Each year at ArtPrize new surprises appear in the city, and some of the best ones are those not necessarily created by an artist but by a team of individuals with a commitment to continually upping the ante on the event’s programming.
One area that has always delighted many in our city has been the lecture series but, as Kevin Buist, ArtPrize’s Director of Exhibitions, points out, this year there are some important changes and a new, purrfect addition.
“The ‘Can Art Save Cities?’ panel, which is kind of the centerpiece, is designed to question some of the assumptions that often come with city-focused art initiatives,” says Buist of the Thursday night panel that will feature this years’ Juried Grand Prize committee. “Everyone seems to want art to be a vital part of cities, and everyone praises creativity, but the devil is in the details. The question of how art interacts with cities is not new to ArtPrize; it's been a key part of the critical reception of the event from the very beginning, both good and bad.”
Making its debut this year is a series of events that directly or indirectly address this city-focused theme. These are three that stand out and should probably be at the top of your list this next week:
On Thursday, Sept. 26 at the Ladies Literary Club, the Juried Grand Prize committee -- Anne Pasternak, Mel Chin, and Manon Slome -- will convene on the stage in the sure-to-be lively and topical “Can Art Save Cities?” panel discussion. Of particular interest to me is Pasternak, whose organization Creative Time has been at the top of my list of organizations leading the charge on creating dialogue on the value contained within our public spaces and the role of the artists in the important topics of contemporary society. This can’t-miss event is for anyone concerned about modern urban society or for those who might wonder if art could be more than just something we hang on our walls. (Hint: It’s more.)
Debuting in Grand Rapids and fresh off the heels of its 2nd annual outing at the Walker Art Center of Minneapolis comes The Internet Cat Video Festival at Rosa Parks Circle on Friday, Sept. 27 at 8 p.m.
Unlike most events at ArtPrize, this one is really about community engagement around the joys of watching cats doing silly to absurd acts, all captured on camera. And rather than let the cat out of the bag on the films being screened, I will say that this event was so popular in its second year at the Walker that they had to screen it at the Minnesota State Fair grounds to accommodate the 10,000 people who packed the venue to see the videos. I would arrive early to guarantee a seat. (Cats on a leash welcome.)
While ArtPrize voting for round one ends on September 29 and is followed the next day by the ever-popular Critical Discourse (sure to be a nice draw for those looking to gain further insight into the public choices for the Top 10), I am intrigued this year by the addition of the Tuesday, Oct. 1 Artist-Run Michigan program.
Over the course of this 90-minute program focusing on the Michigan artist-run initiatives of our state, each group -- including Paul Amenta of SiTE:LAB, Jerome Chu of Flint Public Art Project, Jenn Schaub of Avenue for the Arts, Geoffrey Holstad of Cabin Time, Wesley Taylor of Complex Movements, and Andrew Ranville of Rabbit Island Artist Residency -- will present an overview of their organization but also have a chance to showcase the direction in which they are heading. Each and every one of these groups has accomplished incredible feats within the art community, and many within a very short period of time.
Buist is also an artist. When asked about how he hopes the local artist responds to the addition of these ever-interesting choices says, “One reality of being an artist in West Michigan is that there aren't a whole lot of opportunities to see people speak and interact with art world figures who are on the cutting edge of what's going on globally. My hope is that people here will make work that's both locally and globally relevant, and connecting leaders from outside the area is a key part of that.”
With access to such great speakers in often very tiny venues, making those connections should not be a problem.
Admission: Free
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