Brian Kelly at ArtPrize 2011 – Nickelback Edition
September 27th, 2011
As the end of first round voting draws nigh, Brian goes hunting for favorites. It’s still anybody’s game, get out and vote!
ArtPrize Blog
Brian Kelly at ArtPrize: Double Whammy
September 23rd, 2011
A brand new video from ice cream aficionado and ArtPrize explorer Brian Kelly. Check it out!
News Release: ArtPrize New Executive Director
April 5th, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ARTPRIZE PREPARES FOR SELF-SUSTAINABILITY, APPOINTS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. April 5, 2011 – ArtPrize, the radically open public art competition, today announced its continued progress toward long-term sustainability. The organization has hired Catherine Creamer, an expert in business development and management, as its new executive director.
Creamer, who began with ArtPrize on March 21, will oversee ArtPrize and align the creative and business elements of the organization, including finance, operations and administration, reporting to ArtPrize chairman, Rick DeVos. Bill Holsinger-Robinson, ArtPrize’s outgoing executive director, will refocus his efforts as the president of Pomegranate Studios, leading projects including Momentum and 5×5 Night.
Among Creamer’s first responsibilities will be establishing new financial goals that will enable the organization to reach self-sustainability, in addition to reporting and auditing procedures required for nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status. ArtPrize earned this distinction on January 1, 2011. Creamer’s most recent experience include business development and management positions with Herman Miller, faculty at New North Center for Design and Business and curriculum research for Kendall College of Art and Design.
“We selected Catherine based on her range of experience leading major projects, her remarkable administrative skill in non-traditional organizations and appetite for new challenges,” said DeVos. “She will be a strong leader for ArtPrize as we undertake expanded initiatives in community engagement and take further steps to becoming an organization that is broadly supported and valued by the community.”
Since its inception, self-sustainability has been integral to ArtPrize’s long-term viability. The new director brings a strong combination of management, development and education to ArtPrize that will help the organization reach financial independence.
“ArtPrize continues to undergo significant growth, and its future requires someone with a strong business and organizational background as well as significant nonprofit experience, and we found that in Catherine,” added Bill Holsinger-Robinson. “Catherine is a seasoned leader who can develop new arts management talent and nurture the ArtPrize platform.”
For the past five years, Creamer has led a consulting firm specializing in business development and material design innovation. She was responsible for framing new business ideas in preparation for launch and identifying and vetting design professionals for the furniture industry. Her clients have included the Material ConneXion, Natural Capitalism Institute, DARPA, Dial, Egg Strategy and Herman Miller.
“It is a great honor to join the ArtPrize team and I am humbled by the great work that has established this competition on the national scene,” said Creamer. “In this position, I hope to further our goal of becoming a self-sustaining organization while reaffirming our core mission: to dramatically transform the public art conversation through social engagement using Grand Rapids as a canvas.”
Creamer has held the position of secretary of the board of Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park and a member of the executive committee for eight years as well as president of West Michigan Environmental Action Council since fall 2010. She has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Rochester Institute of Technology with additional executive education from the University of Michigan, Wells College and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Originally trained as a master weaver, Creamer began her career as a full time artist in a New York studio. Her work has been shown in galleries nationally as well as in at the Cooper Hewitt in N.Y. and the Renwick Gallery in Washington D.C. She currently resides in Grand Rapids with her two sons.
ArtPrize 2011 begins Sept. 21 and runs through Oct. 9. Last Thursday, it was announced that the organization would find a new home at a new arts incubator in the soon-to-be former UICA building. Information about ArtPrize and scheduled events can be found at artprize.org.
About ArtPrize
ArtPrize is a radically open competition, which has no formal jury, curator or judge, and asks the public to vote and decide the winners using mobile devices and the Internet. During ArtPrize 2010, more than 1,713 artists from 44 states and 21 countries participated in the unprecedented competition that awarded nearly $500,000 to the prizewinners. More than 460,000 votes were cast during the 19-day event. For more information about ArtPrize visit artprize.org.
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Art in the Grand River
March 16th, 2011
POST UPDATE: FINAL THREE DAYS TO PROPOSE ART IN THE RIVER
***Deadline to apply is Monday, March 28, 2011***
Installing art in the Grand River requires a different process because it involves multiple approvals from city and state departments.
Contact José Reyna, Fiscal Services Manager at The City of Grand Rapids.
DATES
- Pre-application filed with the City: Monday, March 28, 2011
- Application filed with the DNRE: Friday, April 8
(The DNRE will process the application using the following steps)
- Public notice period begins: Friday, April 22
- Public notice period ends: Friday, May 13
- Public hearing, if requested: Friday, June 10
- Required time for comments: Monday, June 20
- Permit Decision: Wednesday, June 29
2011 Registration Dates: News Release
February 11th, 2011
Officials of ArtPrize, a radically open art competition giving away the world’s largest art prize, has announced 2011 registration dates for venues and artists, and special dates for submitting art to be installed in the Grand River. ArtPrize 2011 will run from Sept. 21 through Oct. 9.
“The artist and venue registration process was developed during the last two years based on feedback provided from artists, venues, city hall and ArtPrize visitors,” said Rick DeVos, ArtPrize founder.
