On the eve of ArtPrize, many local organizations either brace for the onslaught of competition or dive in full-on and headfirst, hoping a bit of the spillover excitement will come their way.
It is no secret that my favorite part of ArtPrize is the speakers arriving in town over the course of the 18-day event, but this year, building on the excitement of their programming, is an independently organized conference from ArtServe of Michigan that opens the weekend prior.
Resonant 13 is a Creative Many Statewide Summit that will include leading voices from the Midwest and the nation who are producing out-of-the-box projects that are truly contemporary. This weekend event, which seeks to present the impact that the creative sector/individual can have on the cultural capital in our society, is hosted starting on Friday morning at the Kendall College of Art and Design.
“Many of ArtServe's Board Members are rooted in West Michigan, with deep commitments to the arts,” says Cezanne Charles, Director of Creative Industries for ArtServe Michigan, on Grand Rapids’ selection for this important conference. “Acknowledging all of our West Michigan connections, it seemed a natural fit to return to our origins in our earliest efforts to support artists and creative entrepreneurs, and this is a positive step toward the next five years, looking to where contemporary creative practice is headed next."
Resonant 13 is an event that will present to creatives the knowledge gathered over time from ArtsServe's regional summits held over the past four years. This path included stops in Detroit, Flint, Kalamazoo, Traverse City, Marquette and Ann Arbor in preparation for the conference. This is the first time that the Creative Many programming has been back in Grand Rapids since about a year ago, when they conducted a session to help build this summit.
The exciting list of confirmed presenters include Gustavo Rodriguez (Rocket Hub), Amy Kaheril (Detroit SOUP), Shannon Stratton (Propeller Fund/Threewalls), Stephen Zacks (Flint Public Art Project), Jun-Li Wang (Springboard for the Arts), Brad & Amanda Kik (ISLAND Artist Residency), Christine Harris (Christine Harris Connections), and Donna Neuwirth (Wormfarm Institute.)
Unlike other conferences where members sit and listen, this one has intentionally been kept small by limiting the amount of attendees and will provide an “unconference” experience, with generous break-out sessions designed to create dialogue between members as well as the visiting speakers. The attendees of Resonant 13 will even be a part of awarding four mini-grants on Sunday.
As art (and I am referring to the study and practice of contemporary art) begins to evaluate its place and role in society and begins to move beyond what is easily defined or simply hung on the wall, I cannot think of a better event for the local artist or arts center gatekeeper to consider attending this fall. Yes, I even place this above ArtPrize because this conference has the ability to not only incubate something brand new, but gives our region’s artists and thinkers a chance to engage on a series of topics that is often not readily accessible.
Admission: Free to $100. (see website for details)
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