Artistic ability is often thought to be something that only certain individuals possess.
As a graphic design student, I consider myself a creative person and I enjoy expressing my artistic personality in everything I do in life. I, however, don’t believe that only certain individuals are “creative,” but instead everyone has artistic ability.
An accountant may not be able to paint a landscape, but he has to creatively find solutions that help to efficiently maximize profits of a business. The same with a doctor; maybe he can’t form a brilliant sculpture, but when he is operating on patients he is creatively reconstructing.
My point is: it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do; as long as you’re doing things you really care about, you are being creative in some way.
I believe design has the power to bring communities together and that it can really enhance people’s lives. When people of all creative backgrounds come together I believe that that power is even greater.
One example of this type of collaboration is ArtPrize which is held annually in Grand Rapids. ArtPrize brings joy to thousands of people who flock to Grand Rapids and it helps to create a universal feeling of pride for everyone involved because they can feel they are a part of something important and bigger than just themselves.
ArtPrize allows anyone and everyone to display their artistic ability. It’s a time for the community to come together and form a common bond. The types of projects on display range from drawings, paintings, sculptures, and performances to interactive experiences.
The event lasts 19 days and draws thousands of people into Grand Rapids. Almost everywhere you go downtown there is something new to see: restaurants, museums, sidewalks and schools are full of exhibits just waiting to be discovered. The top ten artworks receive prize money, so once you find a work you are in love with make sure you cast your vote, which you can do online at artprize.org/voting.
So grab your friends and make the quick trip down to Grand Rapids; it’s a great time to get together to enjoy good company and good art.
ArtPrize runs through Oct. 9, a complete list of all the venues is available at artprize.org/venues.