Update 11:15 p.m.
A giant quilt depicting the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore won the top prize in the Grand Rapids-based ArtPrize competition Friday night.
Ann Loveless, of Frankfort Michigan, made the quilt.
Past ArtPrize winners have included paintings, pencil drawings, and mosaics. This year’s is a super detailed quilt that looks like a photo of a fabulous sunset at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It’s 20 feet wide and 5 feet tall.
This is Loveless’ third quilt entry into the competition. She hopes her win paves the way for more textile entries next year.
“Textiles in general, they’re not considered fine art. And a lot of times you just sort of like think of grandma’s quilt on the bed. But definitely this is art and I know all the quilt community they are very proud of me and they’re just saying 'go Ann!” Loveless said.
Loveless will get $200,000 for the winning entry. She hopes to expand her gallery, shop for new material, put some in her retirement fund and, “maybe a ski trip.”
The peice was located in the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum until Tuesday, when the federal government shutdown forced the museum to close.
Loveless notes all of the top three winners were at the Ford. She says the attention from the shutdown probably didn't hurt.
“I had people come down and say ‘oh I saw you on TV so I thought I’d come down and see what was going on.’ So it really – I think it helped. It help get the people down there and at least look at my piece,” Loveless said.
Carlos Bunga from Barcelona won the top juried prize worth a $100,000.
ArtPrize runs through Sunday night.
Posted 8:54p.m.
The winners of ArtPrize 2013 were announced tonight at an awards ceremony in a parking garage downtown. Here’s more info from the release just put out.
Winning the $200,000 Public Vote Prize was Ann Loveless from Frankfort, Mich., for her landscape art quilt, Sleeping Bear Dune Lakeshore. Loveless’ installation was located at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Winning the $100,000 Juried Grand Prize was Carlos Bunga, from Barcelona, Spain for Ecosystem, a site-specific, architectural intervention at SiTE:LAB @ 54 Jefferson, using cardboard, tape, and paint. The top three public vote winners also included Anni Crouter of Flint, Mich. for Polar Expressed, three separate 48” by 72” polar bear paintings, and UPLifitng by Andy Sacksteder, a bronze sculpture depicting two dancers. Crouter and Sacksteder will receive $75,000 and $50,000, respectively. All three top public vote winners were located at the Ford Museum.
Check back for more updates, including comments from the winners. ArtPrize works will remain on display through at least Sunday.
