So, I can't say I completely agree with this statement. But, I do think it is worth a ponder. Personally, I don't like disturbing art. I like straight-forward art. Clean art. Uplifting art. Art that points to and imitates our Creator God.
But, that's just me. Me and my plebeian tastes.
It's fall and that means it is also Art Prize, here in my hometown. And that makes me happy.
This is the 6th year Art Prize has been held. Art Prize is an open art competition that fill 3 mile square of our city center for about 3 weeks each fall. Anyone can enter anything. And the art is then paired with various venues to be displayed. Some art is outdoors, some is indoors. Some is in one of our three museums. Some is displayed in downtown businesses, clubs or churches. In iconic buildings and with city icons.
It is great fun to walk around downtown, and peruse. To feed my soul. To challenge it. To view beauty in many different forms.
The goal is to see the art and give a vote for what you like, and against what you don't. I haven't voted since the first year. It is too distracting for me. But, I do take pride in the fact that I can pretty much nail the winners.
This Art Prize is smaller than former years, with only a few more than 1500 entries. There is open voting for 10 days. You can vote for any peace of art. The last week is based on the top 20 entries-5 in each of four categories. (2-D, 3-D, installation, time lapse) This has been switched up for this year. There is an overall winner, but there are also winners in the categories.
Anyway, we have been down to Art Prize 4 times already. I feel like we've seen a lot. Way more than last year when we kept hitting the same venues over and over again.
Something else that stood out to me about the entries this year is that there is a lot of pieces with a Christian message. Pieces that are either explained with a verse, have a blatant Biblical message, speak of creation and not evolution, and so on. It really encouraged me, because God is the great Artist. He is the Creator. I love when art reflects Him and His heart.
That being said, I have a pathetic amount of pictures to represent the art. When I have to juggle four offspring and a camera, things get a bit dicey. We are going again this weekend-if not sooner, and I will take more pictures. Maybe I will add them next week. Or, maybe I will do a follow up post.
Here are some of my favorites entries...
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| a black origami crane made out of copper. Plus, all those scales are folded copper also. |
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| a cherry |
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| a copper colored crane from the above entry |
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| I loved this. Gabriella. A pencil drawing. I am a sucker for pencil drawings. Maybe because the only thing I myself am skilled enough to draw is a stick figure. Gabriella made it to the top 5 in the 2-D category. |
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| a bronze Joan of Arc. It wasn't very tall, but it was very interesting to hear the art process. |
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| marble sailboats in our Presidential museum fountain. |
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| offspring. we get a pic on this bench every year. |
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| this dress is crazy! It is made from old slides. You know, the things that used to be made for slide presentations-in the days before power points. |
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| this is a marble fresco of a sort. Colorful. |
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| I don't even... |
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| a whimsical tree |
There is so much more to see. Paintings, sculptures, drawings, kiragami, origami, mosaics. So many more pieces that inspired and challenged me. I just didn't get my camera out.
Sigh....
Next visit.
