Slow Art: ArtPrize at the Catholic Information Center

Sometimes people feel like they just don’t have enough time during ArtPrize to slow down and enjoy the art. Slow Art at the Catholic Information Center (CIC), located on the 2nd floor of the Cathedral Square Center, gives visitors the opportunity to relax and spend time seeing art in the venue at a comfortable pace. After viewing, staff and visitors meet with a guest artist, enjoy lunch, and talk about impressions of the art. 

During Slow Art, people get “inspired, not tired!”

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Slow Art and Lunch with Sandi Lummen:

"August Field", Sandi Lummen, 2014, oil painting, 2 x 48 x 36 in.

Sandi Lummen is a retired art professor from Kendall College of Art and Design, where she taught color, design and composition for 25 years. Sandi has a strong appreciation and connection to the land. With her knowledge of growing up on a farm, surrounded by fields, orchards, ponds and trees, she uses her skills and experience to simplify the forms she sees in nature.

View Sandi’s artwork and other art pieces on exhibit in the Cathedral Square Showcase Venue, enjoy lunch, and share in a discussion with Sandi and the CIC.

Friday, September 26, 11am-1pm. Cost: $10, lunch included.

*Lunch is provided but RSVP required. Please call 616-459-7267.

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Slow Art and Lunch with Jean Allemeier Boot:

"In the Exchange of Echoes", Jean Allemeier Boot, 2014, intaglio prints, 3 x 27 x 48 in.

Jean Allemeier Boot has been dedicated to drawing and printmaking since she received her BFA in studio art from Aquinas College. She currently focuses on intaglio and monotype printmaking processes. Jean makes landscapes and the natural world her subject matter. Her connection with nature goes back to her initial interest in biology and pursuit of a career in the medical field, working in a microbiology laboratory.

View Jean’s artwork and other art pieces on exhibit at Cathedral Square, enjoy lunch, and share in a discussion with Jean and the CIC.

Monday, September 29, 11am-1pm. Cost: $10, lunch included.

*Lunch is provided but RSVP required. Please call 616-459-7267.

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In addition to the art on display, the CIC is offering several “Art and Religion” themed educational programs during ArtPrize. Click here for more information: CIC Fall Programs

One Artist Five Questions: Sr. Lucianne Siers

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

This week: Sr. Lucianne Siers

Sr. Lucianne Siers, Dancing In Life, 2014, alabaster stone 

Sr. Lucianne Siers, OP, has been a teacher, pastoral minister and most recently, serves in a leadership position. She has had the opportunity to study art with excellent sculptors who have mentored her work in stone over the years. She is a Dominican Sister and has the opportunity to share her work in stone in a variety of venues and activities.

What themes do you pursue?

I choose to pursue more contemplative figures in stone.  I desire that my pieces have a form that moves, but not too much.  I desire to make the stone smooth and able to be touched so that the viewer can experience the material that has been shaped for viewing.

What got you interested in art?

I have always loved art, but really never considered myself an artist until I was in my late 40s.  I had the opportunity to take classes that led me to carving stone.  I fell in love with making human forms in stone.  It is a very satisfying activity to find what is in the stone and carve it out so that others can see it and enjoy it.

What is your preferred medium and why?

My preferred medium is carving alabaster. This stone will eventually turn into marble within several thousand years.  Alabaster is a soft and sturdy stone and it is so beautiful.  There are many different colors of alabaster, but I prefer white alabaster with the black and grey veins that run through it.  It is a Michigan stone.  

What is the hardest step in creating work?

The hardest step for me in creating work is finding the time and space to do it.  I need to work outside and so the winter months are really difficult because it is too cold to work outside.  My desire is to find a good space and the time to work regularly on some project during the cold Michigan winter!

What is integral to the work of an art

What is integral to me is to have the contemplative space to think deeply about what is going on in me and around me.  I need time to get deeply into the a place where my mind is clear of worry or confusion.  In other words, I need to be focused and uncluttered before I attempt to carve.  Getting deep into the stone and engaging only with what is before me is a way that I am able to bring forth what is hidden in the stone, and unconsciously bringing forth something hidden inside of me.

Learn more about Sr. Lucianne Siers as an artist: http://www.artprize.org/lucianne-siers

Heartside ArtPrize: 2014 venues along E. Fulton

There are 59 ArtPrize venues in the Heartside Neighborhood, including Cathedral Square, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA), Grand Rapids Brewing Co. and Van Andel Arena. In the last Heartside ArtPrize post, we highlighted prominent venue locations along S. Division Ave, starting from our own showcase venue. Because Cathedral Square marks the southern border of the ArtPrize territory, it serves as an ideal starting point for any ArtPrize trek.

In this post, starting again from Cathedral Square, we will explore a route that takes us along E. Fulton Street to end up right in the center of the downtown art experience.

