West Virginia University art students were the winners of Pittsburghs newest interactive art event, Art Olympic Theatre, held Oct. 6 at the New Hazlett Theater.

During the Art Olympics, modeled after the popularIron Chefcooking show and described as one of Pittsburghs major art events of the year, three teams of artists competed for more than two hours to build sculptural installations out of piles of junk.

WVU sculpture professor Douglas Loewen led the WVU student team called The Whirlabouts.

It was very tense and exciting,he said.We produced a 10-foot-tall whirlwind of inflatable plastic and lights rotating on a central turntable, powered by the team players sitting on four sit-and-spin sculptures.

The graduate students on the WVU team included Emily Walley of Holmen, Wisc.; David Hale of Groton, Conn.; and Evan Thomas of Ashland, Ohio.

The event was part reality TV show, part art opening, part construction site and part theater extravaganza, Loewen said.

Art Olympic Theatre was organized to celebrate the first anniversary of the Tom Museum in Pittsburgh and was sponsored in part by a Seed Award from the Sprout Fund.