Unheralded Burbank, CA, artist Adonna Khare wins the $200,000 in the Grand Rapids ArtPrize! 
Her drawing "Elephants", 8 foot high and 35 feet long that she created in her garage and installed at the Grand Rapids Art Museum for the competition.
Over more than three weeks, as museum-goers watched her progress, the mural grew to 13 feet high and about 40 feet long. Khare said she was working frantically until the last minute before the votes were tallied, so she never got to figure out the exact dimensions.
Though it's a vision of exotic animals, Khare said "Elephants" is also highly personal.
"It's kind of a biography of my life transplanted into animals," she said. "Sad things like loss and sickness, and happy things like the birth of my daughter."
For example, she said, an orangutan hooked up to medical equipment is a stand-in for a young nephew who was diagnosed with diabetes, representing "the sickness of a child, and what it means to inflict pain in order for somebody to survive."
She said the additions she made in Grand Rapids were not preplanned, and reflected her first long separation from her daughter, Kinsey, who is now 3...
"I honestly didn't think I stood a chance," Khare said.
It's a great story. Adonna started out as a teacher but found herself conflicted with her goals and was looking for a way to balance a career and family. What is she going to do with the prize money? "We really need a new mattress. That is one thing we'll buy for sure."
Read the story here: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-adonna-khare-wins-200000-artprize-20121007,0,206128.story
Watch the video of her the announcement: http://www.mlive.com/artprize/index.ssf/2012/10/artprize_2012_see_photos_video_from_artprize_awards.html
Why am I talking about here on this blog? Because this prize is like the fairs -- populist. Who wins the sales? The people decide.
Comments
That was one of my favorites as well.
Yes. Drawing can be so much more than fine draughtsmanship. The imagination and storytelling in this piece take it beyond technical ability. One would assume technical expertise, that is not art. Art is what we see in this drawing. Can't wait to hear where the piece will reside, as part of the rules is that the competition keeps the piece and it is installed somewhere in the community. The winner of the first ArtPrize was a huge painting "Waves", I believe it was named. It hangs in an upscale downtown bar/restaurant over the back of the bar where it overwhelms the space and looks marvelous.
I was very glad to see this not only because it was an extraordinary artwork but because it is a great representation of the possibilities in pencil drawing.
Wonderful!