ArtPrize: Northern Michigan's Early Contenders

<p><em><a href="mailto:stephanlj@interlochen.org">By Linda Stephan</a></em></p> <p>ArtPrize is underway in downtown Grand Rapids, and a few artists from northern Michigan are early contenders. </p> <p>ArtPrize is a massive public art competition that turns much downtown Grand Rapids into an art gallery, inside and out, through October 10th. It's in its second year.</p> <p>Last year, Traverse City Artist Eric Daigh took home a $50,000 dollar third prize, for his mosaic portraits made of push-pins.</p> <p>Early voting has another mosaic artist from Traverse in the running this year. <a href="http://www.artprize.org/artists/public-profile/50571" target="_blank">John OHearn</a> has created a Grand Rapids streetscape using plastic balls in just six colors. It's on display at the Gerald R. Ford Museum.</p> <p>Two more Traverse City artists are early contenders: <a href="http://www.artprize.org/artists/public-profile/50019" target="_blank">Richard Shemm</a>, for his sculptures of mammoths, and <a href="http://www.artprize.org/artists/public-profile/49738" target="_blank">D.B. Henkel</a> has made a coffin out of cigarette butts.</p> <p>Ludington Photographer<a href="http://www.artprize.org/artists/public-profile/304" target="_blank"> Ryan Spencer Reed</a> is also in the Top 50, with a black-and-white display of Detroit's urban blight.</p>