“Dancing with Mother Nature”
About the artist: Baliker has sculpted exclusively for 35 years. He's self-taught, deals
with the natural environment for his materials and subject matter abd is known for wood
and bronze sculptures. Baliker has major installations at home and abroad and owns a
gallery in Palm Coast, Fla. He presently has a commission pending at "The Gardens by
the Bay" in Singapore.
About the art: "Dancing With Mother Nature" is my idea of how we should interact with
the natural world, simply be a part of its beauty rather than trying to dominate it. The
material is cedar driftwood obtained from the Gulf Coast of Florida.
What winning would mean: The prize money would buy me time to do another largescale sculpture.
On ArtPrize: ArtPrize is an A-plus experience. The PR itself is worth the effort to be
here. My venue at the Ford Museum is as good as it gets with the exposure and efforts
of the staff to accommodate its artists. The people of Grand Rapids are warm,
enthusiastic and engaged.
I have had entries in 2010 with "A Matter Of Time" and in 2011 with "Ocean Exodus."
“Polar Expressed”
About the artist: Wildlife artist, painting primarily wildlife and interested in conservation,
so I'm trying to put the two together.
About the art: Set of three polar bears. I was hoping it would appeal to the children
more than anything. I don't want the children to lose sight of the natural world around
them.
The children really have liked it. That makes me the happiest that they like it.
What winning would mean: I took photo of bears at the Toledo Zoo for this project. I'd
like to go to Churchill, Alaska, to see the bears in the wild.
On ArtPrize: It's been 100 percent positive. I can't believe how wonderful the people
have been. The public is smart, they know what they like, and they're doing a good job
in voting.
I thought the Ford Museum would be a great venue for that. It exposes the conservation
issue and spreads the world that we need to be mindful of what's around us.
“Botanical Exotica a Monumental Collection of the Rare beautiful”
About the artist: Jason Gamrath began working in glass at age 16 at Pratt Fine Arts in
Seattle, Wash. Two years later, he began full-time training at the world renowned
Pilchuck School of Glass.
Gamrath's exhibition at the Grand Rapids Art Museum follows his six-month long show
at the Seattle Conservatory and is an accumulation of two years of his finest pieces. He
works out of several shops in Seattle.
About the art: My installation is made from hand-blown glass and steel.
My work is designed to inspire curiosity within people. This work has a very personal
story, though I feel to put emotions into words would defeat the purpose of creating the
work. I want people to latch onto the emotion that was present when I created the
series, rather than dilute the purity of the artwork with words that can't possibly capture
the raw emotion it represents.
What winning would mean: The prize money would be nice, but getting to witness
these emotional reactions in person is what gives my life purpose.
People here are intensely debating the question, "What is art?" For me, the answer is
simple: art is anything that you as the viewer find to be inspiring.
I don't believe art is as complex as the critics make it out to be. If I do win prize money,
every penny will go towards the creation of my next vision. I won't reveal the exact
details, but I will say that it will be the largest, most beautiful and complex piece I've
ever created.
On ArtPrize: This is my first connection with Grand Rapids and ArtPrize. The
experience at ArtPrize has been overwhelmingly positive. I've been hugged by
strangers, watched people react with tears, screams and everything in between.
“Taking Flight”
About the artist: Michael Gard has been a professional sculptor for 18 years, after
inventing a unique wire weaving technique in his teens. He has completed installations
for clients across the U.S.
About the art: "Taking Flight" is 13-foot sculpture of a winged figure made in
handwoven aluminum wire. She revolves on a motor and is illuminated from within by
1,024 LED lights.
Intended to uplift the human spirit, she soars 30 feet above the entrance to DeVos
Place. Before ArtPrize, I fulfilled an ambition to fly my sculpture around Grand Rapids
on a giant helium balloon, opening up a whole new way to display my mobiles.
What winning would mean: I would firstly lavish some attention on my wife Andrea,
and sons, Milo and Felix, who have patiently accepted my two-year obsession with
creating this piece.
I would donate to my kids' elementary school and start their college fund, then invest in
my plans to create great art and bring it to unsuspecting audiences around the world.
On ArtPrize: My first ArtPrize has been a joyful experience. The people of Grand
Rapids have been tremendously welcoming and helpful.
“Earth Giant”
About the art: My entry, "Earth Giant," is an "eco-sculpture" created from mostly
natural and found materials. The body is a wire frame structure made from wild grape
vines, stuffed with leaves and hay. The head, hands and feet are chicken wire forms
skinned with burlap and a natural concrete mixture called Hypertufa. This is the fourth
grapevine sculpture I have created since my first in April 2012.
What winning would mean: The majority of the prize money would be saved until after
I complete my MFA in sculpture. I would then utilize it to produce and develop public
works around the country.
On ArtPrize: My ArtPrize experience has been an exciting and humbling one so far. To
go from a small city like Morgantown, W.V., where the art scene is moderate, to such a
large gathering in Grand Rapids has been an eye-opening journey.
