MCCC student Erika Wicker stands next to Krista Schoening’s piece Karma Dahlia II
Twenty-nine MCCC students and staff took a bus Oct. 1 to Grand Rapids Art Prize Seven.
Art Prize Seven is an art show spread throughout the downtown area in Grand Rapids.
This year there were 162 venues, which included 1,551 works of art.
This is an international competition in which two $200,000 grand prizes and eight category awards add up to more than $500,000 awarded to artists.
The artwork is accompanied by a number that can be used to vote using your smartphone on the “Art Prize” app.
Student Phil Zaborowski used the app while he was there.
“I used the app and voted for a lot of stuff, but brewery is my favorite form of art,” he said.
Most of the students and staff that attended the field trip agreed that it is difficult to see all of the projects because of the many different venues.
Art professor Gary Wilson, one of the faculty members who joined the trip, thought that many projects were lost.
“I noticed that it is just so saturated, after the first few things you get lost. As an artist you know what’s big is going to win,” he said.
“If I was in charge I’d want a better map to show where things were; in the crowds you lose so much.”
The overall trip seemed to have a good outcome.
Professor Bill McCloskey, who organized the event with Professor Cheryl Johnston, said he was glad that the students were able to have this experience.
“Every time we can take students somewhere they haven’t been is valuable, especially those who don’t travel often,” he said.
