Downtown Grand Rapids last week ...

While I was in El Paso at the end of September, ArtPrize 2012 was going on in Grand Rapids, and I nearly missed the entire thing! It seems almost pointless to post any pictures from an event that is already over, the votes have been cast, the winners crowned, etc. But I had all of these pictures from the two very brief times I had the opportunity to get to any of the venues ... so I'm posting them later than never. I did a terrible job keeping track of artists and names of pieces, etc. but for now, it is what it is.

The above picture is just a snippet of the entire work, which of course I was interested in because I love calligraphy. This was of exceptional quality. "Geometry can produce legible letters but art alone makes them beautiful." How true! I grabbed a business card from a stand right next to this exhibit, but I can't find that card for the life of me ... so I can't tell you who the artists are ... but I loved their work and the power of words and the beauty of writing them!  

And doesn't this above piece LOOK like it is a quilt made of fabric in the usual way? Well, you are NOT going to believe me if I tell you, but it is a WOOD carving! YES! I couldn't believe my eyes either!  

This one was a tribute to veterans everywhere and was titled: "Without their sacrifice, there is no freedom." There were many messages of thanks to our troops written by thousands ... 

The above picture is of a neat entry that is really difficult for me to describe ... so I won't try! But I liked this picture of it, so I'm posting it anyway! 

 Very cool dragon ... at The Bob venue ...

All of the above entries were outside at The Bob. There was also a very fun gentleman who made a musical instruments out of old junk (literally) and the whole piece was very interactive. My pictures did not do it justice, so I'm not showing you any at all of that one! 

The tails and other parts of these fish moved with the current ... 

This is a photograph titled: "Alone in the Waiting Line." Beautiful. 

 One of the beautiful chandeliers in the Amway Grand ...

 Looking through a skylight at the Amway Grand ...

 The work above was actually my pick for the winner of ArtPrize 2012 ... but it did not win the prize! I think it came in 3rd. It is titled: "Rebirth of Spring" Oil painting by Frits Hoendenvanger. It is a gorgeous work ... and I LOVE trees ... and everything about this painting.

 This is Dr. Nicholas Kroeze's wood carving (from a single piece of wood) titled: "Lifted". It did not get in the Top-25, but it was definitely one of my favorites. If you go to www.praisecraft.com you can see better pictures of this really marvelous piece and the story behind his carving based on Psalm 40:2 "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." I love Psalm 40. If you go to Dr. Kroeze's site, there is even a 30-day Bible study of Psalm 40 that you can do if you would like. I started it three days ago and I have really enjoyed it.

 This work is titled: "Cloud zombies, connected or disconnected." Ouch. They are all hanging themselves on their devices ... 

This is "Flight" on the lawn of the Gerald R. Ford Museum. It was the winner of the Urban Space award. 

This is called: "Hooked on Michigan." Yes, sir, I am definitely hooked on Michigan. 

This is a digital silk painting called: "Colors of Time" that I thought was very beautiful. It was actually three separate canvases ... but my photo of all three of them was blocked by people's heads who were there to see it ... 

This T-Rex was outside the Gerald R. Ford museum and attracted quite a huge bunch of people both times I was there ...

This is: "Stick-to-it-ive-ness: Unwavering Pertinacity; Perseverance." How's that for a title? It was in the Top-10. 

This a pencil drawing titled: "City Band" by Chris LaPorte whose entry two years ago took the top ArtPrize. But sadly, this beautiful piece only took 10th spot this year. This photo is only a very tiny part of the whole work.

I don't have a photograph at all of the #1 winner, "Elephants" because my camera battery died right when I was standing in front of it!! And I had stood in line for 40 minutes just to SEE it. It was a very intricate drawing with lots of imagination and it was a very admirable piece ... but it was too weird for my taste I guess because I would not have picked it for #1 at all!

I also completely missed out on "Lights in the Night" when 10,000+ chineese lanterns were released along the Grand River. If you haven't seen it on YouTube you should check it out. It was really beautiful. I regret terribly that I wasn't downtown to see it with my own eyes. Next year, hopefully, I will do a better job of following ArtPrize.