Grand Rapids’ 16th Annual Artprize
Article★ Kenzie Gay★ @kenzwrites★ 3 Minutes
Every year since I was 5 years old, I’ve looked forward to something called ArtPrize. If you’re not a Grand Rapids native, then you’re probably scratching your head out of confusion at the name but if you are a Grand Rapids native, then I’m sure you already know what’s up.
ArtPrize is an annual celebration and competition of art that takes place each Fall in the heart of the city at various venues such as the Grand Rapids Art Museum (the GRAM), The Gerald R. Ford Museum, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Billy’s Lounge, Devos Place Convention Center, and many more (view the full list here). This year, ArtPrize is running from September 18th to October 4th and I had the honor of attending. Though this year’s ArtPrize is approaching its close, I’d still like to take some time to reflect on 2025’s highs, lows, and more.
ArtPrize logo
I started my Sunday night in GR at the Gerald R. Ford Museum, which has always been a city favorite of mine no matter the time of year. The outside patio was decked out in varied pieces such as Jim Wilde’s “Peace”, a painting done on a 1966 Volkswagen Bus and Andy Sacksteder’s “Who’s Adopting Who”, a bronze statue depicting a dog and a man. With excited chatter, picture taking, and conversations with the artists who were present alongside some much appreciated music via a man playing bagpipes nearby, I’d find that these entries were just the tip of the iceberg.
(left to right) “Peace” and “Who’s Adopting Who” via River Cronk
Within the museum itself were some of the best pieces in the entire competition. “Love Tranceiver”, a sculpture made by an artist known as Mathscaper, stood out to me for its large size, its usage of geometry, and its heartfelt message of two objects intersecting then remaining for eternity. It’s symbolic for love, hence the title, and the ArtPrize website states that the piece “builds on a body of work by Mathscaper exploring the underlying structure of space and time along with cellular arrangements in our own bodies. From everything, scaled to anything, for everyone, with love”.
Another favorite was “Audrey Hepburn” done by none other than Grand Rapids native William (Will) Chatlosh. “An exploration of value and shape using various yarns: wool, alpaca, cotton, acrylic”, this piece stuck out in a room full of other submissions for not only its pop culture reference but also the immense skill that runs down to the fine fibers within the yarn. The ArtPrize website says that “Using a set of sixteen shades, this portrait showcases a unique style of crochet to create a striking, recognizable figure. In addition to the organic crocheted shading of the face, the background of the piece uses more traditional crochet techniques and a different method of color-work to reinforce the traditional, craft-like nature of crochet and also reference the 'Tiffany Blue' color associated with the movie 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', which was the pop-culture reference for the piece”.
*Please note that due to the government shutdown, all pieces in the Gerald R. Ford Museum have been moved to The Morton on Ionia Avenue.
(left to right) “Love Tranceiver” via River Cronk and “Audrey Hepburn” via Kenzie Gay
Other notable pieces that I still think (and dream) about upon visiting were in the streets of Grand Rapids and at the reputable Devos Convention Center. Outside of Mojo’s on the corner of Monroe and Pearl, was Kenn Vidro’s “It Takes Two”, a series of popular cartoon and anime characters arranged in pairs. I look forward to Vidro’s pieces every year, as he has a very lighthearted and imaginative style that’s reflective both in his work and personality. It’s also a plus that he was my Elementary School Art teacher for a few years.
At Devos Convention Center was a larger-than-life installment titled “3 Wise Monkeys” done by artist Sevincy, who states “These three monumental robots take their inspiration from the proverb “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil”, yet their bodies - built from discarded plastics - carry an entirely new meaning. In Turkish, “playing the three monkeys” often implies turning a blind eye or escaping with sly cleverness, while in Western culture, the figures are associated with wisdom. I have reimagined these figures for our technological age: Not seeing is no longer naivety, but a conscious act of selection. Not hearing is not innocence, but algorithmic silence. Not speaking is not mere muteness, but calculated inaction”.
(from left to right) “It Takes Two” and “3 Wise Monkeys” via River Cronk
From heartwarming art to political commentary to delicious sangria mixed on the sidewalks of Monroe Avenue, ArtPrize 2025 did anything but disappoint me. It’s a great way to support the arts, especially after the city did away with its annual Festival of the Arts during the Summer time, and it’s affordable fun for all ages. As of publishing, ArtPrize 2025 only has one day left but you can view most entries online and check out our exclusive gallery below.
