Yuma Art Center announces ‘Battle of the Bands’ is on in spite of the pandemic

Competition turns virtual in the face of coronavirus

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Lindsay Benacka is the Arts and Culture Manager for the Yuma Art Center and she's been facing an all to familiar problem. She had to find ways to continue to support our local artists and abide by health restrictions.

This year marks the third year of the art center's Battle of the Bands. The event has drawn large numbers of fans during the last two contests.

When you're tasked with hosting a contest that deals with music and fans the staff at the art center had to get creative.

"We're getting as creative as we possibly can reaching out to our stakeholders and seeing how can we make this work, because I mean on a good day pre-COVID-19 our community os full of starving artists who are doing incredible work and now they need our help, more than ever. So we're getting creative, we're going to make it happen." said Benacka.

This year, the event will be virtual, bands will be asked to record their entry on stage at the Historic Yuma Theater. On September 17, they'll play on Facebook, where fans will vote on the winner. Up for grabs is a $1,000 prize and bragging rights.

If you're in a band, and think you have what it takes to take the prize you have until August 7th to enter. You an sign up on the Yuma Art Center's web site.