Tampa Artists Compete To Do Suds Label

T. Hamptom Dohrman had an idea he was sure would benefit both his artist friends and his entrepreneurial business colleagues. So he took it to his colleagues, and an innovative contest was born.

The the 2011 Cigar City Brewing Local Artist Label Design Competition invites visual and graphic artists throughout the Tampa Bay region to submit their visions of what the bottle label should look like for Cigar Factory Brewing Company's Tocobaga Red Ale, which will make its debut in June 2011.

The artist with the winning design will be announced on June 3, 2011, and awarded $500 and a free case of the new beer. The top 10 entries will be exhibited in print at the Cigar City Brewing Tasting Room at 3924 W Spruce St., from June 3 through July 10, 2011. Limited edition, artist-signed Tocobaga bottles also will be available. Todd Smith, executive director of the Tampa Museum of Art will be a guest judge for this project. Submissions will be accepted through February 25, 2011.

"Joey Redner (Cigar City owner)  is a great citizen and friend," says Dohrman, owner of Hampton Arts Management, who is handling the contest. "He and Wayne Wambles, the brewery's head brewer, supported a gallery I worked with through product donations before the brewery was even fully operational. I had the idea for a label project, presented it to Joey, and we worked together over the past few months to make it happen."

Dohrman, who opened Hampton Arts Management in the fall of 2010 is no stranger to creative ideas. having been involved in such innovative events as Deep Carnivale literature festival, Homemade Music Symposium, Ybor Festival of the Moving Image. His arts management company is currently planning an arts incubator.

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: T. Hampton Dohrman, Hampton Arts Management

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