Umami food and art festival fosters collaborations between artists and food professionals through interdisciplinary and collaborative events. Umami encourages art based in everyday life and materials, illustrating that art can be found anywhere and can be produced at any time with the simplest means. At the same time we invite chefs and food professionals to look at their work with an artist’s eyes, considering not only aesthetics, but also the interactive, cultural and symbolic meanings their work engenders.

As part of the 2014 festival, Umami is hosting a cooking-art challenge.

Teams comprised of emerging artists and chefs will collaborate to create unique projects that will be presented to an audience and a panel of distinguished judges from both the art and the food worlds. Aspiring chefs and artists are encouraged to explore the “sweet spot that lies between intersecting spheres:” local and global, ephemeral and lasting, producer and consumer, indigenous and immigrant, artist and cook. What is the sweet spot where these forces collide?

All mediums are open: sculptural objects, performance, and/or an edible dish!

The presentations will take place on April 10^th, hosted by Brooklyn Kitchen in Williamsburg. The event will be open to the public and will be featured on the festival’s website and in published materials. Fun prizes will be distributed!

Judges: Mitchell Davis, VP The James Beard Foundation, Amy Eddings, host of NPR’s All Things Considered, and chef Evan Hanczor of Egg restaurant.

if you are interested in participating please contact Yael Raviv  yael@umamifestival.org or call 917-533-3834, or check out our website at www.umamifestival.org