ArtPrize 2010

ArtPrize began in Grand Rapids, MI in 2009.  In order to promote art in the community, an event welcomed artists from the area - far and wide - to display a wide variety of artistic talent and the opportunity to win $250,000.  Wikipedia defines ArtPrize.  For more information, also check out http://www.artprize.org/.

I have had the opportunity to explore ArtPrize both years.  While clearly I am not an artist, I struggle with playing hangman and having to draw a stick figure, I am in awe at the amazing talent of the artists.  Some artists have argued that the entries and even the Top 10 winners of ArtPrize are not the most talented, but as a society we need to accept that with the public texting and voting for their favorites, the most talented isn't always the winner.

Randomly, here are some pictures of my favorites or most interesting art that I liked.  Some of them made the top 10.  ArtPrize continues through October 10, 2010. 

Top 10:  Young Kim - Salt & Earth (Salt & Clay)

One of Many of the Fish Artwork on Display

This "carpet" is made out of sand!

Top 10:  Wander Martich - Helping Mom One Penny at a Time (3D made of all pennies!)

Picture made of 250,920 small balls!

Top 10: Mia Tavonatti - Svelata (Stained Glass Mosaic)

Gloria Kirk-Hanna: Fiber Four Seasons

Nellie Durand: The Lake, made of Fiber

One of my Favorites: Mosaic made of Crayons!

Lori Hough: Giraffes made of Paper Mache



7000 Images created the Picture of the GR Symphony



Schemm & Buteyn: When We Are Mammoths 2010 (Aluminum/Steel/Wood)



Top 10: Bill Secunda - Dancing With Lions (1,000 pounds of cut nails)



Top 10: Birks, Jensen - Steam Pig Experiment (3D, Sound)

Mannequin designed in beads

Horses made of kitchen utensils

Florence Truskowski: Sweet Magnolia (Torn Paper Collage)

Top 10: Fredrick Prescott - Elephant Walk (3D)

Top 10: David Spriggs - The Vision (2-3D Imagery)

Top 10:  Chris LaPorte: Cavalry, American Officers, 1921 (2h Pencil on Paper)
800 hours and 8.5 months to complete this pencil drawing

There were two other Top 10 features that I didn't photograph, taken from www.ArtPrize.org

Top 10: Paul Baliker - A Matter of Time (3D Wood Sculpture)



Top Ten: Beili Liu - Lure/Wave, Grand Rapids (Lure/Forest) (3D Thread/Sewing Needles)


 

There are also pianos randomly throughout the city to enjoy making your own music.  Several popular artists have also performed free concerts for the public.  A great experience for all ages!

Tulip Time '09 Various Pictures

Holland 2009 Tulip Time Poster:

One of Holland's many Tulip Lanes:

These trees are my favorite:

Tulips:

Celebration 5/2/09 at Kollen Park:

Klompen Dancers 5/2/09:

Lake Macatawa:

Art in the Park, Centennial Park 5/3/09:

ABC Cakes & Other Vendors:

Klompen Dancers 5/3/09:

Fountain in Centennial Park:

Bavarian Creme Funnel Cake:

Tulip Time '09

The weekend went well, partaking in some Tulip Time festivities. My mom and her friend made it into town by early afternoon on Friday. By early evening we headed downtown for the first of the Celebration and enjoyed a very inexpensive picnic dinner of $2.00 - hot dog, pasta salad, bag of kettle chips, vitamin water, double tree cookies and hudsonville ice cream.

We were able to see the Klompen dancers and I hope to post pictures soon. We left the park and headed downtown to enjoy a few drinks and appetizers. Unfortunately we missed the fireworks waiting for our bill.

