The Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association (UPTRA) is featuring the arts in its September/October online newsletter. The focus is on the U.P. artists who will be displaying their work at Grand Rapid's ArtPrize.
The newsletter says:
Now in its eighth year, ArtPrize, the most-attended public art event in the world, will draw hundreds of thousands of people to Grand Rapids, Mich., located in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, Sept. 21-Oct. 9. Listed among The New York Times “52 Places to Go in 2016,” this radically open international art competition is decided by public vote and an expert jury. Prizes total $500,000. Visitors can see 1,500 entries in 160 venues – all of them free.
This year, ArtPrize, for the first time ever, will showcase a region of artists at one of its most poular venues, DeVos Place. The featured region is the Upper Peninsula. “We’re thrilled to bring 28 of our U.P. artists together in the U.P. Pavilion,” said Pasqua Warstler, executive and gallery director, Bonifas Art Center, Escanaba, Mich. Here visitors will see the diversity of art media that thrives across our region from paintings to ceramics to metal sculpture to mixed media to fiber and much more.
“You’ll be surprised,” said Scott Leipski, a ceramics artist showing in the U.P. Pavilion. “Our region emboldens artists. You’ll see artistic innovations you won’t come across in larger urban areas. Their work will ignite ArtPrize conversations.”
Can’t make it to ArtPrize? You still can see the work of most of the 51 U.P. artists showing at ArtPrize during the U.P. Premiere Show, Oct. 15-Nov. 2, held in the Bonifas Art Center, 700 First St. S., Escanaba. “You’d have to visit 18 different ArtPrize venues to see the creativity we’re bringing to Bonifas,” said Executive Director Pasqua Wartsler.
An added bonus will be meeting many of the participants at the:
U.P. Premiere Artist Reception
Saturday, October 22
1-3 p.m.
There is no charge for either event.
“There is a lot of heart and soul that goes into U.P. artwork,” said ArtPrize participant Kathleen Conover. “To understand, you need to drive around the U.P. Immerse yourself in the environment in which we create.”
To make that immersion easier, the arts and culture communities have created a website with a map to destinations across the U.P. at www.upartandculture.com. Whether it's through fine art, music, dance, theater or a history rich in Native American or across-the-ocean roots, this beautiful region will stir your heart in any season ... but especially now.
NOTE: The photo above was entered by Carl TerHaar of Cedarville in ArtPrize.
700 1st Avenue South, Escanaba, MI 49829