ArtPrize 2022!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: ArtPrize is my favorite event in Michigan!! Great art packed into a great town? Yes, please! This year certainly did not disappoint. Please enjoy these pictures of (just a few of) the awesome installments we saw. And if you’re looking for a challenge, guess which one received the Artist-to-Artist award (answer at the bottom).

Carla and I knew we were off to a good start when we loved the very first ArtPrize exhibit our eyes landed on. These bears are made of nails! Also, pro tip: the Gerald R. Ford Museum is my favorite place to park during ArtPrize.
This cat is made of Swavorski crystals! It was on a rotating stand, which really gave it a je ne sais quoi vibe. It can be yours for the low, low price of $20,000.
I assure you, there are some pictures coming up that aren’t animals. Just… not yet. This artist had an entire series of jungle animals… all drawn with Sharpies!! Brilliant! (Says the girl who bought herself a 20 pack of Sharpies and put them in her own stocking last Christmas.)
You guys. This eye is a DRAWING! Kaylee Yang did this with colored pencils. The detail blows my mind! She’s definitely an artist to keep an eye on.
I knew right away my kids would love this one! It’s so sweet and whimsical. Zoom in to see the little dog pilots and their slingshot launchpad. Everything about this makes me smile!

This was titled “Music in the Air” Clever art, clever name!
The picture does not do this exhibit justice! We talked to the artist for a while and he told us he went to Egypt in 2020 (but HOW?!) to see the pyramids. When he came home he created this replica of the tomb with moving parts and everything! He and his wife of 50 years painted it together, confirming my suspiscion that couples who create together, stay together!
This wall of origami flowers puts my cootie catchers of fourth grade fame to shame. It was featured in the Amway Hotel in the same spot the dictionary dresses were last year! Paper alley, is what we’ll call it from this year on.

That’s a wrap on ArtPrize 2022! It was a blast as always. There were tons of talented artists from all over the place, but I was excited to see so many representing Michigan! Keep on creating, artists! I can’t wait to see what you come up with for ArtPrize 2023!


Answer: If you were playing along, it was the clay pots with scenes that won the Artist-to-Artist award. And rightly so. They’re done by Brad and Bryan Caviness out of Greensboro, NC. “Slay with clay” is their motto! (Not really. But it should be.)

Three Girls Pick Three ArtPrize Favorites

This was the first year I was able to go with my whole family to ArtPrize! And Jim’s first time ever! The girls had a hockey tournament in Grand Rapids right around the corner from the world-renowned art show, but by Sunday afternoon I still hadn’t been. I sent a text to my friend Carla on Saturday that reads, “I’m going to ArtPrize if it kills me.” After a bold declaration like that, I had to go. We were exhausted after a weekend of playing hockey (Molly, Adrienne, and Charlotte) and tailgating (Jim and I), but I promised everybody food, and we hit downtown!

Another first for me was going to ArtPrize on a weekend. It was a zoo. We scored a parking spot at the Gerald Ford Museum, but that was an ArtPrize miracle. Friends, if you can go on a weekday, go on a weekday! Even better if it’s cold. The gorgeous weather brought people out in droves! I was so happy to see people out and about, enjoying art, it just made it very hard to take all the pictures I wanted. I know, boo hoo.

You guys know the kind of art I love, but I thought it would be fun to share my daughters’ favorite pieces for a change.

Molly: Molly actually went to ArtPrize on Saturday with a friend while we were watching one of her sister’s games. It was very handy when we all went together because she had already scoped out some sweet artwork she wanted to show us. Her favorite piece was a painting by Natalya Doudell in DeVos Place titled Unity. From several feet back, it’s a cool painting, then when you get closer and look take another look, you can see little people make up the whole painting! There were tiny portraits of people walking their dogs, eating ice cream, playing soccer… it was awesome!

Adrienne: A’s favorite exhibit was the three steel bears outside Ruth’s Chris Steak House. I wasn’t surprised she picked this installation- Adrienne loves anything cute. The message the artist, Martha Cares, wanted to convey was that hugs are healthy! She points out hugs decrease stress, boost immunity, and increase good moods. Incidentally, Adrienne is my snuggliest kid, so again- no surprise she was drawn to this exhibit. Martha Cares has had pieces in previous ArtPrizes and her messages are always cheery. I love that in an artist!

Bear Hugs by Martha Cares. Featuring one extra little bear.

Charlotte: Once again, Charlotte’s choice should come as no surprise to anybody who knows her. She is an interactive kind of girl, so her favorite ArtPrize entry was the egg vending machine (Egg Prize by David Kail). For fifty cents, you could get a little plastic egg with a tiny piece of art by Kail inside the egg. How could you not love that?! And look how bright and fun it is…. this is what I love about ArtPrize. Where else are you going to see a giant art vending machine in the middle of the sidewalk?

If you go to ArtPrize this year, please tell me what your favorite was! And if you follow me on IG, there will be more ArtPrize pictures there, and maybe another post soon!