Tag: ArtPrize

Yesterday stood poised to offer observers one heck of a big, black thunder cloud but one city's effort (and, largely, one families) wrapped it in a pretty substantial silver lining.

When folks turned on the nightly news yesterday they were treated to the regular chorus of rotten news about Michigan.  On steroids.

The Obama administration is preparing to watch local manufacturing giant Chrysler, LLC go bankrupt next week.  Meanwhile, General Motors announced thirteen summer plant closings including four in the Great Lakes State that are expected to shake the foundation of handfuls of suppliers and other businesses, too.  Oh, and did you hear the news anchor mention that regional unemployment rates were up, again, in March?

On a normal day that'd be enough to make a guy change the channel, even if the only other option was a re-run of  Brett Michaels' Rock of Love Bus.  Except that yesterday it wasn't.  Yesterday the rest of the world was buzzing about Michigan and it had nothing to do with unemployment, job losses or shuttered manufacturing plants.

Rick DeVos's big reveal yesterday, that Grand Rapids would host the world's largest and most unique art competition this September has folks buzzing from Detroit to Charleston to Boston and San Francisco and everywhere in between (Albemarle, North Carolina, anyone?).

Even saw buzz on Twitter yesterday from Scotland.

This is the kind of news Michigan needs hitting the wires.  Our second largest and most vibrant big city is hosting a world class arts competition that invites the public from around the world to stop by, visit and participate.

Already making plans with some friends to spend a day or two this September backpacking and biking around the downtown canvas and daydreaming about the potential energy is exciting.  

Big ups and a big THANKS to Rick and the entire DeVos family for making this happen.  We've had a six-plus year string of rotten news in this state.  Nice to have something so wildly different to hang our hats on for a summer.

Exhibit A (literally): Grand Rapids

Rick DeVos this morning unveiled ArtPrize at a giant press conference on Lyon Square in front of the old Civic Theatre downtown.

ArtPrize is a two-and-a-half week annual festival, kicking off this fall that will effectively turn the entire downtown area into an art gallery as artists from around the world create and showcase new works of art while competing for a $250,000 grand prize, the largest art prize in the world.

Better yet, the winner will be selected by the public.  You, me, anyone.  

This sort of event does not exist anywhere else in the world.  This is a first-of-its-kind event and it is happening right here in GR.  And I don't mind telling you, I'm geeked!

Artists of all kinds from around the world converge on Grand Rapids.  Think paintings, sculptures, performance art, abstract, pop, photography... you name it.

Artists team with business owners and developers downtown through ArtPrize.org to host and showcase their work.  Whether it is in the lobby of an office complex, on the top of a hotel, the patio of a restaurant, a bridge, projecting something onto the side of a building... the possibilities seem pretty much endless.

Then regular folks see the work and vote for their favorites via text message or on the internet.  And not just Grand Rapidians.  Anyone and everyone... provided they've actually made the trip to Grand Rapids and registered to participate at one of the exhibits.  This has all the makings of a mammoth tourism draw.

The competition will be whittled down to the Top 10 after the first week.  Each of the finalists will be guaranteed thousands of dollars in cash but the big prizes are for first, second and third place.  $250,000, $100,000 and $50,000 respectively.

Former gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos and his wife Betsy (Rick's parents) were on hand for the announcement and have made a multi-year pledge to cover the prize money through the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation.  

No Grand Rapids tax dollars will be used to fund this program.  No state tax dollars or "Pure Michigan" spending will be needed to prop it up artificially.  

"The call is going to go out to thousands and thousands of artists (today) to kick this off," Rick DeVos told the Grand Rapids Press.

The event will help harness and show off the creative energy and "cultural capital" Grand Rapids has developed over the years, said Joseph Becherer, director of exhibitions and curator of sculpture at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

"This kind of gift tied to this kind of ingenuity can only mean something positive for Grand Rapids as it is now, but also helping to imagine Grand Rapids as it will be tomorrow," Becherer said.

The competition begins September 23rd and the winner will be announced on October 8.