Employees enter work in Grand Rapids' ArtPrize competition, to begin in September
Last year a total of 1,713 artists competed to become the public’s favorite artist at Grand Rapids' ArtPrize.
This fall, two Central Michigan University employees are hoping to beat out the crowd.
CMU’s own Corby Blem and Al Wildey will participate in this year's ArtPrize competition, which begins Sept. 21 and goes through Oct. 9.
Associate Professor of Photography Wildey heard about ArtPrize through a gallery director in Grand Rapids in 2009 and has been participating for the past three years.
“I think it's a tremendous opportunity for artists to get their work in front of a widely divergent audience," Wildey said. "I think it is a great example of 'cultural capital' that generates a great deal of interest that translates into a significant revenue stream for the city of Grand Rapids."
This year will be the third year for ArtPrize and it has been projected to grow from last year's 192 venues, participants from 44 states and 21 different counties participating, and 465,538 votes. As the largest competition in the nation that solely relies on the public’s vote, the top 10 artists receive a cash prize with the top artist winning $250,000.
Blem, a senior specialist clerk for Student Employment Services, was introduced to ArtPrize before last year's competition by some friends who wanted him to participate.
“The entry I’m creating for this year's ArtPrize is one of substance," he said. "The reason I waited until this year is because I didn’t want a tiny painting — I wanted something that was large and could capture everyone’s attention.”
The painting Blem produced shows a giant yearbook layout of 1963 nerd versions of his friends and family.
Artists match up with a hotel or restaurant they feel complements their artwork and who they are. Blem chose Stella’s Lounge in downtown Grand Rapids.
Wildey said ArtPrize has the conflicting potential of bridging and widening the gap between artist and audience, and said there is a lot of associated spectacle and curiosity.
Wildey’s artwork is made up of superimposed digital photographs of specific journeys. Wildey said opacity adjustments on each layer create a composite image where details dissipate and meld to produce an image with faint traces of each singular photograph, creating an implied sense of the cumulative journey. Much like a short film compressed to a single frame, details disappear and in their place, only an impression persists, Wildey said.
“This has been a great opportunity for me to connect (and reconnect) with family and friends that may not understand my artistic practice," he said. "Additionally, I have been able to connect with many people that are interested in CMU and our program in art and design"
