. Participants requiring supplies can call 541-265-6569, email twebb@coastarts.org or stop by the VAC, 777 NW Beach Drive, on Wednesdays or Saturdays, from noon to 4pm. Finished cutouts can be dropped off at the VAC during the hours listed above. There is no charge to participate in the project.

General guidelines:

Preferred dimensions are 22” wide by 36” to 40” tall.

If possible, source your own sheet of clean, unsoiled cardboard, using box-weight cardboard, not cardstock or chipboard. Folds in the cardboard are okay, except for cutouts for PAC theater seats.

You can also create your artwork on paper and glue it to the cardboard. Lean toward brighter colors and outlines. No 3-D cutouts or use of toxic materials.

No offensive language or imagery, hashtags or websites, political statements or advertisements. General statements in favor of the arts are welcome. You are free to include your name on the front of the cutout itself.

Include your name, name of work, phone number and email on the back.

For more information, go to coastarts.org.