Friday, October 2, 2015

Read Her Like a Book: Artprize #7

ArtPrize 7 kicked off last month and I've spent the last couple weeks trying to play nice with #artprize. 

For someone who spends a lot of time in downtown Grand Rapids, ArtPrize has became an annual struggle between being a joy and a burden. 

But yesterday I finally found a piece to get excited about — Jacqueline Baerwald's Melondy  in Fountain Street Church, has completely captured my attention.
Painted on thrifted and found books, the series addresses insecurities that imprison teenage girls every day, such as diet, heartbreak, rivalry, and addiction.
The 20+ sculptures are created from books which were selected specifically for their titles, and when read together create a poem  and arranged to create a poem. It's the partnership of the mages and words that makes this piece so successful. 

The stocking footed paintings of "Melondy"represent the average teenage girl, dealing with high school, fears and her own frustrations. Her body language aptly depicts these insecurities.


You have until midnight Saturday to vote for your favorite ArtPrize pieces in Round 1. Be sure to check out Melondy at Fountain Street Church and if it strikes you, as it has me, vote for #61997.
And if you find yourself out artprizing in search of an unique, inspiring and well-curated venue worth visiting, try Processing Fibers at 250 Monroe, which features traditional and nontraditional art made from diverse fiber materials. I was impressed with basically every piece in this space — though a may have a bias towards textile and fiber arts. 

Anyhow... Stay Calm and #ArtPrize On ....

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