Comments for thecreatives.org

Comment on surrounded by the details by Matt

Matt — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:21:19 +0000

I’ve got to tell you, I totally felt the connection to that corner that you did. I was searching the Internet for a picture of Castled Void and found this image which is uncannily similar to the background on my phone. This may have been my favorite piece of ArtPrize even though I saw it on one of the last days for the event. This piece was brilliant, in more ways than one, and this corner was perfect. I’m normally not one for primary colors but this was just… Wow.

Comment on a call to action by tori pelz

tori pelz — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:24:27 +0000

Holly,

Thank you for this honest, sincere, and much-needed exhortation. Thankfully, not all artists are asses. Thank you for again pointing out that we may not be responsible for the system, the public opinions, etc. but we are responsible for our response. Resentment and derision helps neither artist nor public.

Comment on a call to action by Richard Kooyman

Richard Kooyman — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 16:53:43 +0000

Well last time I checked you had to be an adult to vote at ArtPrize so the subject of children isn’t even the issue. How I read your call to action is that you are asking the artist to fix the problems inherit in the competition. Problems that wouldn’t even exist if ArtPrize was design differently.

Comment on a call to action by Holly

Holly — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 14:12:56 +0000

though we agree on the problem in general, i respectfully disagree that the event is insidious; i respectfully disagree that it doesn’t encourage the public to come down and become educated; i chuckle at the analogy that this is anything like a 7-11 employee asked to educate on something they’re not experts on.

what i am saying is that yes, some artists are being asses. and yes, the event is creating an opportunity for education. and yes, it is our responsibility -as those who are passionate about and knowledgable about art- to take that opportunity and put our efforts into turning entertainment into education. any educator will tell you that, especially with adults, you can’t just say “hey kids, let’s get us some education!” and expect interest to be piqued. learning doesn’t have to be so straightforward and is often more long-lasting when not done in traditional “schooling” methods.

Comment on a call to action by Richard Kooyman

Richard Kooyman — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 11:48:56 +0000

Holly, So now artists are asses? Was Mia Travonatti or Bill Secunda also being an ass when they were working hard and “paying attention to make a difference”? Were the willing crowds that voted for them being educated by those artists or duped?
You and I agree with the problems art faces in society. One thing we as artists can do is agree not to participate in a insidious event that doesn’t encourage the public or at least fails to encourage the public enough to come down and become educated. It encourages them to replace knowledge with their opinion. What you are suggesting is like asking all 7-11 employes to work harder to educate customer about proper nutrition.

Comment on curating my artprize experience: alois and his spire by Wendy (The Local Coo

Wendy (The Local Coo — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 11:33:45 +0000

I’d love to hear more discussion about Michigan nice from a non-Michigander’s perspective. I read the book Blood, Bones & Butter and the author spent a brief time in Ann Arbor going to school at U of M. It was really funny reading about her experience with it.

Comment on a call to action by Holly

Holly — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 04:46:17 +0000

richard-
the fact that art is not understood in our country is not the artist’s fault. i never said we Got Here because of something artists did. we certainly have not been handed a fair deal in this game. but here we are.
now.
are we going to take the chance when everyone’s paying attention to make a difference about that problem, or are we going to widen the divide and snub our nose at all the people showing up to discover?
the streets of grand rapids were crowded today. CROWDED. all over, not just in places with a top ten contender. that’s an opportunity. a little grace and a little willingness to not be an ass while all those crowds are watching makes a big difference.
so yes, i want you to work a little bit hard than that.
i’m asking you to be nice.

apparently, that is just too much burden to bear.

Comment on a call to action by Richard Kooyman

Richard Kooyman — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 02:25:41 +0000

Watching the Devos ArtPrize experiment this year is a little like watching the air leak out of a tire until it runs flat. The idea that an American Idol type vote would somehow create a walking society of educated art appreciators is laughable at best and very sad in it’s silliness as a premise. This years top ten vote is an insightful answer into Rick Devos “radical” social experiment that replaces knowledge about art with popular opinion.

Even more crazy than all of that is your notion that the problem with this years top ten results isn’t Rick Devos’s economic development plan but that the fault somehow lies with the artist. We aren’t trying hard enough. We aren’t working hard enough to communicate with these wonderful people who ”taking time out of their regular lives”.
As if the lack of arts funding, the lack of arts education in our schools, the lack of arts investment in our communities that created this mass of nice people that need to be educated is now somehow our responsibility.

And then if educated artists and viewers complain about the “crap” all over the city you accuse us of bitterness and having tantrums? You have got to be kinding?

Comment on a call to action by tbalx

tbalx — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 02:17:33 +0000

Brava, Holly! Brava!

Comment on a call to action by Holly

Holly — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 01:48:36 +0000

thanks ladies. much appreciated. sometimes you care too much to keep your big mouth shut. i am sure not all comments will be as appreciative, so i thank you for starting off the responses on a positive note.