The Grand Dance. Nessie. The Sharing Tree (also known as “Woody”).
The Grand Dance is a kinetic sculpture in the middle of the Grand River. Nessie is a giant Loch Ness Monster that’s anchored to the Blue Bridge just feet away from The Grand Dance. The Sharing Tree, located in Cathedral Square, is a 20-foot high steel and cement sculpture of a tree holding a giant kaleidoscope.
These art pieces, plus over a thousand more, decorate the streets and buildings of downtown Grand Rapids, MI. Thousands of people are flocking downtown to see, explore, discuss and imagine. And, last Wednesday, 9/23, The Image Group took the afternoon off and made our own pilgrimage to downtown GR to check out the sights and sounds.
We were in awe. From the giant whale made of clay at WMCAT to the bricolage mural at the Children’s Museum to the moose sculpture made entirely of welded steel nails at the B.O.B. We could see and feel the energy that ArtPrize brought to Grand Rapids. It was tangible. And electric.
One piece in particular that caught our attention was “The Veiled Narrative” by Armin Mersmann. It is a series of narrative pencil drawings on acid free illustration board. The incredible attention to detail and intricate lines captivate the viewer’s attention and doesn’t let go. Each narrative holds an entire story with the interpretation dependent solely on the viewer.
We encourage everyone to visit ArtPrize if they get a chance. Bring the family and spend the day. It will inspire the imagination and create a dialog with others that may never have occurred before.
ArtPrize is the world’s largest art competition with $450,000 in prizes. To find out more visit www.artprize.org
Photos from our visit to ArtPrize are available on our Flickr feed.