So there you are at an art fair, the judges come through and seemingly ignore your booth, but then you turn around and make a nice sale. We used to say, you can either win the prizes or you can win the sales. Which one do you think keeps the bills paid?
From September 18-October 6 a large public competition is held for big money in Grand Rapids, MI, ArtPrize. It touts the world's largest Art Prize - $200,000 awarded to an artist and who gets to choose? The public.
I believe this was the fourth year. Over the years there has been some sniping about the "public's choices", not up to the standards of the art critics, so another prize was added of $200,000 chosen for a Juried Grand Prize.
The winner of the Public Vote:
"Sleeping Bear Dune Landshore", an art quilt by Ann Loveless
The winner of the Juried Grand Prize:
"Ecosystem", Carlos Bunga's site-specific work located in one of the galleries of the former Grand Rapids Public Museum. Please do click on the link to learn more about this winner.
So, there you have it -- which one would you have chosen and which one are you at the art fair?
Here is the complete list of winners: http://www.artprize.org/blog/october4
And here is some of the criticism of the event: http://www.mlive.com/opinion/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2013/10/how_to_quell_criticisms_of_pop.html
Although with over 1500 entries and half a million votes being cast, this is not too shabby a showing! Grand Rapids "gets" it -- good job, GR.
