i heart detroit, photo by mlephotos.
Some people I talk to are not fans of Valentine’s Day.
I’ve always thought of Valentine’s Day as a celebration of everything and everyone I love and that has always made it one of my favorite holidays.
How about you? Love it? Hate it? Only in it for the chocolate?
Check this photo out bigger in Meghan’s heart slideshow or see what the whole Absolute Michigan pool hearts.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Blissfield, Michigan Post Office, photo © Dirk Bakker
The latest feature from the Michigan Radio Picture Project is WPA Art in Michigan, featuring the photography of Dirk Bakker, who photographed over over fifty Michigan WPA projects for a book from Wayne State University Press (that was actually never published):
Among the bold experimental programs that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt enlisted to aid the profoundly depressed U.S. economy of the early 1930s were “public works” programs to aggressively move people back to work. There was the Civilian Conservation Corp that put young unemployed men to work planting trees to reforest America. The Civilian Works Administration put people to work building or rebuilding the infrastructure of the country by teaching, or by building roads, bridges and dams.
George Biddel, a classmate of Roosevelt’s from Harvard and an artist himself, suggested that FDR follow Mexico’s lead and employ artists to paint murals on government buildings. Roosevelt was convinced and in 1933 founded the “Public Works of Art Project,” funded by the Civilian Works Administration. It was succeeded by numerous other federally aided projects that, in addition to the visual arts, funded theater, music and writing projects.
One of the most productive as well as controversial programs was the Treasury Section of Fine Arts, which selected artists by jury and commissioned them to paint murals in U.S. Post Offices. The State of Michigan was the beneficiary of more than fifty Section post office “murals,” as well as numerous other institutional painting and sculpture commissions.
The Michigan Radio Picture Project is a new site from Michigan Radio that aims to be a forum for photographs that address Michigan people, places, events, and issues. They hope to develop a broad mixture of photo essays to expand on stories from Michigan Radio and to go deeper into Michigan historical photographs, fine art photography and pictures from various archives and collections. Have an idea? Pitch their website coordinators Eric Smith, Doug Aikenhead, and Tamar Charney at michiganradiopictureproject@umich.edu.
You can also check out a cool WPA-themed poster contest over on Absolute Michigan!
I was in the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art on Wednesday and saw some whimsical sculptures and mobiles by Alexander Calder. It didn’t seem like the delicate structures could have come from the same hand. Turns out they did. The Alexander Calder entry on Wikipedia explains:
Alexander Calder (22 July 1898 – 11 November 1976), also known as Sandy Calder, was an American sculptor and artist most famous for inventing the mobile. In addition to mobile and stabile sculpture, Alexander Calder also created paintings, lithographs, toys, tapestry and jewelry.
…In June 1969, Calder attended the dedication of his monumental stabile “La Grande Vitesse” located in the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. This sculpture is notable for being the first public work of art in the United States to be funded with federal monies; acquired with funds granted from the then new National Endowment for the Arts under its “Art for Public Places” program.
You can get up close with La Grande Vitesse at West Michigan Sculptures (includes a cool 360 degree walk around) and also check out the Calder slideshow from Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr. You can also read this article about the dedication from the National Endowment of the Arts.
Be sure to check this out bigger or in his Grand Rapids 09 set (slideshow)
 ArtPrize 09-Open Water no.24 by deviant_anomaly |
 ART PRIZE 2009-0032 by RichardD72 |
Head over to Winners of the 2009 Grand Rapids ArtPrize on Absolute Michigan for more about Ortner, the other 9 winners and ArtPrize.
For more photos check out the streams of the photographers above and also the ArtPrize slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool and theGrand Rapids ArtPrize group on Flickr. Bloggers, there’s also the Grand Rapids ArtPrize Promotion group for photos you can use (with credit).
Art Detroit Now 2008 ~ MassiV, photo by paulhitz.
