The open call to choirs and vocal groups to organize a community-wide processional of voices from the Grand Rapids Civic Theater to Rosa Parks Circle at the culmination of the 2014 ArtPrize Awards.
ArtPrize, the radically open, international art competition today announced the ArtPrize Voice Project, a collaborative performance of an original vocal composition, will be performed in a processional from the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre to Rosa Parks Circle on October 10 at 9:00 p.m. EDT, immediately following the announcement of the winners of ArtPrize 2014. ArtPrize has opened a call to any choir that would like to participate.
“ArtPrize belongs to the artists, venues, volunteers, and visitors who participate throughout the 19 days,” commented Todd Herring, ArtPrize director of marketing and communications. “Bringing the entire community together in celebration through this vocal collaborative is a fitting way to close out the sixth ArtPrize event.”
The twofold 2014 ArtPrize Awards will include an intimate ceremony at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre broadcast live by WOOD TV8 at a city-wide street party at Rosa Parks Circle. Everyone is invited to join in the festivities as attendees celebrate and honor Artists, and reflect on the past 19 days of exploration, conversations, and camaraderie. Following the announcement of the ArtPrize 2014 Grand Prize Winners, the two celebrations will come together at Rosa Parks Circle as the attendees at Civic Theatre are led down Monroe Center by a crowdsourced choir of hundreds.
The chorus will begin at 9:00 p.m. EDT with one hundred voices resounding through the Civic Theatre, as local band Domestic Problems takes up the tune on the Rosa Parks Circle stage. As the choir proceeds outside of Civic Theatre and along Monroe Center, hundreds of additional voices will join in the revelry, filling the streets of downtown Grand Rapids with song.
“Seeing the the entire city embrace singing and the art of music will be truly awesome,” noted Dennis Rybicki, Diocesan Director of Liturgical Music at Cathedral Square and composer for the ArtPrize Voice Project. “I am honored to have been asked to write this procession that will close the ArtPrize Awards this year.”
Choirs interested in participating in this collaborative event can view clips of other choirs performing the composition as well as find details on the ArtPrize blog. Choir directors and members are invited to send their name, contact information, and choir size to music@artprize.org to join in the festivities commemorating the close of the sixth annual ArtPrize event.
The 2014 ArtPrize Awards will take place on October 10. The city-wide celebration, a collaborative effort with WOOD TV8, will begin at 5:00 p.m. EDT in Rosa Parks Circle with live bands including Domestic Problems and Troll For Trout, several local food truck options, and Founders beer for those attendees 21 and over.
ArtPrize 2014 will take place from September 24 to October 12 in downtown Grand Rapids, where 1,536 artist entries will vie for a combination of public vote and juried awards totaling $560,000. For more information, please visit artprize.org.
ABOUT ARTPRIZE
ArtPrize is an international art competition, open to any artist and decided by public vote. It invites artists to try out new ideas on a large and diverse population of people. It seeks to broaden the critical dialogue around contemporary art by awarding the world’s largest art prize, at $560,000. Registered artists and venues connect online at artprize.org and agree to present the artwork for public display during the 19-day event. The public votes using mobile devices and the web to distribute $260,000, while an additional $300,000 in juried awards are decided by a group of international art experts. ArtPrize 2014 will include 1,536 entries representing 51 countries and 42 U.S. states and territories. ArtPrize 2013 attracted more than 400,000 active participants. Since its inception, individuals of all backgrounds have cast more than 1.7 million votes for public art.
ArtPrize is made possible in part through the generous support of many organizations. Corporate Premier Leadership sponsors include Amway, Founders Brewing Company, Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University, Meijer, PNC Bank and The Rapid. Leadership sponsors include Consumers Energy, CWD Real Estate Investment, Deloitte, Haworth, The Iserv Company, Steelcase Inc., and Wolverine Worldwide.
Leading Foundation Supporters include The Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation, The Daniel and Pamella DeVos Foundation, The Douglas and Maria DeVos Foundation, The Frey Foundation, Grand Rapids Community Foundation, and The VanderWeide Family Foundation.
