IRON ARTISTS COMPETITION >>>

How do you escape the pressures of the holidays, like, really quickly? Bundle up, drop your packages in the trunk, pinch your cheeks until they glow and strap on a pair of silver skates, Hans Brinker, for a glide across the frozen expanse at ... Tollefson Plaza. Yup, as you no doubt heard, an ice rink will open on top of the downtown Tacoma concrete slab at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 25 and run through the holidays. And unless you're Apolo Ohno, keep your sense of humor intact and be prepared to end up on your heinie at least once during the ride.

The Tacoma Art Museum, the angel behind the holiday happens at Tollefson Plaza, is looking for local artists and community groups to create community art for Franciscan Polar Plaza in an Iron Artist competition at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 19 in its building.

The museum is sending out the call for 12 local artists or community groups to decorate a "mystery item" – that represents our Tacoma community – in an Iron Artists head-to-head- competition. The adorned items will stay in the ice rink's warming area for all to see.

If this is so you, here's the press release:

Teams will meet in the museum's covered parking area and will all be given the same "mystery item" to decorate. The item will be primed in white paint, and the teams will have two hours to decorate it with the weatherproof paint provided. Pencils will also be available if needed.

The decorating theme is "Winter in Tacoma," to be interpreted by each team as they create their works of art. The winning team will receive fame, glory, and a pair of free tickets to skate at the ice rink for each member of the team. There is a maximum of 10 people per team. Supporting spectators are also welcome to come and cheer on the teams.

If you would like to participate, email Courtney Vowels at CVowels@TacomaArtMuseum.org by Wednesday, November 16. Please include the team captain's name, contact info, and organization/school/team name. The 12-team slots will be filled on a first-come-first-served, one-team-per-organization basis.