ArtPrize is probably Michigan’s top arts event. It began in 2009 in Grand Rapids as what organizers describe as a “radically open international art competition”. The event takes over three square miles of downtown Grand Rapids for 19 days each year and draws hundreds of entries and thousands of visitors.Entrants vie for awards from a jury of judges, but there also are awards based on votes cast by the public. Two-dimensional, three-dimensional, time-based and installation entries are up for top prizes of $20-thousand, and the grand prize winners chosen by both the jury and the public get $200-thousand. Winners will be announced tonight.
Some of the most intriguing entries for the past four years have been created by Henry Brimmer, a professor in MSU’s department of Advertising and Public Relations. His 3-D works “Gravity Matters Little” and “i want to be different…” featured figures suspended over downtown streets. This year, Brimmer is an ArtPrize finalist for “there’s something happening here…”. The installation gives the appearance of lookouts and snipers atop buildings in Grand Rapids.
Current State talks with Henry Brimmer about ArtPrize.