1) This list starts with Cathedral Square. Begin your ArtPrize expedition in our venue on the second floor of Cathedral Square Center. Enjoy art which embodies rhythm as a compositional device and subject matter, and don’t miss the captivating live time-based performances, new this year to our venue! // 360 S. Division

2) Pass through the Square's gardens down the meandering walkways that cross the Cathedral of Saint Andrew and venture north on Sheldon Blvd to the ArtPrize HUB. Here you can find maps, event guides, wristbands for unlimited bus rides, the ArtPrize shop and free WiFi. // 41 Sheldon SE

3) Sheldon is not only the way to the ArtPrize HUB, but also Echo Salon, with multiple large windows, curved wall and an overhang that runs the length of the salon to nourish their passion for all things artistic. // 24 Sheldon SE

4) Next, head two blocks over to enjoy the art at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Acknowledging the importance of nurturing community within the congregation and the neighborhood, Westminster will focus on art works which reflect the ideas of community, spirit and personality of the artist. // 47 Jefferson SE

5) The next stop on your ArtPrize route lands at Cottage Bar, on La Grave Ave. Cottage Bar is the oldest pub in Downtown Grand Rapids, home to many regulars, those involved in the theatre, area church choirs and a group of writers and artists. It's charming pub like atmosphere is like a comfy old slipper that many come "home" to. // 18 La Grave SE

6) As you come to East Fulton Street, don’t miss Palatte Coffee & Art. Palatte offers delicious coffee and espresso drinks like lattes and cappuccinos, plus smoothies, hot and iced teas, sweet pastries. And a wide variety of paintings and photographs by local artists. // 150 E. Fulton

7) Next, be sure to visit One Trick Pony. This grill/taproom is located in the theatre district, right across the street from St. Cecilia's, an Exhibition Center. It is the venue of choice for local musicians who play there every Thursday night, and a favorite dining place delivering something to suit anyone's tastes. Their "one trick"....is hospitality! // 136 E. Fulton

8) The tour continues with Acton Institute, in the Acton Building. The Acton Building is a creative and visual jewel. Completely restored and renovated and home to the Acton Institute and West Michigan Center for Art and Technology. Featuring an ArtPrize winning mural on the east exterior wall. The art exhibit is surrounded by a visually stunning environment. // 98 E. Fulton

9) The final stop on this tour before you venture into the Center City District will be the building of TowerPinkster Architects | Engineers. The location, 4 East Fulton, sits in the heart of Grand Rapids at the head of the Avenue of the Arts (intersection of Fulton & Division). Its location directly across from the UICA, making the building a prime location for artists. TowerPinkster recently restored this venue to its original, art deco style. // 4 E. Fulton

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For more exploration of Cathedral Square and the Heartside Neighborhood, “like” our Facebook page:

ArtPrize at Cathedral Square

One Artist, Five Questions: Zach Mory

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

This week: Zach Mory

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

New to our venue, Zach’s work has come to focus on the abstract and non-objective possibilities of drawing. Mory’s 2014 graphite entry, “25 Circles and Diamonds”, is a series of precise, repeating movements on paper that culminate into varying graphite designs. His intention behind the process is to distinctly follow the given rules associated with each piece in the series, where no two outcomes are the same. While his initial ideas generally experience natural distortion, the challenges and rewards of his process reflect an illusion of control, a balance of human influence, and a sentiment that we are as ingrained with the kinetic outer world as our own inner rhythms.

What themes do you pursue?

First off, my practice revolves around drawing. In my case, I think the media informs the process. That in turn informs the themes I'm interested in. Because I draw in a particular way (borderline obsessive mark-making) this seems to align me with minimalism, though I’m not huge on labels. Basically, I am interested in systems, labor, mark making, process and drawing. Though to be fair, I do have another body of work that is more illustrative in nature with nods to underground comics, psychedelic art, outsider art, medieval manuscripts, and post-modern myth making.

What got you interested in art?

My artistic influences started at a young age. While growing up, I always loved building things with Construx and copying my favorite comic book characters and baseball card profiles. My uncle owned a comic book distribution company in Madison, WI and he would inundate my siblings and me with all sorts of strange and fantastic comics…mainstream stuff as well as graphic novels that kids of 10 or 11 probably shouldn’t have been reading. My older brother is a cinema fanatic and I spent a lot of times watching great films that he would dig out of the crevices. Movies and comics played a huge role in my love of all things visual. When I went to college, I went in as an art major and spent a lot of time taking life-drawing classes. I think I took eight semesters worth in total as an undergrad. I learned a lot from a technical perspective, especially from Bob Schultz, who is absolutely amazing when it comes to life drawing. Slowly my interest veered away from life drawing and into non-objectivity, but the technical chops and work ethic stayed on and really defined the trajectory of my work in the future.

