When I first moved to Grand Rapids last year, I had to face the terrible realization that things had changed in the four years that had passed between when I first applied to KCAD and when I finally started. The major construction of the highway and medical institution a stone's throw from the school had been completed, the school had been heavily remodeled, and apparently, some sort of international art competition had become a big boon to the city.
I speak of none other than ArtPrize. As I said, when I first applied to Kendall, ArtPrize had not yet been conceived (or at least, not implemented). So last year, when everybody was talking about it, I was very much confused. The confusion increased when I walked outside one day to crowds of people walking along the streets, taking in the sites of pieces of artwork, both large and small, overt and subtle. As a budding artist, I thought that, in the spirit of the season, I'd share my musings on the event.
First, the background. ArtPrize was started in 2009 and is probably the largest publicly voted on art competition in the world. It brings people from all over, both to compete and to take in the three-week event. All mediums are represented and the pieces are displayed all throughout the downtown area. Every venue has different pieces, usually ones that match the area's style (for example, a local gaming shop has a sculpture of a [I believe] Warhammer game piece that is about a foot and a half tall). At the end of the competition, the artist of the piece judged best is awarded $250,000, with other prize money being awarded to the other nine artists from the top ten. In 2010, they also established a jury that votes on the pieces as well, with the jurors picks receiving prize money as well ($20,000 for the top one is what I've heard for this year).
Now, onto my negative criticism. While I certainly think that this is a great way to expose the public to art, I'm not fond of the voting. Most people know absolutely nothing about art, and only know what they like. They have little to no appreciation for the talent, time or effort put into a piece of artwork, and they simply judge it based on how cool something is. I am, of course, speaking generally. I am aware that the event does in fact attract many people who have studied art, either professionally or as a hobby. But the event also attracts a lot of people who are ignorant of such things, not to mention the residents of Grand Rapids itself. That much prize money should be awarded to a truly exceptional artist, one who has created a breathtakingly masterful piece. But unfortunately, the public tends to vote towards the flashy and sensational.
However, for all that I've said against it, I do love this event. First of all, it's a great opportunity to see some very impressive artwork, even without making an effort to take in the event. I was walking to buy some supplies today, and passed a rather nice dragon sculpture made from what looked like scrap metal. Unlike say going to a museum, you don't have to go to a specific place, pay a fee, and keep your voice down as you admire the artwork. You can take it in by walking around town, enjoying the crisp autumn air, while listening to the sounds of the crowds and maybe even strike up a conversation with somebody new about a particular piece. Secondly, as I briefly mentioned, it's an opportunity for the general public to get some exposure to artwork. Art museums are an excellent way to get exposed to art, but they do have faults (most of which I mentioned above), and they also have a somewhat pretentious sort of aura. It can be intimidating to go to a museum for the first time (even if you are an artist). Finally, it's a wonderful thing, to see a city embracing art like this. My art department in high school never really got all that much recognition, nor did it at community college. I never heard people get excited about seeing artwork, save for in my art classes (and even then, it was a fairly uncommon occurrence). It makes me hopeful that one day, my artwork will be appreciated in a similar way.
If you have an opportunity, I highly recommend checking out the event. If not this year, then perhaps some other year. Or even just try to find some quality images of the pieces online. The official website has images of the pieces ( http://www.artprize.org/entries ).
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