ArtPrize

It's ArtPrize time here in Grand Rapids, and now that I don't work downtown anymore, I don't actually hate it.  Two years removed from trying to navigate out of the city parking ramps filled with people that act like they've never been in a city...ever... and I actually find it to be kind of enjoyable.

Our mini art-connoisseur ready for ArtPrize 2013

Art people we are not, but Megan is s.u.p.e.r. into it.  She actually has a piece of art in the competition!  Well, to be more specific, she has one piece of 7,000 that is part of an entry that the art teacher at her elementary school designed.

Each kid at Orchard View, as well as anyone in the community who wanted to participate, designed a ceramic leaf that makes up this display.  Grandma Dee took Megan to see this earlier in the week - she was one proud little artist!

We start following along more closely when they have narrowed the field down to the Top 10 or 25.  Megan and I went down for an enjoyable evening of art viewing the day the Top 10 were announced, and we were able to see 6 of them pretty easily.

This giant panda & baby (in the Top 10) are made entirely out of tires.  So cool!

Megan was a big fan of this one, as was Hannah (who visited earlier in the week with Grandma Purdy)

Enjoying the dog statues outside of the Public Museum

I *think* she understood that they weren't real, but girlfriend loves her dogs

We love these silk flags in the Grand River.  Megan does not understand why they can't stay after ArtPrize.

Come to think of it, I don't either...

"Earth Giant" - this guy is made entirely out of trees, leaves and dirt (and also Top 10)!

Her expressions became slightly more strange as the evening progressed.

I think the ducks were pretty great

Maybe not particularly artsy, but we liked the kitty cats outside of the Ford Museum too.

Megan particularly enjoyed this odd jungle gym thing outside of the Amway Grand

Peek-a-boo

Getting silly after a couple of hours of walking around

We stopped for ice cream after doing a loop of the major venues around the river.  Upon returning home, Megan promptly informed her father that "Mom spent nine dollars on ice cream".  THE TRAITOR!