Artists, art lovers and those who simply know good art when they see it have one more week to vote online for their favorite artist in the 2014 MI Great Artist competition.
The press release stated that 92 artists entered the annual online competition in hopes of getting their share of more than $16,000 in cash and prizes. Images of their work – which includes photography and 3-D art for the first time – can be viewed at www.MIGreatArtist.com. Voting closes on Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. The popular vote will whittled the list down to the top 20 artists.
“I’m excited about the quality of the submissions,” Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said. “More than 4,500 votes have already been cast and we may double that number in the next week. This is going to be a real horse race to see who wins.”
The top 20 artists will be posted on www.MIGreatArtist.com on Oct. 31. A panel of five respected judges with professional ties to the art world will review the works beginning Nov. 3. There will be an exhibition of the five semi-finalists at Park West Gallery in Southfield from Dec. 1 – Jan 1, 2015. Patterson and Park West Gallery founder and CEO Albert Scaglione will announce the winner at an evening gallery reception on Dec. 3.
Patterson and Scaglione launched the contest in 2012 as a quality of life initiative to identify and support up-and-coming artists in the Economic Growth Alliance (EGA) region. The EGA region includes Oakland, Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Shiawassee and St. Clair counties. Patterson said the cash prizes would grow to a total of $3,000, with additional prizes bringing the total to more than $16,000 in cash and prizes.
The MI Great Artist winner prize package includes:
- $1,500 cash prize
- Five submitted artworks framed by Park West Gallery
- A group exhibition at Park West Gallery Dec. 1 – Jan. 4, 2015, with an award ceremony and reception
- A scholarship to attend three Business Basics workshops at the Oakland County One Stop Shop Business Center
- A one-hour consultation with an Oakland County business development representative
- Their artwork featured on a poster to promote one of Oakland County’s signature quality of life events, printed by Park West Gallery
- A solo exhibition at Park West Gallery in Southfield and a two-month solo exhibition at the Oakland County Galleria in the Executive Office Building in Waterford.
Four runners-up will each receive a $375 cash prize; framing by Park West Gallery of five artworks included in their submissions; a group exhibition at Park West Gallery Dec. 1 – Jan. 4, 2015 with award ceremony and reception; a scholarship to attend one Business Basics workshop at the Oakland County One Stop Shop Business Center; a one-hour consultation with an Oakland County business development representative; and a two-month solo exhibition in the Oakland County Galleria.
The judges are Scaglione; Elliott W. Broom, vice president of museum operations at the Detroit Institute of Arts; Dominic Pangborn, founder of Pangborn Design Collection and former professor at the College of Creative Studies; Don Tocco, an artist whose work includes award winning photography, paintings sold to high end art collectors, portrait sculptures of famous global leaders; and Kristie Everett Zamora, arts and culture for Oakland County’s Department of Economic Development & Community Affairs.
MI Great Artist partners include Oakland County, Park West Gallery, Economic Growth Alliance, AdvantageOakland.com and Oakland County Prosper® magazine.
About Sarah Hovis