ArtPrize is officially underway, hundreds of artists and their work will be on display across the city with downtown Grand Rapids being the main hub for visitors to view creative works of art.
Grand Rapids Community College has had alumni and faculty involved in ArtPrize since its inception in 2009. This year a total of 13 GRCC alumni and faculty members will have art featured during the competition. GRCC’s track record is solid with one of the alumni finishing in the top 25 last year.
ArtPrize is an annual event that allows artists to express their creativity and feelings through different variations of art.
GRCC’s Department Head and Professor of Drawing and Painting Nick Atonankis echoes the sentiment of how vital artistic expression is.
“The thing that is tremendous about ArtPrize is the fact that art commands an important space in our community for those three weeks that ArtPrize runs,” Atonankis said. “It places the spotlight on art making, and creativity, on artists, and on venues.”
For some, the annual ArtPrize could be viewed as mundane, and for others the curiosity of the cultural phenomenon could peak their interest but not enough to fully commit to attending the event. Professor Atonakis said that ArtPrize is not just about going to see different works of art, but an opportunity to think about the world around us in a different way.
“There are always surprises out there,” Atonakis said. “Art shows can be magical because you don’t know what to expect, you never know what you’re going to see. I think as we try to understand our world and what goes on around us, art tends to reveal so much of what the world is about.”
People having the opportunity to learn new ways of thinking, gaining new perspectives, and challenging themselves and others through the lens of another artist’s expression is a protected way for individuals to experience personal growth during ArtPrize. “It’s a very safe way to experience our universe, and to think about our universe,” Atonakis. “What we understand, or what we don’t understand, or what we need to be exposed to more.”
GRCC will host two venues of this year’s ArtPrize contestants. One will be at the GRCC Spectrum Theater Lobby located on 106 Fountain St. NE. Along with the other at the GRCC Collins Art Gallery located on the fourth floor of the Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall.
ArtPrize opened Sep. 18 and concludes on Saturday Oct. 4.
