An Art Guide From Around Heartside: Part 2

Happy July! Through all the rush of graduations, weddings and open houses, it can be convenient to settle into the mold of a structured summer. Work, sleep, travel on weekends, and before you know it fall is here. It can be startling to discover that the Michigan summer is so short-lived! But not to fear, for there’s salvation in the energy of the artistic rhythm leading to ArtPrize.

If you want to add some spice to your solstice (in preparation for ArtPrize, of course), celebrate events around the community this month which embody an artistic, cultural summer experience. Here is a short list of July’s art and community events happening in, around and beyond the Heartside Neighborhood:

Tues/Thur, July 1/3, 8/10, 15/17, 22/24, & 29/31: Tuesdays and Thursday Nights at Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM). Featuring galleries open late and live piano music. Encouraging new and returning visitors to explore galleries and take advantage of tours and other programs (e.g., gallery talks, presentations, demonstrations). FREE general admission GRAM, every Tuesday 10am-5pm, every Thursday 5-9pm.

Wed, July 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30: Coffee with Creators. An early morning casual meetup for anyone interested in technology, design and business, on all levels. Stop by The Factory, grab some Rowsters on the house, and stay connected with your community. The Factory, every Wednesday, 7:30-8:30am

Wed, July 2, 9, 16, 23, & 30: GR Makers Weekly Social. An open community lab incorporating elements of a machine shop, workshop and design studio. In this FREE community event, members work on projects that range from industrial to fine arts. Three key goals are enabling personal expression, providing versatile education and supporting education. GR Makers, 401 Hall St., every Wednesday, 8pm-midnight

Fri/Sat, July 4/5, 11/12, 18/19, & 25/26: Music for the Masses at Grand Rapids Brewing Co. (GRBC). FREE live music every weekend at the vibrant location of one of the city’s premiere breweries! GRBC, every Friday and Saturday, 10pm-1am

Fri, July 4-Sat, July 5: Lakeshore Art Festival. The large-scale Art in the Park event that has annually transformed Hackley Park in Muskegon for over 50 years was revamped in 2013 as Lakeshore Art Festival. This FREE weekend event features a blend of fine art, crafts, music, family fun and artisan foods, all wrapped up in a street party atmosphere. Downtown Muskegon, 3rd Street, 10am-6pm

Sun, July 6, 13, 20, & 27: Fulton Street ARTisans Market. Grown since 2005 to be a venue for all kinds of arts, from acrylic to fiber to crafts, all items handmade by local Michigan artists. FREE to enjoy! Fulton St. Artisans Market, every Sunday, 11am-3pm

Tues, July 8, 15, 22, & 29: Drop In Open Studio. During normal business hours, residents or out-of-town guests can bring their art and craft projects to work on. Various amenities will be available for use, including a studio room, an on-site reference library, specialty tools and equipment, etc. A knowledgeable staff will be on-site to answer questions and help with projects. Inspirations of Art Studio, every Tuesday, 11am-7pm. $15 general admission.

Sun, July 13: Vintage Street Market. Grand Rapids' only monthly vintage market, second Sunday of every month. With the best variety of vintage goods, this FREE event is where you'll find exciting treasures to complete your collection. Downtown Market, 435 Ionia SW, 10am-4pm

Thur, July 17: Hindu Temple Tour. Presented by the Catholic Information Center located at Cathedral Square, this fascinating intercultural tour will provide an introduction to Hindu Dharma and the sanctuary of the Temple. A discussion will follow on the history, mythology and philosophy of Hinduism. West Michigan Hindu Temple, Ada, 7-9pm. FREE admission.

*Click on the organization website links for specific details.

Visit www.GRNow.com or ExperienceGR for more events!

Parts of Being an Artist: Finding the Balance

"Ideas, no matter how good, require an ecosystem to take root." - Rick DeVos

An artist's stock of energy

A broad dictionary definition of an artist is one whose work exhibits exceptional skill. However, as many will tell you, artists aren't always able to apply their skills or use their stock of energy in the most effective ways. The hardest part of being an artist might be finding the balance between time and resources.

Avenue for the Arts held an event in the spring in which panels of experts discussed smart solutions for artists to overcome hardships. One artist panel discussed in particular that income can be a constant struggle. Common among emerging artists, a surge of talent is conflicted by a lack of resources (kind of like trying to make a grilled cheese without any bread).