It has further solidified my intentions to pursue public sculpture as my interaction with
the Michigan public has been absolutely wonderful. The support and feedback I have
gained is invaluable.
“Tired Pandas”
About the artist: I am an artist residing in Battle Creek, Michigan. Besides sculpture I
also paint and run The Rogue Artist Movement Gallery in downtown Battle creek.
This is my third year at ArtPrize. Last year I was in the Top 50 with "Old Tired Crow."
About the art: Tired Pandas is a recycled art sculpture made from bike tires and inner
tubes. It stands 7 feet tall.
What winning would mean: I don't make money plans without money, and so until ti's
all over, no plans there.
On ArtPrize: I enjoy ArtPrize every year and I am proud to be a part of it.
“Sleeping Bear Dune Shoreline”
About the artist: Ann Loveless is a Northern Michigan textile artist who has found her
calling in landscape art quilts for 10 years. Ann and Steve Loveless own State of the Art
Gallery in Beulah, Mich., where many of Ann's works can be seen and purchased.
About the art: "Sleeping Bear Dune Lakeshore" is a landscape art quilt of the Lake
Michigan shoreline. This large work consists of four individual panels,
20 feet in length, depicting one large, panoramic beach scene with Sleeping Bear Dune
in the distance.
Working from a photograph, Ann captures a beautiful Lake Michigan sunset, sparkling
water, dune grass in the breeze and majestic birch trees. The viewer is attracted and
drawn into this art piece by its vivid colors and warm textural details.
What winning would mean: Ann will use the ArtPrize money to expand their gallery,
buy new machinery and fabric.
On ArtPrize: ArtPrize has been a wonderful experience, in that it gives the artist
tremendous exposure, brings customers to our small gallery in Northern Michigan and
educates the public about textiles as art.
“Myth-or-Logic”
About the artist: Robin Protz spent many years in the high-end sales of the women's
fashion industry in Europe before returning to the United States and taking up art as a
hobby. Her ArtPrize 2012 entry, "The Dragon," was disqualified from the competition.
About the art: "Myth-or-Logic" is a three-dimensional installation of a Griffin, fashioned
from bamboo, suspended on lines. The 14-foot high, 14-foot wide, 12-foot deep
installation was created especially for its location in the elegant lobby of the Pantlind
Hotel in the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.
What winning would mean: "If I were to win, I'd be able to buy my daughter a piano.
She plays beautifully, but she has a piano that was left over from an elementary school."
On ArtPrize: "A lot of people remember last year, and there has been a lot of people
who've expressed their sense of loss over the last year."
Protz entered ArtPrize 2011 with "Birth of a Dream" at Monroe Community Church and
"The Dragon" at Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in 2012.
“Uplifting”
About the artist: I began sculpting six years ago because it is something I've always
wanted to do. I don't have formal art training and mostly taught myself by reading books
on sculpting, watching videos and attending workshops.
UPlifting is my third life-sized bronze. My goal is to attract commissioned work, and
sculpt full-time.
About the art: UPlifting is a life-sized bronze sculpture fabricated to be a water feature
or fountain. Water is the central theme and inspiration for this piece. Water runs from
and over the Native American dancers' bodies, adding light, movement and sound to
the viewer's experience.
I also created the pond and landscape that the sculpture is displayed, using stones that
I hand-picked from Lakes Erie, Michigan and Superior.
What winning would mean: If I were lucky enough to win prize money, I would use the
money to obtain a studio to work in. I created UPlifting in my garage!
On ArtPrize: ArtPrize has been a magical place for me. I feel blessed and humbled to
be surrounded by so many great artists. The people of Grand Rapids have been warm
and welcoming, and I've thoroughly enjoyed talking to as many as I can. The energy
here is incredible.
I entered my second bronze sculpture "Captain and the Kid" in ArtPrize 2012. It was
also displayed at the Ford Museum and finished in the Top 100.
“Finding Beauty in Bad Things: Porcelain Vine”
About the artist: Fraser Smith has been working as a sculptor for the past 25 years.
He shows in galleries in Palm Beach, Fla., New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
About the art: The title refers to the design of the piece where I'm depicting a quilted
representation of the porcelain vine plant. It has twisted stems of multicolored berries
that are striking in there variety of colors. The plant itself is invasive and will cover and
kill shrubs and trees as it grows. It's a bad plant, but nice to look at when the berries are
ripening.
What winning would mean: I have a couple of ideas for works that would involve using
different materials and techniques than those I've used over the course of my career.
These are large, expensive things, so I wouldn't necessarily be able to make them fullsized. But it would give me some time away from carving and allow me to make some
models to see if actually doing the pieces might be feasible.
On ArtPrize: It's been very hectic, but I've made it that way. I've tried to be in front of
my work whenever my venue has been open. Plus I lost my iPad, so I've been having to
borrow devices from other people in order to stay in touch.
The people here have been great. My host family, as well as other strangers, have all
been very helpful. I was in ArtPrize 2012, where I showed at the Women's City Club.