Key dates for ArtPrize 2011 include:
Venue Registration
Open: Monday, March 14, 2011
Close: Thursday April 14 (5 p.m. EDT)
Artist Registration
Open: Monday, April 18
Close: Thursday, June 16 (5 p.m. EDT)
Artist/Venue Matching
Open: Tuesday, May 31
Close: Thursday, June 30 (5 p.m. EDT)
“A lot of the most memorable work in the event is created for a specific space,” said ArtPrize Executive Director Bill Holsinger-Robinson. “Artists will know all the venues available as they register.” Holsinger-Robinson cautions artists, “The vast majority of artists who did not secure a venue in 2010 were the ones who signed up at the last minute. Register early.”
Any art proposed for installation in the Grand River, which runs through the heart of the three square-mile ArtPrize district, must be submitted to the city of Grand Rapids and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) according to the following schedule.
Pre-application filed with the City: Monday, March 28, 2011
Application filed with the DNRE: Friday, April 8
(The DNRE will process the application using the following steps)
- Public notice period begins: Friday, April 22
- Public notice period ends: Friday, May 13
- Public hearing, if requested: Friday, June 10
- Required time for comments: Monday, June 20
Permit Decision: Wednesday, June 29
“This process allows the City to review proposed work to ensure that there is artistic quality and structural integrity to the proposed installations,” said José Reyna Fiscal Services Manager for the city of Grand Rapids. “The DNRE application will review the proposed installations in the context of environmental, structural and navigability impact on the river.”
As in 2010, ArtPrize will partner with institutions like the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts and others to form large neighborhood destinations where visitors can launch into surrounding venues. These Exhibition Centers will be professionally managed and bring a minimum of 25 installations to one site and serve as a launchpad into the surrounding neighborhood. Each will offer voter registration, an ArtPrize gift shop, and the ArtPrize shuttle stops at each. Exact locations of the Exhibition Centers are still being determined.
ArtPrize has invited thousands of artists worldwide to register for ArtPrize 2011, which will award the world’s largest cash prize for art totaling $484,000. Prizes include: First place – $250,000, second place $100,000, third place $50,000, fourth through tenth places $7,000 each, and five juried awards at $7,000 each.
In ArtPrize 2010, Chris LaPorte of Grand Rapids, Mich. captured the top prize of $250,000 for his work Cavalry, American Officers, 1921. In ArtPrize 2009, Ran Ortner of Brooklyn, N.Y. captured the top prize of $250,000 for his work Open Water No. 24.
About ArtPrize
ArtPrize is a radically open competition which has no formal jury, curator or judge, and asks the public to vote and decide the winners using mobile devices and the Web. In ArtPrize 2010, more than 1,700 artists from all over the world participated in the unprecedented competition that awarded nearly $500,000 to the prize winners. More than 465,000 votes were cast during the 19-day event. For more information about ArtPrize visit http://artprize.org.
# # #
2010 ArtPrize Winners Announcement
October 7th, 2010
This is it, with nearly 450,000 votes cast over a two week period, the ArtPrize Winners Announcement is here. The announcement will take place at the Steelcase Ballroom at DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave. NW. It is free and open to everyone.
The ceremony starts at 7:00 PM, doors open at 6:30 PM . However, seating is limited. So, show up early if you want to guarantee a spot.
UPDATE:
ArtPrize juried awards will be announced tonight at the Winners Announcement.
Will there be food?
Concessions will be available at 6:30.
Where do I park?
Parking is available at the DeVos Place Convention Center. Additionally, here’s a list of downtown parking ramps/garages.
I can’t make it downtown, how can I follow the event?
If you can’t make it downtown tonight for the announcement, we’ll be livestreaming the event starting at 7:00PM. Additionally, you can follow the ArtPrize social media feeds on Twitter and Facebook for live updates.
Critical Discourse – Battle of the Top 10
October 1st, 2010
Critical Discourse – Battle of the Top 10 
The public has weighed in with their favorites… so what do the experts think? A panel discussion of the Top Ten of ArtPrize 2010 is bookended by a cocktail hour and and a reception with music and appetizers, and plenty to talk about! Brought to you by Eastern Floral.
Where:
Goei Center
818 Butterworth St SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
When:
October, 1 (that’s today)
7 – 11pm
Video after the jump.
90 Seconds with Ryan Spencer Reed
September 28th, 2010
Brian Kelly is a photographer and filmmaker living in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Based on the video journal he made during 2009, ArtPrize® invited Brian to share his videos on our blog during the 2010 event. He’ll walk around and document what interests him as a filmmaker. Brian’s thoughts and opinions are his own and in no way represent an endorsement or objection from ArtPrize toward an individual artist or venue.
An Art Explosion
September 24th, 2010
If you can guess the location and title of this piece, you'll understand that it is truly a sight to be "seen" (pun completely intended).
Photo Taken By: Matt Burrows
This photo is part of the ArtPrize® 2010 “Where’s this?” series on the blog. The photos are taken by photographers working independently. They do not reflect the opinion on ArtPrize organizers.
Hidden Mural
September 19th, 2010
Hey ArtPrizers, where in Grand Rapids was this photo taken?
Photo by Victoria Fanning
This photo is part of the ArtPrize® 2010 “Where’s this?” series on the blog. The photos are taken by photographers working independently. They do not reflect the opinion on ArtPrize organizers.