A team of four Grand Valley State University faculty members and four to six students will be showing an animation film of their own creation at ArtPrize 2014. The film features the theme of colors with the central focus being on the color yellow. It focuses on a silent interpretation of the color yellow through the eyes of youth around the world.

The local animation team consists of three professors from GVSU including emerita professor of film and video Deanna Morse, film and video professor Suzanne Zack and media studies professor Maggie Annerino. Also helping are Gretchen Vinnedge, education director at the community media center, and Lynn McKeown, education project coordinator from the community media center.

GVSU students involved in the project include T. J. Leutz, Kelly Loughlin, Arthur Bowman and Adrian Hirsch.

The animation will be on display in the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art and will be continuously playing on its four-minute silent loop.

Last year, GVSU faculty and students met with youth involved in their project at the Grand Rapids Community Media Center to develop the film. The idea for this animation comes from a worldwide initiative to involve creativity and animation in the lives of children around the world. In this instance, students talked about what the color meant to them. From there, they used the interpretations from the kids to create their ArtPrize entry.

“When I first began creating stop-animation I had no idea what to expect and what I was getting myself into,” said Nicole, a student at GR Montessori at North Park who is involved in the project. “The student I worked with explained how the controls worked so thoroughly it stuck. I was never one to enjoy art or crafts but working with the clay for our animation – I quite enjoyed it.

“I perfected my skill on working with others, and listening to others’ opinions, as well as putting my opinion out there. Instead of learning more I was actually teaching. It was a different experience being the one everyone asked questions to. When we were shown animations from other kids around the world, it blew my mind. Kids were so creative and talented, including my fellow classmates.”

The project was split into four sections of nonverbal interpretation, the first being titled “tools,” where animated paint brushes came to life in the kid’s hands. The second section focused on the global aspect of the project and how far it reaches across the world, and the third was creative brainstorming. The last section was a creative concept experimentation.

“As someone who has participated in the majority of ArtPrize celebrations, I want to stress the idea that this project is ongoing,” Morse said. “We want the community to know that there are ways to connect with creativity in animation right here in Grand Rapids and spotlight the projects provided even locally.”

The next animation workshop will be held on Oct. 25 at the Grand Rapids Community Media Center.

“We want to let people know that there are many ways they can use visual problem solving and creative play to enhance visual literacy,” Morse said. “We hope that students can make their way downtown to see and appreciate all that ArtPrize provides.”