The most wonderful time of the Year...(in Grand Rapids) ARTPRIZE 2012

For all of you that are not from or KNOW about the Grand Rapids area we are in our "most wonderful time of the year" phase.  ART PRIZE!.
This post is just meant to be a little EYE CANDY for those of you that can not make it.
Today was day 1.
I always love to go on day one because its not as crowded and you
get to meet many of the artists (or at least see them standing next to their work)
If you don't know what art prize is you can check out there website HERE

 
ArtPrize® began three years ago as an experiment—a totally new event, unlike anything the world had ever seen, filled with the experiments of artists and the opinions of everyone.
Radically open to anyone and equally simple to understand.
ArtPrize was created to be a very different kind of art competition. It would decentralize the traditional, top-down art contest in two ways.

First there was the open call to artists, venues, and voters. Any artist in the world could compete; anyone with property in downtown Grand Rapids could turn their space into a venue; and any visitor could vote for their favorite artworks.
Second, ArtPrize made what amounted to a dating website for artists and venues. The organizers would provide no selection committees or curators. Anything was possible if the artists and venues agreed to make it happen.
Public vote would decide who won the cash prizes. With voting on the Internet or on mobile devices, the votes would be tallied quickly. You could track the progress of your favorite artworks online, in real time. How would this affect the winners? No one could say. This was a new kind of event, impossible just ten years before.

So with out Further ado.   here is your EYE CANDY...Thus far.... :)

 

These horse scultptures are located in the Grand River. This one really impressed me with the rushing water making it feel as if the horses were really running through the water.

 

 

 

 

 

This crow is made out of recycled tires!

 

 

 

 

 

This portrait is made out of Jelly Beans.

I know this post is random, but I just wanted to make sure to share with you what I got to see today.
I plan on going back many more times and casting my vote. I still don't know who or what is my favorite yet. But that is all the fun of this competition. Something "speaks to you" and you don't know when or where it will be.
I hope you have a BEAUTIFUL day.