​ELEPHANT PARADE ANNOUNCES WORLD’S TOP 10 DESIGNS

Twelve months ago the search started. More the 500 people from more than 20 countries took part. And now the judges have passed their verdict.

The ten finalists for the Elephant Parade Global Artbox Competition have been announced.

The 10 finalists span people of all ages and all artistic ability groups. From Newcastle to Luxembourg, Hong Kong to South Africa, Boston to Dubai the finalists symbolise Elephant Parade’s global footprint in a year when it is embarking on ground-breaking new public art expositions in China, France, Brazil and Thailand.

Launched in 2014, the Global Elephant Parade Artbox Contest - presented by Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas - is a creative art competition where people around the world were given the opportunity to create a design for Elephant Parade Bangkok in 2015. Entries were submitted on miniature 15cm elephants.

The quality and number of entries submitted for the competition have surpassed expectations. The judges found the short-listing of just 10 finalists a challenging task. But they have now had their say and now it’s down to Elephant Parade community to choose the winner!

Voting is now open!

The 10 finalists’ designs – and the inspiration behind their creative – are now live on the Elephant Parade Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/elephantparadefan. The design with the most votes by midnight (Dutch time) on 27 May 2015 will be declared the overall winner and have their design commissioned for the Bangkok Elephant Parade later this year.

In addition to having their design commissioned for the Bangkok Elephant Parade 2015, the overall winner will also be flown in to Bangkok from their home city, they will enjoy 3 nights accommodation at Anantara Riverside Resort & Spa and they will get a VIP pass to the Elephant Parade launch party to reveal their design.

There are also special prizes for the finalists with the 2^nd and 3^rd most votes by the 27 May deadline. For the 2nd & 3rd prizes, each winner will receive a thee-night stay package at Anantara Chiang Mai Resort & Spa where they will visit Elephant Parade House and meet Mosha, the inspiration behind Elephant Parade. There are also 7 prizes for highly commended entries.

The Elephant Parade Global Artbox Competition has appealed to people of all ages - ranging from a four year old to a 70 year old. Three people created designs inspired by the Captain America movie – and a Super Mario elephant proved to be a popular choice on social media. Many entries have also come in from countries that are yet to enjoy hosting an Elephant Parade exposition.

Mike Spits, Founder and CEO of Elephant Parade commented: “The Global Artbox Contest is a reflection of the Global Movement Elephant Parade is building. Over the last nine years, Elephant Parade has trail-blazed major cultural centres of the world and been supported by top artists and public figures. The art box contest gives a new platform for tomorrow’s talent to make their mark and we hope Elephant Parade will play it’s part in letting the world discover the great artists of tomorrow. The project is fun but it also helps raise awareness of the plight of the elephant. Through art we can all paint a brighter future.”

The finalists:

• 1.Bindi Katherine Knowles UK
• 2.Am’s Asian Feast Emma Slora Breene UK
• 3.Dushi Esther Buys Luxembourg
• 4.Pop Art Howie Green USA
• 5.Matriarch Jane Veveris Callan UK
• 6.Jamaica’s Love Kohn Mark S. Lazo Dubai
• 7.Under Your Skin Michelle Smith South Africa
• 8.Rebuilding the Broken Nicola Smith South Africa
• 9.Patchworkphant Olivier D’Archivio Luxembourg
• 10.A Wonderland Wan Ling Yung Hong Kong