What is your preferred medium and why?

I love graphite and am comfortable with it, so it has become my main vehicle of choice. The nature of creating works with graphite from a pencil (as opposed to powdered graphite or charcoal where you can cover large areas more quickly) requires a substantial amount of labor in order to get the desired results. Part of me not deviating away from a pencil tip or marker nib stems from pure stubbornness (I have zero interest in painting, for instance), but that familiarity with the media has opened the door to the underlying questions that really inform my work. The Sisyphean nature of my work brings to the forefront existential themes about how we define meaning in our lives.

What is the hardest step in creating work?

With the way I work, starting is never really an issue. I usually have about 10-15 future drawings always on queue in my head. The hardest part for me is time. My work, by design, takes a long, long time to create. This means I have to get really creative with my time, often getting up and out the door by 5 on the weekdays to get drawing time in before work and then finding whatever time I can in the evening and on the weekends. Finding time, especially with a three month old baby, is a bit tricky...but I like the challenge.

What is integral to the work of an artist?

Solitude. Conversely, it’s just as important to have lots of people to discuss work with, or at least a few trusted people with whom you can be unashamedly honest. There has to be a balance of both things.

Connect with Zach Mory and his art: http://zachmory.com/

Cathedral Square Needs YOU: Volunteer opportunity

Hello Friends!

ArtPrize at Cathedral Square is fast approaching. We've been busy preparing for another great exhibit, but we can’t make it happen without you! We heartily welcome our returning volunteers. And if you’ve thought about joining the ArtPrize experience but haven't yet, volunteering is a great way to get involved. Just as in past years, our venue needs helpful people for two important roles: greeting visitors and assisting with voter registration.

To see volunteer details and opportunities, please click the link below. If you've volunteered with us before, on the Sign-Up Genius welcome page, click Login from the upper right corner and sign in using your previously-created login credentials. If you're new to the site, click Join to create your volunteer account. Then, register for the days and shifts when you are available. Choose the volunteer role that best suits you. 

Click Here to Volunteer: ArtPrize at Cathedral Square 2014 Volunteer Sign-Up

* If the link above does not work, please visit www.dioceseofgrandrapids.org, click on the “ArtPrize” headline and follow the volunteer sign-up link.

If you have questions, contact Dustin Coon at artprize@dioceseofgrandrapids.org or call 616-246-0591. Your support will help the Diocese of Grand Rapids be a successful part of this great community event!

Sincerest thanks!

Your 2014 ArtPrize at Cathedral Square Team

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Don’t forget about Volunteer Orientation! We will provide job descriptions and general information. This 1-hour training session is required for all volunteers to prepare for your role during ArtPrize at Cathedral Square 2014. Click HERE for quick sign-up!

Dates for Volunteer Orientation: 
Mon 9/8, 6-7pm; 
Wed 9/10, 6-7pm; 
Sat 9/13, 10-11pm

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Cathedral Square Showcase Venue Hours of Operation:

Opening Day 9am-8pm // Monday - Friday 9am-8pm

Saturday 10am-8pm // Sunday 10am-6pm

(Volunteer shifts start at 10am each day)

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Visit the ArtPrize website to learn more about volunteer orientation, benefits and reminders: artprize.org/get-involved/volunteers/

One Artist, Five Questions: Margaret Miller

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

This week: Margaret Miller

Margaret Miller, Abstract Landscape, monotype print

Margaret is new to ArtPrize at Cathedral Square. She has been studying art at Aquinas College and plans to achieve a dual major in Art and Sociology. She has worked extensively with oil paint and ceramics. After studying a year of printmaking, she finds the immediacy of monotypes very rewarding. Her 2014 entry, “Horizon Rhythm”, is part of an internal conversation she is having about atmosphere and the ubiquity of landscapes. She went to Italy in 2013 to study landscape oil painting and found that every composition she was implementing tailored to a rhythm of landscapes. This discovery has transferred into monotypes, where Miller has developed compositional structure in treating each new layer as a canvas. She regularly asks herself: “'What needs to be added?” and “How can I use texture to communicate different spaces?”

What got you interested in art?

I have always been 'interested' in art, but what got me interested in doing it as something more than for a class or as a hobby was the need to be happy.

I also study Sociology, but that can be kind of depressing, so art is the part of my life that I do to relax, to spend time totally focused on something, to make things, images, objects, and be happy about them. Its like the motions of making and thinking about art are what brings me back to being me- the activity generates the headspace I want to live in.

What is your most favorite or most inspirational place?

Driving in the country. I love driving, and currently my fiance is living a three hour drive away and I find that the drive to and from his house is one of the most inspirational places for me. Seeing the hills and farmlands of Michigan in all kinds of weather inspires me to new shades of gray, green and brown. Some of these drives have been inspiration for my monotype series. I am constantly amazed by their variety. Also, the time to think I really enjoy and always seems to get my creative thoughts flowing. The drive up the Lake Michigan shoreline is also very inspirational, my family is from Onekama and Frankfort and the drive between Grand Rapids and there is both beautiful and familiar.

