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ArtPrize and Project 1 - Grand Rapids


GRDadof3

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This is a great big deal! How cool is it that lil ol' GR is going to host 1000 artists from around the world and have the chance to interact with many of the artists and talk about their art?!!

This is turning out to be a bigger event than I would have ever imagined!

Anyone volunteering? I think that I am going to sign up to help! Sounds like they are going to need every hand available. And, what a great opportunity to promote Grand Rapids and West Michigan!

:thumbsup:

I volunteered my place (a peck building loft/condo), but no one likes a place with no guaranteed parking or transportation. :( I can't guarantee that, I have to work to afford a place to support my family and the artist! :) Hopefully we'll find a match (looking for only one person because of space considerations).

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As of Friday night, more than 1,150 artists from at least 44 states and 24 foreign countries were set to show their work in nearly 150 locations when the urban exhibition opens Sept. 23.

...and this...

Local architect Stephen Fry and artist Sarah Grant from Des Moines, Iowa, are building a massive pair of chairs and tables that will be suspended 60 feet above the Grand River atop the Blue Bridge. Construction began three weeks ago at the local Pioneer Construction Yard to fashion 6,000 square feet of plywood into three pieces of furniture. The title of the piece is, "Furniture City sets the Table for the World of Art." ... The project -- 80 feet wide, 15 feet tall, titled "Humanity at the Crossroads" -- will take six weeks to complete. Hoekstra is staying with a host family in the area.

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grand-r..._matched_a.html

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I checked out the progress of Imagine That (mosaic on the side the GRCM) and it looks fantastic. Definitely go check it out while they are working on it. It is fun to see the process, and it looks really good. Getting a sneak peak of Art Prize with "Imagine That" and "Jelly Bean" makes me really excited about Art Prize.

It'll be interesting to see the economic impact downtown. I know we plan on getting a room downtown (if we can) and fully enjoying the festivities!

Does anyone know if there will be a place to purchase art (not necessarily the Art Prize piece, but other works by the artists). Seems like this would be a great way to fill up some empty storefronts on Monroe if you could get a one month lease and sell nothing but art.

Joe

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This ArtPrize is extremely exciting. It is totally amazing with what all is going with Grand Rapids. The variety of media and types of art is awesome. Something for everybody. I'm sure it will attract people here that haven't been here before. I'm sure they will be impressed and pleased with the city and the people here.

The matching has slowed down this evening as their is now 1,257 so my guess is 1,264 at closing.

~John

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Just caught this one rolling down Fulton. It sparkles! The artist dude says they should be completed later today.

I like the idea of permanent art. A couple years ago, when all the Tom bronze things went away, the streets seemed much emptier. (Perhaps Nessie could be repurposed as a ferryboat...)

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The writer must be saying 'largest group outside of GR locals' because there is NO WAY there are more Detroiters in ArtPrize then Grand Rapids folk

This is her quote:

It closed on July 31 with 1,754 artists, 108 from metro Detroit, the largest single group of artists. As of press time, 1,083 artists, 57 from metro Detroit, had secured spots among 168 venues. The matching process ended on Saturday.

I counted 47 artists from "metro Grand Rapids" in just the first 11 pages of artists (out of 127 pages). Probably an oversight. At least they're covering it (and the article is not bad).

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This is her quote:

It closed on July 31 with 1,754 artists, 108 from metro Detroit, the largest single group of artists. As of press time, 1,083 artists, 57 from metro Detroit, had secured spots among 168 venues. The matching process ended on Saturday.

I counted 47 artists from "metro Grand Rapids" in just the first 11 pages of artists (out of 127 pages). Probably an oversight. At least they're covering it (and the article is not bad).

By my unofficial count this morning, about 440 of the artists are from within 10-12 miles of Grand Rapids (I used Ada, Rockford, Walker, Hudsonville, Caledonia as my rough outer ring when I did the count).

I would guess another 150-200 of the artists are from "West Michigan" including places like Saugatuck, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, etc. But, that means that about half the artists are from farther away.

Edited by fotoman311
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By my unofficial count this morning, about 440 of the artists are from within 10-12 miles of Grand Rapids (I used Ada, Rockford, Walker, Hudsonville, Caledonia as my rough outer ring when I did the count).

I would guess another 150-200 of the artists are from "West Michigan" including places like Saugatuck, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, etc. But, that means that about half the artists are from farther away.

I emailed the writer, and she said they're going to run a correction Monday. Like lightning fast.

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When I was hunting around the ArtPrize site this morning I found this potentially awesome entry. I imagine that construction of this installation will have to begin sometime in the next couple of weeks and could dramatically change this corner, at least for a couple of weeks, maybe longer.

Sally England/Nick Stockton

http://www.artprize.org/artist/id/675

Art form: 3-D

Medium: Installation

Year created: Work not created yet

Description of work: Our project includes an outdoor art installation on all sides of the exterior of the historic and architecturally significant 2 East Fulton building. The installation will show life,growth,and potential. We hope this installation will bring positive energy and excitement to the property, while dramatically changing a familiar Grand Rapids landscape.

Work statement: For over three years I walked past the old Junior Achievement Building at 2 East Fulton in Grand Rapids, Michigan on an almost daily basis. Placed right smack in the middle of downtown, with over 25,000 cars passing by every day, it had grown decrepit with well over a decade of vacancy and neglect. It was once a center of learning, a place for growth and exploration. I found myself asking why this architecturally significant Art Deco building with such great bones and history had stood vacant for so long. Why were expensive new buildings being built downtown, while old ones with so much character were being overlooked? Why could no one see the potential it had to offer? What ghosts or vagrants haunted the old schoolroom hallways? Too often people, places, and things slip into the background. We see them, but do we really see them?

Edited by fotoman311
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Are you referring to this?

3794808067_0dc2171789.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johne777/3794...57621789687697/

It is between Oaks and Williams. It is a boarded up street-front area of the building to prevent homeless from camping out there. It is an advertisement to do ArtPrize installations.

~John

The website indicates it will be the site of that artists' ArtPrize entry and that work will begin on or around Sept. 1st.

http://erwinerkfitz.com/eeblog/?p=68

http://www.artprize.org/artist/id/276

Title: We're All Connected 2.0 Art form: 2-D, 3-D, Film / Video, Sound

Medium: Mixed Media

Year created: Work not created yet

Description of work: Erwin Erkfitz has transformed the building facades of South Division Avenue from Cherry to Williams St.

The mural includes aerosol stencils, brush paint, screen prints, wheat pastes & sculptural elements.

This mixed-media installation will bridge a gap of street-art and the gallery. Look throughout downtown GR for the installations of We're All Connected 2.0, with its epicenter at S. Division and Cherry.

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