ArtPrize top 25 short lists review

By STEPHANIE ALLEN

Updated: September 26, 2012, 6:06 PM

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GVL / Jessica Hollenbeck Grand Rapids Artprize 2012

GVL / Jessica Hollenbeck Grand Rapids Artprize 2012

GVL / Jessica Hollenbeck Grand Rapids Artprize 2012

GVL / Jessica Hollenbeck Grand Rapids Artprize 2012

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With more than 1,500 entries at 162 venues, ArtPrize can seem a little intimidating. Deciding where to start is sometimes a daunting task, but this weekend it will be a little easier.

The first week of voting is over, and both the jury and public have chosen a list of the top 25 entries that caught their attention. And since they’re the pieces that have a high chance of making it into the top 10 list, they’re the entries most people want to check out.

As of Monday night, when the lists were revealed, only two pieces overlapped and stood out as favorites between both the jury and the public.

“Stick-to-it-ive-ness: Unwavering pertinacity; perseverance” by Richard Morse is in the Grand River between Fulton and Pearl streets, and “Song of Lift” by Martijn van Wagtendonk is on display at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts.

It is possible for the public’s top 25 to change before this weekend. After the first round of voting ends Saturday at 11:59, voters then have until Oct. 4 to decide which entry deserves the $200,000 grand prize.

The current 25 favorites are located at just 11 of the 162 venues, making it easy to plan a trip downtown. Seventeen of the pieces can be found at four venues, including the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Grand Rapids Art Museum, The B.O.B. and the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

The public’s list includes a mixture of elements and mediums, such as the sculpture made from recycled material, “On Thin Ice,” by Justin La Doux on display at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, or the glass mosaic, “Return to Eden,” by Sandra Bryant at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.

Some of the pieces were predictable favorites, such as the sculptures, “Life in Wood” by Dan Heffron and “Heavy Metal Rock Band” by Fred Conlon, which are both at The B.O.B and take advantage of flashy detailed designs.

However, there are a handful of pieces that were created using specialized art techniques and show a great deal of skill used. “City Band” by Chris LaPorte is a 14-foot high pencil drawing of a city band from 1925 which appears to be a photograph because of the detailed sketches and shading.

Some of the juror short list favorites, which are in the running for a $20,000 category prize and $100,000 grand prize, are “Mr Weekend” by Mike Simi at the Kendall College of Art and Design, and “MORE OR LESS” by ABCD 83 at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts. The entries use recycled, or “found objects,” to create a unique and interactive 3-D piece.

It’s not too late to vote up a favorite piece that isn’t found on the current list, but the round one poll closes Saturday night.
arts@lanthorn.com

Public Top 25
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
1.“Disposable Game” by Terry Brennan
2.“Rebirth of Spring” by Frits Hoendervanger
3.“The Dragon” by Robin Protz – Barnes & Thornburg
4.“Norm” by John Andrews – The B.O.B.
5.“Scrappie Dick” by Paul Cassidy
6.“Heavy Metal Rock Bank” by Fred Conlon
7.“Life in Wood” by Dan Heffron – DeVos Place
8.“Running on Air” by Jessica Bohus
9.“Studies In Light and Form The Chicago Seven and Michigan Avenue Bridge Sculptures” by Jack Nixon – Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
10.“A Second Chance at Life” by Gary Fields
11.“The Chase” by Artistry of Wildlife
12.“On Thin Ice” by Justin La Doux
13.“Seasons” by Ann Loveless
14.“The Penguin” by Paul Nilsson – Grand Rapids Art Museum
15.“Bam Pow” by Nathan Craven
16.“Elephants” by Adonna Khare
17.“Sojourn” by Andrea Kowch
18.“City Band” by Chris LaPorte
19.“Cities Depart” by Norwood Viviano
20.“Origami” by Kumi Yamashita – Grand Rapids Public Museum
21.“Return to Eden” by Sandra Bryant, Lynden, Wash. – The Grand River between Fulton and Pearl streets
22.“Stick-to-it-ive-ness: Unwavering pertinacity; perseverance” by Richard Morse – Kendall College of Art and Design
23.“Plexus No. 18” by Gabriel Dawe of Dallas, Texas.- Select Bank
24.“Gravity Matters Little” by Henry Brimmer of East Lansing, Mich.
UICA
25.“Song of Lift” by Martijn van Wagtendonk of Colbert, Ga.