Paul shot this last year during Art Detroit Now. This celebration of art and galleries is back for 2009, bigger and better. Highlights include:
You can get all the details at ArtDetroitNow 2009. One of the events that will be taking place at the RIC is the Premier Studio Show from The Detroit League of Photographers on Friday & Saturday night at 7 PM. The show features the work of 13 photographers. In addition to Paul Hitz, they include Ted Fines, Bobby Alcott, Brett J. Lawrence, Keith Burgess, Bethany Helzer, Vanessa Miller, Eric Peoples, Ross Sandelius, Ryan Southen, Christian Spencer, Spike and Rob Terwilliger. Many of these folks regularly contribute to the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr, and I think it will be an incredible display!
Be sure to check Paul’s photo out bigger. While you’re there, have a glimpse at his massive Detroit slideshow.
ArtPrize ’09 Friday, photo by JohnE777.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably wondered “Just how much money does it take for a city to completely go off its nut and turn into some kind of urban ninja butterfly?”
The answer, it seems, is about a million dollars. That’s how much money Rick DeVos allocated to found the Grand Rapids ArtPrize. The public will vote to determine who wins prizes including the top prize of $250,000!
Over on Absolute Michigan we’ve created the 2009 ArtPrize Grand Rapids page, an explosion of tweets, videos and (of course) photos.
Also check out the ArtPrize Map or (if you’re so inclined) fly through Grand Rapids and ArtPrize in Google Earth.
Check out this photo bigger and also see John’s massive ArtPrize ’09 set (slideshow).
PS: Tomorrow Rob Bliss & friends will launch 100,000 paper airplanes over Monroe Ave. as a flashmob of musicians play. Be there.
The Heidelberg Project, photo by John Baird.
The Heidelberg Project in Detroit invites you to attend their Polka Dot Picnic this Saturday (September 26) from 4-7 PM to help them celebrate community, their accomplishments & special friends leaving Detroit. They are also looking for donations/discounts on some supplies/services. Be sure to check the link above for more info about this amazing labor of love (including a new video).
Check this out bigger or in John’s So called most “Interesting” slideshow.
See more photos from the Heidelberg Project in the Absolute Michigan pool and also on Michigan in Pictures.
Art Prize entry – Telos by Ray Katz by the pentax hammer (gary syrba)
Gary writes that this sculpture is at the Sixth Street Park just north of Downtown in Grand Rapids, and says there’s a lot of excitement in the city about this event … and a lot of prize money at stake too! Check this out bigger in his In the City (Grand Rapids) slideshow.
ArtPrize is open to any artist, and the votes of all visitors will determine who wins the largest art prize in the world: $250,000! Get a map of the venues right here. They write:
At ArtPrize, any artist—from established to emerging—has the chance to show work. Any visitor can vote. The vote will determine who wins the largest art prize in the world. We also took the unusual step to allow people in the city to open a venue and choose the artists to show in their space. There is not one official curator or jury for the competition.
The number of venues is fluid, so the number of competing artists is fluid. The possibilities are wide open. We can’t predict what will happen, but it should be a lot of fun finding out.
You can follow along with coverage of ArtPrize on our Absolute Michigan: On Location blog and get photos in the ArtPrize Grand Rapids group!
323 EAST Advertisement , photo by Joe Gall Photography.
323 East that is … Joe took this promo photo for 323 East in downtown Royal Oak. 323 East is billed as a a mash-up of art, culture, lifestyle and fashion, and they’re certainly mashing it up in this photo!
Be sure and check it out bigger and in his Models & Promos set (slideshow).
… one a day, photo by suesue2.
Our Absolute Michigan calendar says there’s here’s a lot of cool events happening this weekend from long-standing events like the Celebration on the Grand in Grand Rapids, Wheatland Music Festival and Posen Potato Festival to newer events like the Ann Arbor HomeGrown Festival, UP Oktoberfest, Great Lakes Cider & Perry Festival and Michigan Schooner Festival.
I decided to go with what’s ripening up (and with my stomach) and highlight the Art & Apples Festival in Rochester. This annual event takes place September 11-13 and features over 250 fine art exhibitors, a variety of food, live entertainment, and free kids art activities.
See this photo bigger in Sue’s Blake’s slideshow and also check out the apples slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool.
Michigan in Pictures 