ArtPrize Top 10, in order of appearance:
“Vision”
David Spriggs, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
“Lure/Forest”
Beili Liu Austin, TX
“Steam Pig Experiment”
Joachim Jensen and collaborators, Grand Rapids
“salt & earth: garden for Patricia”
Young Kim, Winston-Salem, NC
“Elephant Walk”
Fredrick Prescott, Santa Fe, NM
“Cavalry, American Officers, 1921”
Chris LaPorte, Grand Rapids, MI
“Svelata”
Mia Tavonatti, Santa Ana, CA
“Helping Mom one penny at a time”
Wander Martich, Grand Rapids, MI
“Dancing With Lions”
Bill Secunda,, Butler, PA
“A Matter of Time”
Paul Baliker, Palm Coast, FL
Couldn't get all the elephants on "Elephant Walk" - always too many people around, and I haven't had the opportunity to go back.
My favorites:
"Vision" - 3-D, acrylic on multiple sheets of transparent film. Really something you need to see in person to appreciate the depth.
“Svelata” - Stained glass mosaic, and it is huge. Absolutely beautiful.
“Cavalry, American Officers, 1921” - pencil, also huge, barely fit in the wide angle lens. Detail is stunningly good - and he is the hometown boy, so I'm kinda rooting for him.
As far as the pig goes... look, I like kitschy stuff sometimes. Nessie was good because Nessie had context in the river, and it was original. The pig might have been cool on top of the power plant across the street, ala "Animals" LP cover, but as it stands... let's just say it wasn't one of my favorites. I also wonder if it had been out anywhere but the BOB whether or not it would have made the top 10.
Location does seem to play a big factor in the top finishers; these are all within walking distance of the center of downtown. Are the outlying pieces/neighborhoods getting a fair shake?