By D.A. Reed
WKTV Contributing Writer
From aesthetics, to healing, to raising awareness of important global issues, ArtPrize 2022 offers something for everyone.
“It’s well known that (people) can create a piece of art and…speak through the art, tell the story, tell the emotion, tell the journey through the art. That can be a very healing thing,” Pamela Alderman, artist and 12-year ArtPrize participant, told WKTV.
Since its inception in 2009, the international art competition ArtPrize has drawn millions of people to Grand Rapids and sparked endless conversations about art and why it matters.
Through Oct. 2, visitors have a chance to experience art in ways they never have before. During the 18-day event, art is exhibited throughout Grand Rapids, from public parks and museums, to galleries and vacant storefronts, to inside bars and on bridges.
Taking a stroll to see what can be seen
This particular reporter spent an enjoyable afternoon scouring the streets and venues of downtown Grand Rapids for art and found much more than was expected.
In a city already immersed in art, with performance halls, event arenas, and ground-to-rooftop murals decorating several outside walls of businesses and apartment buildings, ArtPrize enhances what Grand Rapids already has to offer.
As I walked from one end of the city to the other, gazing at incredible displays of art of every genre imaginable, I also tuned in to the people. Excitement dominated each venue and exhibit, with art enthusiasts alternating between intensity as they studied the exhibits and displays to gasps of amazement and delight. ArtPrize visitors ranged from young to old, and sported school groups, guests tightly clutching maps while trying to find their way, and others who were clearly natives to the area, striding with confidence and purpose.
But visitors are not the only ones to gain something from ArtPrize.
Using art to give people a ‘voice’
Veterans, led by artist and veteran wife Alderman, and veteran and entrepreneur Michael Hyacinthe, have found healing through art and community.
“Sometimes, when people are traumatized, they can’t put that trauma into words,” Alderman said, “but they can help work through that trauma through an art experience or creative opportunity.” Alderman went on to explain how stress is stored in the mind, but creative outlets can help release that stress.
“Art may not heal the whole person, but it certainly is instrumental in helping to begin that healing journey, or help to continue that healing journey,” said Alderman.
This collection of art by veterans can be found at Veterans Memorial Park and is titled Voices. Partnered with Kent County Veterans Services, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, and Hyacinthe’s non-profit Has Heart, Alderman and Hyacinthe’s Voices project is raising awareness for veterans while simultaneously providing a pathway to healing and creating a place for veterans to experience hope.
But Alderman and Hyacinthe wanted to do more. “We wanted to inspire dreams, to inspire kids to keep dreaming, keep thinking big, keep reaching for the stars,” Alderman said.
Inspiration knows no age
While venue curators of Voices, Alderman and Hyacinthe also entered ArtPrize as contestants. Their exhibit, Dreams, allowed children to send in drawings that the artists then turned into a large mural.
“The way children communicate also inspires adults. They’re so vulnerable, so honest, and so innocent that they also end up inspiring adults,” said Alderman.
It inspired this reporter. Veterans Memorial Park was my first stop, and I was not disappointed. Among the opportunity to view breathtaking artwork, I was able to meet and chat with Desert Storm veteran Aaron Bull, and also write a note on a yellow ribbon and tie it to a wall with hundreds of others that would later be distributed in care packages to active-duty soldiers.
Animals, quilts and more
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum hosts artist and mother Luba Sordyl, creator of Help Us. Sordyl created the acrylic painting containing 17 intertwined animals after learning about how chemicals in the water impacted the health of animals and the environment in general. She hopes to raise awareness about this important environmental issue with her artwork.
Also displayed at the museum were handmade quilts titled Shock and Awe & United We Stand by veteran Andrew Lee. In visiting with viewers, Lee said that he created quilts as a way to heal after his two deployments to Iraq. Each quilt is made up of hundreds of individually cut squares of fabric and then given away to veterans once completed.
All ages will find something to enjoy at ArtPrize, with several interactive exhibits that delight both adults and children. Among these are scavenger hunts, mailbox cubbies ready for exploration, large, chunky animal sculptures with colorful bodies called Chunkos, a 12-foot fort, and a display where visitors can write and share their dreams.
To learn more about ArtPrize and find tips to make the most of your visit, click here: ArtPrize 2022.
D. A. (Deborah) Reed is an award-winning author of young adult novels and a creative writing instructor from the Grand Rapids area. To find out more about D.A. Reed, visit her website: D.A. Reed Author