Time is another issue among artists. Jobs, families and other commitments circulate through an artist's schedule. What is important in relation to artists is how one interacts with time, because every minute of every day counts as potential “studio time”.

Brigid Avery, a new Cathedral Square artist, says: “Now that I am not in school anymore, the hardest part of the project is just doing it without having an assignment. It is not my full time job, so finding the time to create is difficult.”

If an artist thinks of a new masterpiece to create, the most conducive environment to work in might be one where the artist is alone. However, one major way for artists to maximize creativity is to share the experience with other people. 

New Cathedral Square artist Zach Mory illustrates what is integral to the work of an artist: "Solitude. Conversely, it’s just as important to have people to discuss work with whom you can be unashamedly honest. There has to be a balance of both things."

The "multiverse" of gifts interact and expand from each other

Every artist has a gift within them, but an endless number of other artists have their own gifts to share. So every gift floats among a "multiverse" of other gifts, where some interact and expand from each other -- but this is good, because building relationships develops a merge of ideas and resources. Take an ant hill, for example: the “healthiest” ant hill is the one in which all the participating ants work communally.

As members of an artistic community, we all contribute to the beauty of life. Like Rick Devos said with the birth of ArtPrize: “Ideas, no matter how good, require an ecosystem to take root.” The artists who work together to maximize their creative complexity and frequency of work are the ones contributing value to our “ecosystem”.

But where does the association between non-artists and artists play a role? Well, no artist can succeed alone, just like no single ant in an ant hill can survive alone. An artist should find the balance between personal enjoyment and public engagement.

Returning artist Tony Hendrick says: "The thing I look for is whether it looks like the artist is genuinely having fun creating [work]. What is fun essentially is different for each artist, and different for each person who views the work. However, the place where everyone connects is in the aliveness that opens inside when one is having fun."

One Artist, Five Questions: Brigid Avery

Engage with new and returning artists before visiting ArtPrize at Cathedral Square to see their amazing array of work. Learn about the artists’ personal stories and creative ambitions through five enticing art-related questions.

This week: Brigid Avery 

Brigid is a new Cathedral Square artist who traveled to Tully Cross, Ireland last year as part of a study-abroad reunion, where she revisited memories of nature and family. While touring the coastline, Brigid experienced a balance of beauty and order with a regular complementation of chaos and havoc. The composition of her 2014 ArtPrize entry intends to draw viewers to recognize Ireland’s Glassilaun Beach and the sea for their natural rhythmic patterns.

Brigid Avery, Glassilaun Beach, Tully Cross, Ireland, 2013, photography

What got you interested in art?

I had always been interested in art; my mom and dad are super creative. I didn't take a serious art class until my registration day at Aquinas. My assigned advisor was Kurt Kaiser (of the Art Department) and he asked if I would like to take an art class. I shrugged and said, "Sure". He said "Great, you can sign up for my 2-D class". I liked it so much I signed up for the next one…and the next one…and before I knew it, I was a Studio Art minor. They were absolutely some of my favorite classes and professors. So I guess I became an artist serendipitously.

What is your favorite or most inspirational place?

Honestly, I was so incredibly struck by the beauty and haunting rhythms of Glassilaun Beach that I can say it is one my most inspirational and favorite places. Ireland in general grabbed my soul and hasn't let go.

Do you have a favorite artist? What attracts you to that artist's work?

I adore Mucha because of the color palette and art deco design. My husband and I went to Prague for our honeymoon and we visited the museum there. I was in a trance, getting caught up in the movement and dreamy gazes of the women.

What is your dream project? (See question on favorite artist) I would love to design and create a series of photographs inspired by Mucha.

What is the hardest step in creating work?

Now that I am not in school anymore, the hardest part of the project is just doing it without having an assignment. It is not my full time job, so finding the time to create is difficult. My entry in Artprize is actually an assignment. I had a No Credit in my last photography class at Aquinas. It has weighed on me ever since (13 years later!) So in order to "force" me into actually entering, I am using this as my missing assignment to get my credit!

Learn more about Brigid and her 2014 ArtPrize entry: http://www.artprize.org/brigid-avery

ArtPrize At Cathedral Square 2014: Artist roster

It's official! The ArtPrize connections period for venues and artists is now closed. Cathedral Square is excited to unveil our 2014 Artist Lineup. Each artist conveys a pattern of rhythm within their work.

