Graceland holding Facebook contest for original Elvis art

Photo by Barney Sellers/The Commercial Appeal, buyitnow

Elvis Presley performs what would be his last Memphis concert July 5, 1976, before a crowd of 12,000 at the Mid-South Coliseum.

Choose your medium, from a lead pencil to a block of marble, and get a chance to win 56 prizes, including a cruise and a two-night trip to Las Vegas, for the best Elvis art in the land.

Graceland is holding a Facebook contest for original art to commemorate Elvis Presley's meteoric rise in 1956 to rock and roll idol and movie star heartthrob. This year is the 55th anniversary of his first No.1 hit record, first movie and the TV appearances that turned Elvis into a household name.

The art contest is a celebration of what Graceland calls the Elvis "revolution" and a chance to compete by posting artwork entries on the Elvis website at elvis.com/revolution. A panel of Elvis judges will select its favorites and post them on Facebook, where the public will choose the winner by voting with Facebook's "Like" feature. The entry receiving the most "likes" wins.

The website does not rule out a velvet Elvis painting (now known as a "Velvis"), but it suggests getting out "paintbrushes, cameras and other creative instruments to create a work of art that symbolizes Elvis in 1956." The contest is open to "every form of art," according to Graceland.

Because of variations in laws from country to country, the contest is limited to U.S. residents, and all entries must be submitted by April 28. The grand prize is valued at $7,000, including a trip for two to Memphis for Elvis Week 2011, a two-night stay at ARIA Resort & Casino with tickets to "Viva ELVIS" by Cirque du Soleil, a cabin on the 2012 Elvis Cruise and more than $2,000 in Elvis merchandise.

-- Michael Lollar: 529-2793

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