ArtPrize 2017 and us!!

Hello!

Thanks to all of you cool people signing up for our Newsletter! We appreciate it!

If you aren’t familiar with ArtPrize, I’ll get you up to speed on this huge and fantastic event in Grand Rapids, Mi It started in 2009 and rocked the Art world as the first to allow the public to decide the winner of $250,000! “From the beginning, ArtPrize was a totally new type of citywide event intended to disrupt typical highly curated art prizes. And from the beginning it has provoked discussion, on the streets and online.” Read more about ArtPrize and it’s history here  ArtPrize

For those of you that don’t know, we are also 616 Art. Check out the website here 616 Art we make large sculpture and the coolest Lazy Susans available!

On to the us part! We were lucky enough to exhibit a huge sculpture at the BOB that first year. What a crazy and amazing experience! It ended up on the news a couple of times and we did an interview with the super nice Leon Hendrix of Wood TV 8

After that we were compelled to create #U. We originally planned to create the “Orange U in ArtPrize” A pun and a fun sculpture for people to take their pictures with. Unfortunately just before Christmas 2013 our nephew Nathaniel Wylie committed suicide and the family Christmas traditions changed from fun get togethers to crying and a funeral. Shortly after that Mark said “I can’t take the look on Mary & Dave’s faces, we need a distraction. We are doing ArtPrize this year.” So we pulled out the plans for the U and after a bit I said “It needs a # and it will be a suicide prevention message.” So #U titled ‘Search and Find You’ was created. We were blessed to have 8 different amazing venues vying to have it in their exhibits. We chose the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, the high attendance rate was perfect for this sculpture and discussion. They were lovely and we are gateful to have been there. #U is currently on Main St. in Chelsea, Mi for the helsea Sculpture Walk, again, we are blessed and grateful. More about #U here at  616 Art #U

 

NOW for our ArtPrize 9 adventures!!

We are collaborating with our friend Morna Shows Workman Strengholt and creating ‘Doors to Grand Rapids’ Past’. We will be at the beautiful Homewood Suites by Hilton in the Water’s building. Doors to Grand Rapids’ Past is our take on a polyptych, bearing a collection of plein aire original watercolors, acrylic paintings, drawings and writings by Morna Shows Workman. They portray life in Grand Rapids in the 70’s – 90’s. The art will be displayed on 10 hinged doors, created by Mark Vainner of 616 Art. The doors will form a zig-zag, with art on all sides that the viewer can walk into and around. The exhibition consists of Grand Rapids downtown cityscapes, sidewalk scenes, residential exteriors & interiors, landscapes, parks, rivers, bridges and people in motion living life. Suzanne Vainner of 616 Balloons will be creating balloon art for the exhibit as well.

The balloon art will be something special that I have not done on a large scale or publicly before! I really hope you can come see it in person but if you can’t join us on social media and see updates, pictures etc. We try to be as present as possible on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter as we can…it’s a lot hahaha but we try!

Here are the postcards for ‘Doors to Grand Rapids’ Past’

We hope you get to experience ArtPrize!!!

Cheers!!