If you are going to wear a facemask, you might as well have some fun with it – that’s the spirit behind Airdrie Public Library’s (APL) mask decorating contest.
“We see masks and face-coverings of some kind everywhere right now, whenever you go out of the house – hopefully,” said Eric Pottie, APL’s programming and customer engagement manager. “We just wanted to do something that would help people think about face coverings a bit differently.”
For the contest – which runs Oct. 13 to 30 – Pottie said participants are asked to make or decorate any kind of mask, scarf, bandana or facial accessory that would cover their mouth and nose. APL will post videos and tips to help participants make the most of their creations.
“It might be something more along the lines of a Halloween mask they’re building and creating,” Pottie said. “It might be that they’re stitching or sewing something together and found a cool pattern. It might be they’re taking old material and finding a new way to stylize it into a face covering. It’s up to people to be as creative as they want to be.”
To enter the contest, Pottie said participants can upload a photo of their facemask to Facebook or Instagram using #APLmasks. Anyone who does not want to post their creation on social media can send APL a direct message or email a photo of their mask to [email protected] with the subject line APL Mask Contest, Pottie said.
“We’re happy to be able to do some creative things in the library – we think we’ll get some pretty cool entries,” he said
The contest is open to people of all ages, with categories for preschool, school-age, teenagers and adults. Participants can submit as many entries as they’d like, Pottie added.
“If people are pumping out masks every day and think their next one is the best one, they can keep posting them,” he said.
Determining the contest’s winners will vary depending on the category, according to Pottie. While younger age categories’ winners will be determined by a random draw, APL staff will judge older categories.
“We don’t want to say ‘This is more creative than that,’” Pottie said. “It’s all about personal growth and challenging yourself personally, and we want to provide an outlet for that.”
The contest winners will receive APL swag and gift cards to various businesses like Flying Squirrel Trampoline Park or Capture the Flag Paintball.
The finished products don’t have to be functional, according to Pottie, who noted participants should not wear their masks if they use any glue or paint in their creation.
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