40 artists total.

26 2-D entries.

9 3-D entries.

3 Installation entries.

2 Time-Based entries.

And now...for the BIG reveal! (alphabetized by last name):

Valerie Allen, Ruins March Forward, 2014, acrylic, 48 x 72 inches

Gabriela Amaya-Baron, Place, In History, 2014, installation, 10 ft diameter

Brigid Avery, Glassilaun Beach, Tully Cross, Ireland, 2013, photography

Jean Boot, In the Exchange of Echoes, 2014, intaglio and aquatint prints, 3 x 27 x 48 inches

Elizabeth Brandt, Random Thoughts, 2013, fiber, 0.25 x 127 x 79 inches

Sheryl Budnick, Night Sea, 2014, oil on canvas, 144 x 38 inches

Lauren Cummings, In the Hour of Play, 2014, monotypes, 18 x 24 inches

Andy Dearwater, Giftwrap, 2013, oil on panels, 63 x 63 inches

ArtPrize Profile: http://www.artprize.org/catherine-diedrich/2014/the-pond

Catherine Diedrich, The Pond, 2014, mosiac, 60 x 36 inches

Sherry Erskine, Alchemist’s Ascent, 2014, digital photography, 18 x 24 inches

Edgar Evans, Surf on Rocks, 2013, digital photography, 20 x 25 inches

Julie Friedman, A Greenhouse for Life, 2014, tyvek and pipe, 144 x 60 x 108 inches

Christie Helm, Ode to Cadere, 2012, oil on canvas, 348 x 59 inches

Tony Hendrick, Gathering Sap, 2014, acrylic on canvas, 2 x 81 x 64 inches

Jack Hillman, Aria, 2013, steel, 20 x 124 x 69 inches

Alexis Johnson, A Neighborhood, 2014, oil on wood panel, pieces at 24 x 32 inches each

Sun Young Kang, Memories Unfolded, 2012, book arts, 2.5 x 20 x 3.25 inches

Kurt Kaiser, Precarious Equilibrium, 2014, mixed media, 30 x 30 x 13 inches

Colleen Kole, Rooflines #15, 2014, fiber quilt, 1 x 67 x 65 inches

Marjory Koster, Forgive, 2014, mixed media drawing, 48 x 48 inches

Fr. Joachim Lally, The Dance of the Sun and the Moon, 2014, mixed media painting

Nathan Lareau, Urban Tumbleweed, digital video and sculpture, variable 6 inch wide projection

Sandi Lummen, August Field, 2014, oil on canvas, 46 x 36 inches

Billy Mayer, As Is, 2013, mixed media installation, 16 x 12 x 77 inches

John McLaughlin, Running In Circles, mixed media drawing/collage on canvas, 48 x 96 inches

ArtPrize Profile: http://www.artprize.org/margaret-miller

Margaret Miller, Horizon Rhythm, 2013-2014, monotype prints,

Zach Mory, 25 Circles and Diamonds, 2014, graphite on paper series, 21 x 21 inches each

Lee Mothes, Big Waves, 2014, graphite on paper, 27 x 35 inches (4 total)

Ron and Miriam Pederson, VANE, 2013, painted and welded steel collaboration, 36 x 96 x 84 in.

Blair Reickmann, The Shortest Route, 2014, steel, 8 x 49 x 40 inches

Thomas Roeser, Ecuador, 2014, oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches

ArtPrize Profile: http://www.artprize.org/dennis-rybicki/2014/voices-of-the-city

Dennis Rybicki, Voices of the City, 2014, time-based interfaith choir performance

Jessica Z Schafer, Cinephile: Trio, 2014, digital photography, 1 x 36 x 11 inches

Sr. Lucianne Siers, Dancing In Life, 2014,

Megan Sinderson, Passerby, 2014, digital photography, 84 x 84 inches

H.J. Slider, Einstein’s Kindergarten, 2013, assemblage sculpture, 22 x 25 x 37 inches

Renee Therriault, Tempest Rose, 2013, welded metal, 25 x 25 x 5 inches

Judith Tummino, Self, 2014, oil on canvas and board, various up to 14 x 14 inches each

James Wilson, Believable Possibilities, 2014, oil on linen, 72 x 48 inches

Yetzke, Kenagy & Kreindler, When the Days Become a Moment, 2014, performance art

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