The Day I Became My Mother: I Love ArtPrize

Wow, I haven't posted in a long time. I'm certain my plethora of readers out there have missed my usual clever, perspicacious and insightful discourse. Right? Can anybody hear me out there?

I have, indeed, been busy. Very busy. "Weighed under," and "swamped" are more accurate, with multiple evening meetings, weekend commitments, a little surgery and, in the midst of it all, a move. But, life is returning, somewhat, to whatever constitutes normal for me. (Now THAT would make an interesting blog post, but we'll leave that for another time--sometime way in the future when my brain will be able to accommodate thoughts of normalcy and how far away from it I actually am.)

La famiglia after having hogged
down golumpki and pierogi

Last Saturday, I ventured up to Grand Rapids. There were two reasons for making the two hour trip. Notably, especially for the Poles, all of Grand Rapids was celebrating Pulaski Days. This week-long festival is in honor of Polish heritage. There was, indeed, a General Pulaski, after whom this celebration was named. Sorry, I have no clue as to who he is or what he did of note. I'm basically Italian, but, just as all good people become Irish on St. Patrick's Day, all good Grand Rapidians venture to Polish halls and eat Polish food during Pulaski Days. So, I did my duty, met my family at a Polish Hall, ate very heavy (but incredibly yummy) polish food and washed it down with a Miller Lite (see photo).

Waiting in line at the Grand Rapids
Art Museum to see ArtPrize stuff

The second thing currently occurring in Grand Rapids is ArtPrize. ArtPrize is the brainchild of Rick DeVos, grandchild of the more famous Richard DeVos of Amway fame. It is in it's second year in Grand Rapids and, therefore, is now a tradition. ArtPrize in a nutshell, is a festival/contest, which invites artists of all media types to secure a venue, mostly in downtown Grand Rapids, and, after paying a very small entry fee, display their art there for several weeks. The winner of ArtPrize is decided by (gasp) democratic voting by "we, the people". Needless to say, this novel idea has been the source of much controversy and publicity in the press, online, and on the streets. The winner of ArtPrize receives $250,000. This is NOT small change (especially by artists' standards!) The controversy surrounds the two novel ideas of ArtPrize: What in the heck do ordinary people know about art, and, how gauche and pedestrian is it to display one's precious work of art in the hopes of winning dirty, ugly money (and lots of it)?

Em and Rick with "Elephant Walk" at ArtPrize
(the music "Elephant Walk" playing in the background
and the fact that their heads bobbed made this one fun)

I can't remember the title of this painting, but I enjoyed it

Lure/Wave at ArtPrize (loved it)

Apparently, 1,700 artists could care less as to whether it is appropriate for an artist to be a participant in ArtPrize. You can't walk very far in the city without seeing one of the pumpkin colored ArtPrize signs, indicating that a certain restaurant, bar, church, museum or empty warehouse is displaying someone's entry. I'm going to put myself out on a limb and say that I think ArtPrize is one of the best things to ever happen to the city of Grand Rapids, at least in my lifetime. It's a pity that it's only two weeks long (and that it can't be WARMER outside). Downtown Grand Rapids, during this time, is teeming with people; all there for the purpose of viewing the artists' exhibits. And when they're not looking at art, because they have been wandering the streets for four or five hours, they are frequenting one of the many newer, chic bars or restaurants in downtown Grand Rapids, resting their feet and having a drink and a meal. Growing up, I often heard the phrase "Downtown Grand Rapids is dead." And it was true. Woodland, Eastbrook and North Kent Malls pulled shoppers out of downtown and into the suburbs. There was no reason ever, to go downtown, except to the Post Office, or to that one newsstand where my father used to buy his Daily Racing Form.

"A Matter of Time"--really impressive wood working

My favorite: "Vision" at ArtPrize

ArtPrize pianos are throughout the city, encouraging
us to sit down and play!

Local renowned artist Larry Blovitz had two entries

Larry Blovitz's second entry

Not really in the running, but I was attracted to this one

My hometown is no longer dead. Downtown Grand Rapids is alive and well, and, regardless of whether one is Republican or Democrat (or neither), one must acknowledge what the DeVos family has done to contribute to the resurrection of life in this city. We can argue all day and night as to whether what we see in ArtPrize is true "art", and whether local yokels (and I include myself in this, even though I now live in Indiana--so please don't write and attack me for calling anyone a "yokel") have a clue as to what constitutes good art. It matters not. There are, clearly, some outstanding works of art amongst the 1,700 entries. There are some whimsical and fun pieces, that, while they probably will not win, are enjoyable to look at and experience, and might even involve youngsters in the discussion about art (my favorite of this genre was last year's Loch Ness Monster, made of foam and placed in the Grand River. This year it's "SteamPig" but frankly, I find that one frightening, and it gives me nightmares.) There are pieces that I look at and puzzle over, and then, finally, shrug my shoulders and say "I don't get it." I don't have to get it though. ArtPrize is, in the end, an "event". It is an attempt to bring people into the city and see just what a fantastic place it has become (and, hopefully, to spend a little bit of their money in local establishments). It is the cause of multiple and endless conversations about art--something most local yokels would never, ever bother about on any normal day. It gives artists an opportunity to have their art viewed. The final result of ArtPrize is that we are ALL talking about art. And really, that can't be such a bad thing, can it?

Just broadcast today on the NBC Today show is a great look at ArtPrize:
TODAY SHOW CLIP ON ARTPRIZE