morning
My after work trip to SiTE:LAB – ArtPrize 2012
I just had the most surreal experience over at the old Public Museum where sitelab has set up shop for ArtPrize. This is a building I used to visit often in my childhood. My mom liked to take me there and I had the annual school trip. I don’t think I’ve been in here since I was about 10 years old, and it has been closed to the public for most of the time while the new public museum has been open. Not only was it so strange to see that most of the things I remember about that building are still there, most of it is totally untouched. It is like a time capsule from my memory brought right back into this physical world.
I was not the only one who was feeling this way, I overheard a lot of descriptive words about other peoples’ experience, “spooky, strange, weird…” I even heard a woman say, “I’m just a little freaked out right now.”
The way the artists in this venue worked with what was already existing here is what heightens the surreality of it all. I can’t quite decide if my childhood memories made this experience more or less crazy for me. The art here is really amazing and absolutely worth looking at. This is one of 5 venues nominated for the “Best Venue” award, and I am happy to say that I agree with that whole heartedly.
I left with over 150 photos. I was there for a little over an hour. I chose just a few to show here. You really have to see this place to believe it.
Alois Kronschlaeger’s work incorporates modern sculpture into existing painted nature dioramas that were already in the museum space.
This gives a better view of the types of spaces Kronschlaeger worked with for this piece. The space shown had a ramp that allows people to walk into the diarama.
Blane De St. Croix’s work hangs from the ceiling in the main part of the museum.
This better shows the combination of use of existing space with the addition of new work.
Me with a close up of one of the numerous taxidermy animals throughout the building.
Lily Cox-Richard’s work, Strike, combines a number of lightning rods with the museum space.
This work by Complex Movement was one of my favorites. It was a pleasant surprise tucked in the back of the museum.
This work by Filippo Tagliati was really interesting. It is a combination of photographs and video. I found the photos to be really interesting to look at.
This is a close up from the ‘Not Design’ space which featured a lot of letter press.
Reflections
Post 100! A Photo and a Winner
Congrats to fellow blogger Maarten! You are the winner of my 100th posting celebration drawing. I’ll be in touch about sending you your fabrikate field notes book, as well as the button trio. Thank you to everyone else who has also left me a comment or like. Between my various social media places I had a nice pile of names to draw from.
It is Friday, and it is my 100th post. Lets celebrate with an early morning photo.
Post 99, Parking Lots Can be Beautiful
Post 98, Fulton
I took a minute to get out yesterday and take a couple of photos. I’m glad I did. This was taken before 7a.m. and the sunlight is beautiful. I love how it rakes across the street.
Post 97, Ladies Literary Club, continued…
I want to apologize to all of my blog land buddies for my absence. I have been trying to juggle a whole lot of craziness lately. I thought today I’d post another photo from the Ladies Literary Club I took back at the end of May. The first photo got a very positive response from all of you. I hope, hope, hope to get out more in the next week or so to resume my daily(ish) posting from around my fair city of Grand Rapids.
Also, we are only 3 more posts away from my 100th blog posting! That means you still have time to leave me a like or a comment on any of my pages (facebook, twitter, wordpress, tumblr, web site) and I’ll enter you in a chance to win one of my photographer’s field notebooks and a set of my snazzy fabrikate pin trios. If you haven’t yet seen these items, check out my web site at http://www.fabrikateshop.com. The winner will be announced at the beginning of my 100th blog posting.
Urban Poppy
@ Division
I took these photos on Weston Street facing Division Ave. Division used to have a bad reputation. When I used to tell people I lived downtown they’d say to me, ‘OH, stay away from Division.’ I realized after a while that the people who used to say this to me were all from the suburbs.
If they had taken the time to visit this street in recent years they would have realized the charm of this area. Numerous shops and galleries line this street and all of them are locally owned. This area has a special vibe. It is very down to earth, with shop owners accepting the old buildings for what they are and working with that, instead of feeling the need to tear them down and destroy the city’s history in the name of commercialism.
LaGrave Avenue Church
I am pretty obsessed with the beauty of this church. It’s neo-gothic cathedral was built in the 1950’s. I used to live in an old carriage house that overlooked it, and now my office building faces it. You have seen its steeple in many of my photographs. See the steeple from one of my past blog posts by clicking here.
fabrikate 