More than 20 artists with links to Grand Valley State University are participating in the international ArtPrize competition in downtown Grand Rapids. Grand Valley is also one of the official ArtPrize voter registration sites.
Today begins round one of voting, to select the top 10 from more than 1,200 entries, and continues through September 30. A second round of votes, beginning October 1, will choose the top winner to be announced on October 8. For more details about the competition and instructions on how to vote for your favorites, visit http://www.artprize.org.
Each of the 10 ArtPrize artists exhibiting at Grand Valley will participate in a discussion at Loosemore Auditorium, in the DeVos Center, on Sunday, September 27, from 1-3 p.m., followed by a reception from 3-5 p.m. Both events are open to the public with free admission sponsored by Meijer, Inc. For more information about ArtPrize and each of the artists participating at Grand Valley, visit www.gvsu.edu/artgallery.
The following artists are exhibiting their entries at Grand Valley's two venues:
DeVos Center, Frey Foundation Courtyard
Maggie Annerino is a media educator who teaches media studies at Grand Valley State University. Her entry, "Airing DIRTY LAUNDRY" is a tribute to the clothesline which became a vehicle for neighbor women of earlier generations to communicate. It also explores how cultural norms and communication have changed as a new generation wears underwear as outerwear and uses social networking sites to air their "DIRTY LAUNDRY."
"Parallel Communication," explores how the nature of the process mirrors the temporary and lasting effects of experiences in life. The collaborators for this project, Dean Foster, Meghan Kelly, Mackenzie Whims and Nora Hipshear, are art students attending Grand Valley State University.
Andrew Tankersley's entry "blocks," is beautiful high-fired stoneware ceramic blocks placed in a pattern. The artist has a BFA in Ceramics from Grand Valley State University and engages materials with the intent of researching their physical properties and limitations.
Meijer Public Broadcast Center, Front Street Plaza
"Breathing Room" is a five-minute video loop of animation and time-lapse images by Deanna Morse, a professor of Film and Video Production in the School of Communications at Grand Valley State University, with music by Edie Herrod. To learn more, visit her Web site, http://www.deannamorse.com/deannamorse/home.html.
Fritz Olsen is a nationally recognized American artist who creates sculptures for public and private placement. His beautiful "Great Lakes Bench" is created of a single block of granite and is 8 feet long by 25 inches by 26 inches and weighs approximately 2,200 pounds.
"Giggling Babies: A Forced Perspective," is a large scale video installation with giggling sound shifting from panel to corresponding panel in order to align with the video images. The artist, Kim Roberts, teaches in the School of Communications at Grand Valley State University. Learn more about Roberts at, http://www.kimroberts.org/.
John Schwarz constructed his entry, "soft tail goose," from 90 percent recycled materials. He is represented by River Gallery in Chelsea, Michigan. See more images of his artwork at: http://www.chelsearivergallery.com/mainpages/schwarzimages.htm.
Julie Upmeyer, who earned her BFA from Grand Valley State University, is an artist and initiator based in Istanbul working with everyday material and space. Her entry launches a "campaign" to vote Julie Upmeyer the winner of the ArtPrize competition. Her Web site is: http://www.active-ingredient.net/.
Two artists who are registered at other venues will also have artwork at Grand Valley.
The Meijer Public Broadcast Center will be home to one of five permanently installed bronze plaques in downtown Grand Rapids by Eames Demetrios. Each plaque tells a portion of a story about an alternative universe, Kcymaexthaere. Visit his Web site, www.eamesdemetrios.com/.
Kurt Perschhke will put his RedBall at the DeVos Center, Frey Foundation Courtyard for one day, September 29. For more info: www.redballproject.com/.
CivicStudio, which is connected to Grand Valley's Art & Design Department, is participating in ArtPrize on the Gillette Bridge. Learn more at http://civicstudio.org.
Additional Grand Valley alumni, faculty and student
artists are competing in ArtPrize. See the list online at, http://main.gvsu.edu/alumni/alumni-artists-to-compete-for-world-s-largest-art-prize-238.htm.
