It’s called a walking, talking art contest, but Art Alive could just as easily be called a living, breathing art contest. The yearly contest at the Alright-Knox has very few rules: create a living tableau, through costumes and props, of your favorite artwork from the gallery or any other major art collection. The loose rules routinely encourage wild creativity, as does $1,000 in cash prizes for categories like best craftsmanship and most unusual entry. In fact, contestants have been known to sing, dance, perform skits and, in less extreme cases, stand really still for a really long time.

More than an avenue for artistic silliness, though, Art Alive addresses the idea of movement in art, that what’s on a canvas is more than just a moment frozen in time. Rather than being static, a work of art is constantly being reinterpreted and re-understood in the ever-changing contexts of time and place. Past contestants have recreated works by Claude Monet, Frida Kahlo, Jackson Pollack and Andy Warhol with varying degrees of success (and we’ll offer no further comment).

Now in its tenth year at the Albright-Knox, Art Alive has become one of the gallery’s most popular exhibitions. Perhaps that’s because of its light-hearted, informal nature. But more likely it’s because Art Alive fosters an atmosphere of community participation, allowing everyday people the chance to interpret art and add their voices to the community of artists. Of course being featured at one of the nation’s premiere art galleries, even for a day, has its perks, too.

Friday June 16 from 2-7pm. Albright-Knox Art Gallery, 1285 Elmwood Ave.

(882-8700). Free.