Student Art Competition Winners Announced at ArtPrize

As we were learning the Top 10 Finalists in ArtPrize Sunday, we also heard that a Grand Rapids Public Schools senior’s abstract painting depicting renewable energy sources has earned him a $1,000 college scholarship and prominent display of his creation in downtown Grand Rapids as ArtPrize heads into its final week.
Daniel Lopez, a senior at City High School, was selected by a three-member juried panel of art experts from three local colleges.

A large vinyl rendition of his acrylic painting, “Illusion or Reality? Renewable Energy,” is now on display outside Consumers Energy’s Ellsworth substation at Monroe Avenue and Fulton Street in downtown Grand Rapids.  Consumers Energy sponsored the competition along with GRPS.
The competition attracted more than 50 entries submitted with a theme of energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability. Consumers Energy is the state’s largest provider of renewable energy.
The top 20 were then judged by a panel of experts from Kendall College of Art & Design at Ferris State University, Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University. Lopez and the other top 10 finalists were recognized by Consumers Energy executives at ArtPrize’s Top 10 announcement at Rosa Parks Circle. The announcement of the top 10 publicly voted ArtPrize entries is sponsored by Consumers Energy.
All 20 of the top artists have had their entries displayed on a digital sign courtesy of Amor Signs outside Consumers Energy’s Fairbanks substation, 655 Monroe NW, since ArtPrize began Sept. 18. That display will run through the end of ArtPrize Oct. 6. Lopez’s painting has been reproduced on a 30- by 17-foot vinyl banner unveiled today on a brick wall outside the utility’s Ellsworth substation downtown. The other nine top finalists received a variety of prizes; all 20 students received a special T-shirt with all of their names included on the back and Lopez’s entry reproduced on the front.

The second through 10th place finishers, in descending order are: Alexandria Hardy; Isabel Flikkema; Dominic Russell and Rolando Torrez; Kaya Henderson; Morgan Barber; Cindy Xiao; Rohullah Hassani; Erin Eastham and Roxanne Cabrera and Jordan Morrison.

ArtPrize, now in its fifth year, attracts nearly a half million visitors to its more than 160 indoor and outdoor venues in and around downtown Grand Rapids. Time Magazine included ArtPrize on its worldwide list of “Five Festive Events You Won’t Want to Miss in 2013.”