ArtPrize 09-Open Water no.24 by deviant_anomaly

ART PRIZE 2009-0032 by RichardD72 AND THE WINNER IS… by rkramer62 DETAIL FROM WINNERS CANVAS by bitsorf

The first-ever ArtPrize in Grand Rapids has ended with Open Water no. 24, a 6′ x 19′ oil painting by Ran Ortner being chosen as the winner by public vote from 1,262 artists who exhibited at 157 venues across the city. A former pro motorcycle racer, Ortner will receive a quarter of a million dollars for his finish. The Freep reports:

Ortner said he was stunned by his win. “Wow. Exhilarating, captivating, ridiculous. Can’t get my head around it.”

It means a lot to him that those choosing his work were not professional art critics but people who were moved by his work. “There’s been a heart connection here,” he said.

And it has been good for those who voted, Ortner said. “All of a sudden, those who know nothing about art have an opinion that matters,” he said. “It really has a life larger than anything anybody anticipated.”

ArtPrize 2009 Winners

1. Ran Ortner – Open Water no. 24
2. Tracy Van Duinen – Imagine That!
3. Eric Daigh – Portraits
4. David Lubbers – The Grand Dance
5. Bill Secunda – Moose
6. Nessie Project – Nessie on the Grand
7. John Douglas Powers – Field of Reeds
8. Sarah Grant – The Furniture City Sets the Table for the World of Art
9. Jason Hackenwerth – Ecstasy of The Scarlet Empress
10. Michael Westra – winddancer 2

You can get some more links to coverage at Who won ArtPrize? on the ArtPrize blog and stay tuned to absolutemichigan.com/ArtPrize for news about ArtPrize 2010!

Check out this video below for some scenes from the Winners Celebration – the close of this dance number is really impressive!

More videos can be found at ArtPrize 2009 Absolute Michigan.

They have announced the top ten for Artprize…

ArtPrize Top Ten

Results displayed in random order

Ecstasy of …
Jason Hackenwerth

The Grand Dance
David Lubbers

Field of Reeds
John Douglas Powers

The Furniture …
Sarah Grant

winddancer 2
Michael Westra

Nessie on the …
Nessie Project

Portraits
Eric Daigh

Open Water no.24
Ran Ortner

Imagine That!
Tracy Van Duinen

Moose
Bill Secunda

check them out at artprize.org!

Here’s a video produced by Absolute Michigan featuring audio from Brad Aspey of Interlochen Public Radio along with photographs from the Absolute Michigan pool and the Creative Commons. The music is Octopussy by Juanitos. There’s so much more to see – definitely go to Grand Rapids if at all possible and learn all about ArtPrize Grand Rapids.

Fantastic video by Creo Productions! Thanks docksidepress for the pointer!

In addition to the amazing visual artwork, there’s also a lot of performance artwork associated with ArtPrize.

Thanks Yolanda for the find!

Yesterday I decided to ignore the terrible forecast for today’s 100,000 Paper Planes & Melodies over Monroe. With sun & 60s already, I know that was a great call and can’t wait to see Rob Bliss work in his favorite medium – crowds*.

However, even if we had been facing hurricane force winds and a downpour, I still would have been more than happy that I made the drive to Grand Rapids. I can’t describe the energy that’s in the city right now, fueled by more art than you can appreciate even with the aid of the Official Art Appreciation people in the Federal Building.

If you can go to ArtPrize, you should. If you can’t go, you should check your schedule again and reconsider.

Photo: Barcode system by powerbooktrance

*seriously, that’s what his entry form says.

ArtPrize Grand Rapids 2009 is a Twitter, Flickr & YouTube mashup

Social networker/flash-mobber extraordinaire Rob Bliss is at it again with 100,000 Paper Planes & Melodies over Monroe:

This Sunday (September 27th) between 12:30 and 1:30 Monroe Ave (map). will be shut down between Fulton and Michigan so that One Hundred Thousand 100% post-consumer brightly colored airplanes can be launched from the rooftops of six major downtown rooftops that are 6-11 stories tall.

At the same time down below, thousands of musicians of all skill levels, instruments, and ages will come together to play a beautiful melody (A single melody from Sigur Ros’ Olsen Olsen) in the streets as the sky and roads are filled with rainbow colored airplanes. Whether you play it or bang it, hum it or strum it no one is excluded- even if you don’t think you’re any good I want you here singing along with us. Each rooftop will have its own color, with synchronized launches like fireworks. This once in a lifetime event will be an event of brotherhood, a celebration of life and a reminder that we are all in this together.

Rob says that he’s worked every day for half a year to create this event and that this event will exceed all expectations and be something that you will be able to remember for the rest of your life if you decide to not be one of the people who sees pictures and video the next day!

Here’s some audio from IPR News Radio where Rob talks about some of the technical details.

Our next On Location feature will be the inaugural ArtPrize in Grand Rapids. ArtPrize is open to any artist and the votes of all visitors will determine who wins the largest art prize in the world: $250,000! With venues all over the city and an amazing range of artists participating, ArtPrize is sure to be an amazing experience to everyone who attends.

If you’re taking photos at ArtPrize, please share them in the Absolute Michigan pool, the official ArtPrize Grand Rapids group and also in the Grand Rapids ArtPrize Promotion group. Our banner photos are:

• Art Prize entry – Telos by Ray Katz by the pentax hammer (gary syrba)
• artprize by powerbooktrance
• free dots by yodraws

Traverse City Film Festival co-founder Michael Moore, Director Larry Charles, Producer/ Actor Jeff Garlin and others give their thoughts on Traverse City, the state of Michigan and the Traverse City Film Festival in this video by Scott Allman Video.