Online ticketing is closed. Tickets will be available tonight at the door for $60!
The Throwdown is the Mobile Arts Council’s largest annual fundraising event. Proceeds go towards supporting our mission: to enrich the quality of life in the greater Mobile area through increasing accessibility to the arts and promoting a vibrant cultural community.
For the past eleven years, local artists have sought out to compete in this unique live art competition. The event features five competitors that have 90 minutes to create original works of art from a shared supply table and a mystery box. Attendees watch art in action and have the opportunity to take these pieces home by participating in a live auction, emceed by WKRG’s Peter Albrecht, at the end of the night.
The 10th Annual Throwdown champion, Mayssam Iskandar, will compete to defend her title against this year's newcomers: Brian Tan, Kimberly Zukley, Ty Tover, Renee Wallace and Janie Brown Johnson.
The evening also offers a silent auction with one-of-a-kind items that are locally crafted, food by Heroes Sports Bar & The Royal Scam, entertainment by Disco Lemonade, and flowing libations! Doors open at 6pm.
Tickets are $50 in advance and $60 the day of the event.
The 2023 Presenting Sponsor is Hackbarth Deliveries. Additional sponsors include Diamond Championship Wrestling, Jack Daniels, Mobicon, Heroes Sports Bar & Grille, The Royal Scam, Hargrove Foundation, ProMed Choices, Alabama Public Radio, New Horizons Credit Union, the Mobile County Commission, Airbus, Michael Smith & Karen Carr, Ron Barrett LLC, the Mobile Rundown, Showbiz Theatrical Services, and General Dynamics Mission Systems. Interested in sponsoring this unique and fun event? Contact amontgomery@mobilearts.org and view the sponsorship package below.
Click here for the 2023 Sponsorship Package!
Throwdown artists must incorporate a mystery item into their work of art. Historically, artists have not known the identity of the item until they arrived the day of the competition, and found it at their stations. Last year, each artist was tasked with incorporating a wooden airplane into their Throwdown piece.
This year, we wanted to take the mystery box to a new level! Instead of every artist being tasked with the same mystery item, they will now be encouraged to get attendees to make a donation in their name, and the artist with the most donations will be allowed to choose first from the mystery box. Items in the box will vary, within reason, in difficulty to incorporate.
Click on your favorite artist below to be taken to their individual fundraising page, and help them win the race to choose out of the mystery box first!
Past Highlights: The 10th Annual Throwdown
The 10th Annual Throwdown was one of our toughest art competitions yet! On Friday, September 16th, artists John Halliday, Devontae Knight, Mayssam Iskandar, Christopher Murray, and Elizabeth Brooks had 90 minutes to create an original piece of art while utilizing a surprise item. Inspired by our event venue - the USS Battleship Memorial Park's Aircraft Pavilion - this year’s mystery box item was a wooden airplane.
During the competition, attendees enjoyed music by Ryan Balthrop, a silent auction, and catering by Heroes and the Royal Scam. Our evening was emceed by the only-and-only Darwin Singleton. The one-of-a-kind artworks created at the event were auctioned off live, and the artist with the highest bid was Mayssam Iskandar – whose piece sold for $700. Collectively, these artists alone raised $2,700 towards our fundraising total of $16,000+! All funds raised will go towards MAC’s mission: to enrich the quality of life in the Mobile area through increasing accessibility to the arts and promoting a vibrant cultural community.
The 2022 event marked the first in-person Throwdown since 2019. We want to thank all of those who attended, everyone who donated towards our silent auction, our wonderful volunteers, and our competing artists for donating their time and talent on MAC's behalf. Special thanks to our event sponsors: e the Mobile County Commission, Noblet Dentistry, New Horizons Credit Union, Heroes Sports Bar & Grill, The Royal Scam, Hackbarth Deliveries, Alabama Public Radio, 1702 Real Estate, Showbiz Theatrical Services, the Mobile Rundown, and Medicare Progress. Interested in sponsoring this event? Contact amontgomery@mobilearts.org!
The full event photo album can be seen online here. Photos by Mike Kittrell. Interested in sponsoring next year's event? Contact Angela Montgomery at amontgomery@mobilearts.org!
The 9th Annual Throwdown
The 9th Annual Throwdown, MAC’s biggest fundraising event, was a part virtual, part live experience. The 2020 art competition happened in the style of a reality show on MAC’s Facebook and YouTube accounts on Thursday, October 29th! Our 2020 Throwdown artists included Monica J. Beasley, Soynika Edwards-Bush, Steve Joynt, Abe Partridge, and Kathleen Kirk Stoves. Each artist had 90 minutes to create an original piece of artwork using an 18x24" surface while incorporating items from a mystery box. The artwork created was available for auction online at the end of the evening. Our event host was WPMI Local 15's Darwin Singleton, and the competition featured some spooky surprises! The 2020 champion was Abe Partridge, and the event raised over $7,000 for the organization. Watch last year's creepy competition online below!
The 8th Annual Throwdown
Last year's Throwdown was our biggest event yet! We want to thank all of those who attended, everyone who donated towards our silent auction, our wonderful volunteers, and our competing artists for donating their time and talent on MAC's behalf. This year's competitors were Anna-Marie Babington, Mary Elizabeth Kimbrough, Brandin Stallworth, Patrick Tucker, and Ginger Woechan. The competition results were incredibly close, but ultimately the winner was Anna-Marie Babington, who is now our new Throwdown champion!
Attendees enjoyed live music by Rogerwood featuring Roger Fritz and catering by Heroes, The Royal Scam, and desserts by The Simple Greek. The evening was emceed by the only-and-only Darwin Singleton.
All funds raised will go towards MAC’s mission: to enrich the quality of life in the Mobile area through increasing accessibility to the arts and promoting a vibrant cultural community.
Special thanks to our event sponsors: Hand Arendall Harrison Sale LLC, Alabama Public Radio, T.S. Wall & Sons, Hackbarth Delivery Service, Thompson Engineering, Heroes, the Royal Scam, the Simple Greek, Gulf Coast Distributing, Sweetwater, Showbiz Theatrical Services, Berney Office Solutions, and Crescent Theater.
Photos by Mike Kittrell.
