A lively mix of creativity and competition filled the room at Amplified Change’s recent “Iron Artist: Team Edition,” a community-centered art showdown designed to bring people together while raising funds for a greater cause. The event, held in Frederick, invited teams to face off in timed rounds that tested both imagination and collaboration. Among the competitors was Team OUT40, who went head-to-head with three other teams and ultimately secured a second-place finish.
The competition featured two distinct rounds judged by a panel evaluating originality, execution, and teamwork, with an added twist — each team had to incorporate a secret art item into their final piece each round. In the first round, artists were challenged to create self-portraits, offering a personal and expressive start to the evening. The second round pushed teams further, requiring them to construct a three-piece animal artwork using randomly selected strips of paper pulled from a bag. Team OUT40 drew and created an axolotl, introducing many in the room to the unique amphibian and adding a memorable moment to the night.
Beyond the competition, the event served as a fundraiser for Amplified Change, an organization dedicated to fostering community, creativity, and connection through the arts. Founded by local creatives committed to using artistic expression as a tool for impact, Amplified Change continues to build spaces where individuals can engage, heal, and collaborate, guided by one of its core tenets: “to think is to create.”