What is your preferred medium and why?

For two dimensional art, my preferred medium is monotype, because it has the freedom of painting with the quickness of printing. I love the overlapping tones that I am able to achieve with it. I also love the immediate reward of rolling ink on a plate, sending it through the press, and bam! there is an image. For three dimensional art, my preferred medium is ceramics. I could go on and on about how much I love everything about it, but mainly, it taught me not to be precious about what I create and to take everything I make as part of my journey and my conversation. That has carried over into all of my art.

What themes do you pursue?

I enjoy exploring themes having to do with atmosphere and natural light. How do you depict rain falling? Warm sunshine? How does light affect the color of an object? When doing objective work, this can be simple, but what I enjoy most is expressing the feelings of these things in semi-abstracted ways and in my monotype landscapes I find it very satisfying to create misty spaces combined with places of bright contrast. I also am interested in dream spaces and consider things such as multiple horizons, strange skies, etc. to create feelings of unfamiliarity within the comfort of a landscape.

What is integral to the work of an artist?

The desire to create more--either as in a series or by varying themes. The artists that I think have the most professional success are those who can create a feeling or space in their work that both draws in the viewer while at the same time leaves something unanswered. An artist, in my mind, should have feelings whether it is frustration, satisfaction or curiosity about their work and where it is going. I also cannot stress more the benefit of looking at ones work. I often will have a piece up in my living room that isn't quite finished, or that i am unhappy with so that I can look at it while drinking my tea in the morning, or while listening to the radio. It really makes me notice things in my monotypes that were happy, or unhappy accidents.

Connect with Margaret Miller: http://www.artprize.org/margaret-miller

ARTology: Gestalt psychology

Gestalt: A unified physical or symbolic pattern that can only be understood as a whole and not by examining its parts.

Visual arts have borrowed this concept to suggest that images are perceived as unified wholes before they are perceived as parts. Humans have a need for wholeness which is so great that we assemble elements into as large of a unit as possible. For example, we see a row of dots as a line rather than a collection of individual marks.

In Gestalt psychology, responses are dependent on and serve the requirements of the whole mechanism. Lee Mothes’ 2014 entry, “Big Waves Live”, depicts a variety of intricate, separately weighted lines which illustrate the overall image of calm and chaotic waves.

Throughout various theories which emphasize that pattern-making is a primary element of perception and that the brain organizes parts of visual fields into “figures” and “grounds” (see previous ARTology post), a reliable psychological basis has been provided for spatial organization and graphic communication. All principles of Gestalt psychology deal with coherent factors, that is, the composition and logical unity of parts.

1. Proximity: What is closest together unites. Elements that are near one another join together to form figures against the ground.

2. Similarity: Visual elements that resemble each other in some way unite to form a homogeneous group. In this way, orientation of lines is the major factor in similarity grouping.

3. Continuity: Perceptual organization relates to movement in one continual direction.

4. Closure: Perception tends to close gaps and to make wholes, because the result is more visually stable. This achievement yields physical and psychological rewards. The fewer interruptions or discontinuities, the more likely closure will occur.

5. Equilibrium: Every visual field tends toward completeness just as every physical activity is directed toward achieving equity in opposing forces. It is the nature of the Chinese yin and yang. We are uncomfortable by anything perceived to be out of balance whether experienced physically or visually. The brain is attracted to figures that exhibit the fewest alternative modes of organization. It is a process of stereotyping or model-making.

“A Greenhouse for Life”, Julie Friedman’s 2014 entry, creates a paradigm of the plant forms that give life and make life beautiful. Being surrounded by this flat, silhouetted bold imagery takes the viewer into the realm of a known world that leads to a path toward the unknown and the newly created. There is an equilibrium of simple shapes that suggest a balance of organization which has come to be expected in a greenhouse.

6. Assimilation: The process by which a meaningful impression obtained by one or more of the senses is related to the vast file of past experiences and knowledge. Responsible for the relationship between the appearance of a visual form and a comparable response in human behavior. For example, the image of touching a burning hot stove disturbs some people because the consequences of that action are well understood. In this regard, empathy is a strong identification.

7. Irradiation: A perceptual mechanism that locates edges by comparing areas of contrast (light and dark).

Jean Allemeier Boot’s 2014 submission, “In the Exchange of Echoes”, shows how organic contours recede into space. The contrasting hues in the landscape are seemingly limitless, yet the repetition and placement of each appears deliberate and perfectly orchestrated.

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Visit and “like” our Facebook page for more of our 2014 artists who exhibit principles of the Gestalt psychology.