Saturday we visited Art in the Park at Centennial Park. Kinderplaats for the children was taking place near Window on the Waterfront. The trolley rides were booking fast, so mom and her friend weren't able to participate. The weather couldn't have been nicer and it was a good time had by all! As a must, we hit the funnel cake vendor to enjoy the bavarian cream cake, although the reeses funnel cake is by far my favorite. The vendors thought by the end of the week they may have the ingredients to make them, but I'm highly contemplating bringing my own peanut butter chips for them to use for me. I'd even be willing to donate the remainder for others to enjoy!

Tulip Time

Holland Michigan offers Tulip Time every May. This year, Tulip Time will be May 2 - May 9, 2009. Living in West Michigan allows for the opportunity to participate (or not) in the festivities which includes parades, street scrubbing, klompen dancers, dutch meals, shopping, tours, tulips, tulips and tulips. If the weather cooperates, Tulip Time can actually be a rather exciting time of year for visitors as well as residents.

LL and her baby were planning on coming in for a visit this upcoming weekend. We planned it a while ago. I haven't seen her daughter since early winter and she's growing like a weed! Unfortunately due to car issues LL called yesterday to cancel. My mom and her friend had wanted to come visit and check out Tulip Time, but with LL being in town and then being at my mom's for Mother's Day weekend, there wasn't an opportunity.

Considering being selfish and not hosting company, I debated whether or not to inform my mom of the change of plans. Of course, I called her immediately and left a message. Within minutes, my mom had called back to say that of course her friend was ecstatic with the change of plans and they would be up Friday afternoon! So instead of power cleaning for a crawling baby, I'll be cleaning to impress my mom's friend - otherwise, about the same difference!

Regardless, it's nice to have company and actually have guests be interested and willing in staying at my house.

Traverse City

Mr. Date and I returned home from a long weekend in Traverse City, Michigan. We were able to do some sightseeing, which included scenic drives of the color tour, hiking the dunes, seeing two lighthouses, wine tasting, gambling and relaxing.

Fall weather is always questionable in Michigan and the weather was a little on the chilly side, in the low 60's during the day and much cooler at night. It didn't rain too hard any of the time we were there, but it would have been nice to have late Indian Summer weather.

Remarkable for me, it was the first time that I can remember going on a vacation (of any duration) with a significant other and not wanting to be home and as far away from him as possible. There wasn't even a brief moment of the trip that I had wished I had a noose or the ability to jump off a nearby cliff (of course if there was a cliff!). I'm not sure why I didn't have that lurking feeling of a need to escape, a need to be alone...and I'm OK with that!

On Friday we did the winery tours of Old Mission Point. We managed to hit 6 of the 7 wineries. We skipped 2 Lads Winery, since it was slightly out of our way and we heard that as it was the newest winery it only had one wine to sample. Seeing that was the last winery to hit, we were pretty much wined out. Actually after the third winery, I was finding that I couldn't remember what the wines tasted like and which ones I really preferred. All in all, we each sampled 36 wines. My favorites (I think) were a semi-dry '06 Riesling and a sparkling cherry wine. I'm hoping that when I do open the bottles, that they are as good if not better than I remember! I had several others that I enjoyed, but not sure that I could enjoy a glass let alone share a bottle! I did feel that when wine tasting along with others that were older, that we seemed to be discriminated against. Our samples were often smaller and the service was less personal.

We also tried our luck at the casino on Friday. I called T to make sure he made it home from school and to check in. In doing so, I threw in a couple quarters into a quarter slot machine. I don't know what I hit, but it started clinking and racking up, finally totaling $115.00. Not that I didn't manage to spend the majority of it on other machines, but it was pretty entertaining to see how much I won and that T was good luck. I should have kept him on the phone the entire time, maybe I would have hit it big. I did see a lady win $600 on the penny slots, so that was pretty cool.

Saturday in Traverse City was Happy Apple Days. We were rather disappointed that it didn't appear to be a festival or any great event. There were a few bushels of baskets in local store fronts that were for the picking while you shopped. The local fire department was celebrating National Fire Prevention Day where the crowds were able to take rides on the old fire engine and the kids received free fire hats and stickers.