ArtPrize X: A Look Back (Pt. 2)

With ArtPrize X only 2 days away (Sept. 19-Oct. 7), we felt that a retrospective writing was necessary to reflect on some of the past winners of the coveted event. For those who don't know about ArtPrize, it is a Grand Rapids community-driven event that started by Rick DeVos in 2009. Coined as a "social experiment" at first, it was planned to be the world’s largest art prize based solely on a public vote. 

It turned out to be just that and more. Now, embarking on its 10th year, there has been plenty to celebrate. This two-part blog will take some time to reflect on those winners. These are the results of the public vote and do not entirely reflect the Juror's decisions.

2013 Grand Prize Winner - Sleeping Bear Dune Lakeshore

From the ArtPrize website, "Sleeping Bear Dune Lakeshore" is a landscape art quilt of the Lake Michigan shoreline. This large work consists of four individual panels depicting a beach scene which all connect into one large panoramic view. Working from a photograph Ann captures a beautiful Lake Michigan sunset, sparkling water, dune grass in the breeze, majestic birch trees with Sleeping Bear Dunes in the distance. The viewer is attracted and drawn into this art piece by the vivid color, warm textures and details of this favorite scene. Ann's collage technique incorporates traditional cotton and batik fabrics along with other fibers including linen, silk, yarns, polyester netting and Angelina fiber for added texture. Techniques also include raw edge fusible applique and free-motion machine quilting.

2012 Grand Prize Winner - Elephants

From the ArtPrize website, "Series of life-sized Elephants, intertwined with a menagerie of animals. Setup to function as a triptych, to engage the viewers in the transformation of the work. The triptych is still a work in progress."

2011 Grand Prize Winner - Crucifixion

From the ArtPrize website, "Having done works for four churches in the last two years, it was an honor to be asked to create the altarpiece for the new Saint Kilian's Catholic church in Orange County, California. After experiencing construction delays, I decided to commence the work and enter the 9' x 13' stained glass mosaic into ArtPrize. I am very excited to share my first altarpiece with Grand Rapids.I created this design by photographing my model in the woods of Santa Cruz, California, tied to a huge cross made of Home Depot beams, and wearing a crown of thorns crafted from a Michael's wreath. By layering this imagery with two sunsets I photographed in Italy and Hawaii, I was able to compose the powerful light sources so relevant to this and all of my work. This "Crucifixion" took 2500 hours, is made of hand-cut stained glass, is attached to a custom wood structure and weighs 425 lbs. I drove Him across the country by myself in two sections in a Penske truck."

2010 Grand Prize Winner - Cavalry

From WOOD-TV - "Pencil, paper, skill and a lot of time is what it took for Bay City native Chris LaPorte to capture the top prize during the 2010 ArtPrize competition.

"Cavalry, American Officers, 1921" left Grand Rapids Art Museum visitors in awe.

LaPorte went through approximately 80 pencils during the 800 hours it took him to create the seven-panel masterpiece.

He used a projector to rough out the initial image, transforming it into the $250,000 prize winner over 8.5 months.

With changes made to the competition after the inaugural year, LaPorte's winning drawing became the property of ArtPrize.

The piece remained at the GRAM until Dec. 13, 2010, when it was moved to LaPorte's alma mater, Aquinas College, on long term loan.

"Cavalry, American Officers, 1921" still hangs today in the Hauenstein Library.

Meanwhile, LaPorte continues to enter many art exhibitions in Michigan and New York City.

He's had three other pencil drawings in ArtPrize over the years, including "City Band," which took 10th place in the 2012 competition.

On his website, LaPorte said he's drawn nearly 100,000 people over the last two decades.

He said the portraits have paid for his education, travel and fine arts studio.

LaPorte has also taught drawing colleges and universities in New York City and Michigan, including Aquinas."

2009 Grand Prize Winner - Open Water no.24

From panthalassa.com, "It’s almost impossible to not be fooled by this illusion and, no matter how many times you try to see a 2D surface, you will only ever see the ocean. The American artist Ran Ortner creates impressive photo-realistic paintings of the sea. Using oil paint, he plays with great ease on the lights, the focal length and the details of huge waves, making the result very realistic.

Ortner transferred is dynamism from being a professional motorcycle racer into his approach to painting. He studied Art in Canada and the UK. His conceptual sculptures and his paintings have been exhibited in the US, in Europe and in 2008 to 2009 his work was in the traveling exhibition “Falling Short Of Knowing” which opened in New York and traveled to Singapore.

His painting “Open Water No.24” won the Art Prize in 2009. After this, his work gained massive attention and a selected piece was even chosen by the United Nations for World Water Day."