ArtPrize Announces Artist Winners of $500,000 in Awards

GRAND RAPIDS--ArtPrize announced artist winners of $500,000 in prizes from its Seventh Annual ArtPrize awards held over the course of a 19-day public art event held in Grand Rapids, MI. Winning a Grand Prize of $200,000 each was Northwood Awakening by Loveless PhotoFiber, selected by public vote, and Higher Ground by Kate Gilmore, awarded by a juror panel. An additional $100,000 were bestowed on artists winning top entries in a variety of categories.

Over 1,550 artists submitted work for the seventh annual contest held in Grand Rapids. This year's winners are based in New York, Connectituct, Rhode Island, Maryland, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Italy and other locations.

Artworks are installed in dispersed locations across the city. This year, there were 162 venues that participated ranging from out-of-the-way outdoor locations and more prominent ones (like bridges) to indoor spots in hotels, office buildings, restaurants and more. Venues more typical for art exhibitions, such as galleries and musuems, also participate. Click here to see the list.

ArtPrize is an international art competition, open to any artist, with winners decided by public vote and by a panel of jurors. Artists are invited to try out new ideas on a large and diverse population of people. ArtPrize aims to broaden critical dialogue around contemporary art by hosting (and awarding) the world’s largest art prize, according to the organization.

Registered artists and venues connect online at artprize.org and agree to present the artwork for public display during the 19-day event. The public votes using mobile devices and the web to cast their votes while a group of international art experts determines the winners of the juried awards. ArtPrize 2014 attracted more than 400,000 active participants. Since its inception, individuals of all backgrounds have cast more than 2.4 million votes for public art.

PUBLIC VOTE AWARDS

For ArtPrize 2015's Public Vote. 35,481 visitors cast 422,763 votes in two rounds, surpassing participation from 2014 by over 24,000 votes. Taking the prize in 2015 was Northwood Awakening by Loveless PhotoFiber. 

Northwood is a large photographic print and quilt hybrid, depicting a serene woodland panorama that seamlessly blends the combined textile and photo skills of Loveless PhotoFiber, the husband and wife team of Steven and Ann Loveless. In an unusual twist, Ann Loveless is a previous Public Vote winner, receiving the 2013 Public Vote Grand Prize winner for Sleeping Bear Dune Lakeshore.

“Once again, reverence for technical skill in two-dimensional work -- this time in a stunning combination of large-scale photography and intricate textile -- has captured the imagination of the voting public,” said Christian Gaines, ArtPrize Executive Director of Northwood's win. “It’s a surprising and unexpected twist to have Northwood Awakenings represent our first ever two-time public vote winner. We’re stunned and delighted, but we’re also reflecting on how this affects ArtPrize going forward.”

Public Vote Category Awards Winners

Two-Dimensional

1.     Northwood Awakening by Loveless PhotoFiber from Frankfort, MI -- Won the Public Vote Grand Prize for $200,000. Installed at Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

2.     michigan petoskey stone by Randall Libby from Manistee, MI. Installed at DeVos Place Convention Center.

3.     Triple Play by Anni Crouter from Flint, MI. Crouter won the 2nd Place $75,000 public vote award at ArtPrize 2013. Triple Play was installed at Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

4.     In a Promised Land… by Shawn Michael Warren from Harvey, IL. Installed at DeVos Place Convention Center.

5.     As Above by Judith Braun from New York, NY. Installed at Grand Rapids Art Museum.

.

.

Three-Dimensional

1.     $12,500 winner -- Greatest Generation/Beta Team/November by Fred Cogelow from Willmar, MN. Installed at Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

2.     MAYA 7624 by Seungmo Park from New Jersey City, NJ. Installed at Kendall College of Art & Design / Fed Galleries at KCAD.

.

.

3.     Seasons by Robin Protz from New Hartford, CT. Protz was the winner of the 7th Place $5,000 public vote award at ArtPrize 2013. Seasons was installed at Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

.

.

4.     The Race by Kurt Swanson from Grand Rapids, MI. Installed at DeVos Place Convention Center.

5.     Rolling Down by Kroeze Krew from Grand Rapids, MI. Installed at Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

Installation

1.     $12,500 winner -- REACH and SPLASH by Andy Sacksteder from Port Clinton, OH. Sacksteder won the 3rd Place $50,000 public vote award at ArtPrize 2013. REACH and SPLASH was installed at Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

2.     TIME & AGAIN Grand Rapids by Midge Bolt from Pepin, WI and Doreen Gunnink from Kentwood, MI. Installed at Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

3.     Balancing Act by Calvin Babich from Toledo, OH. Installed at Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

4.     SENSI by Gianluca Traina from Ventimiglia de Sicilia, Italy. Installed at Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

5.     The Grand Rapid Tape Drawing at TowerPinkster -- Architects | Engineers, by The Tape Art Crew from Providence, RI.

Time-Based

1.     $12,500 winner -- Whisper by Emily Kennerk from Zionsville, IN. Installed at 250 Monroe.

2.     BREAKTHROUGH by Breakthrough Team from Ada, MI. Installed at DeVos Place Convention Center.

3.     Hometown Hero by Pamela Alderman from Grand Rapids, MI. Installed at Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

4.     Symphony of Gestures by Sara Dittrich and Benjamin Buchanan from Baltimore, MD. Installed at Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts.

5.     Movement by Craig Merchant from Wyoming, MI. Installed at Grand Rapids Public Museum.

JURIED AWARDS

The ArtPrize Seven Grand Prize Jurors -- including Chicago-based artist Michael Rakowitz; Prospect New Orleans founder Dan Cameron; and Director of Virginia Commonwealth University’s new Institute for Contemporary Art, Lisa Freiman -- spent three days in Grand Rapids viewing each entry on the Category Award Jurors’ shortlists -- five entries from each category revealed on September 28, 2015 at the Jurors’ Shortlist Announcement.

Jurors selected Higher Ground by Kate Gilmore, a transformational performance that Sarah Shultz likened to “meeting someone and falling in love”. Gilmore takes home the $200,000 Juried Grand Prize.

Grand Prize Juror Dan Cameron reflected upon the panel’s decision: “Kate Gilmore’s piece is really kind of magical in a way that we’ve maybe lost sight of. It really can contribute to a shared mythology that we can all unpack. And even though the object isn’t there, we can continue to tell each other the stories about it.”

The Category Award Jurors also revealed winners in the Juried Category Awards:

· Two-Dimensional | The Fearless Brother Project Presents: Realistic Neglects -- A Graphic Series by Monroe O’Bryant

· Three-Dimensional | The Last Supper by Julie Green

· Time-Based | That Was Then by Prince Thomas

· Installation | In Our Element by Ruben Ubiera

· Outstanding Venue | SiTE:LAB / The Rumsey Street Project

ArtPrize is an international art competition, open to any artist and decided by public vote and by a panel of jurors. Artists are invited to try out new ideas on a large and diverse population of people. ArtPrize aims to broaden critical dialogue around contemporary art by awarding the world’s largest art prize.

_________________________________

Copyright 2015 Hamptons Art Hub LLC. All rights reserved.