GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Collectors Show kicks off Friday in downtown Grand Rapids, ahead of the annual Art Prize competition.
An invitation-only V.I.P. first-look premier event was held Thursday at The Venue Tower on Ottawa Avenue NW. The public opening for the Collectors Show will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at the same location.
It's the fifth installment of the art-collecting event that was created by New York City-based artist and curator Tyler Loftis, who is a West Michigan native. He tells FOX 17 the show is drawing out "amazing talent" in this area.
"We're collecting this work because we need to empower these artists to keep making work and to keep getting excited about work all year round," Loftis said.
Loftis has curated The Collectors Show. He says the show is designed to forge artist-collector relationships in the Midwest.
"The idea is to create a situation where somebody can feel comfortable to walk in and do what they should always do when they collect work: go with their gut," Loftis said.
All artwork has "guaranteed reduced pricing," with 20 percent of the proceeds from sales benefiting arts education at ArtPrize.
"The quality of work here that ArtPrize has been able to draw out is stunning," says Loftis. "That's really my mission, to show that and put that out there."
Some of the featured artists included at the Collectors Show:
- Farifeild Porter, Featured Artist - (NYC, 1907-1975)
- Lennart Anderson, Featured Artist - (Detroit, NYC)
- Milton Avery, Featured Artist - (NYC, 1885-1965)
- Lisa Steffens, New York Studio School Alumni Show - (NYC)
- Gerri Rachens, New York Studio School Alumni Show - (Boston)
- MaKenzie Johns, ArtPrize Artist - (Clinton Township, MI)
- Caedran Convis, ArtPrize Artist - (Grand Rapids, MI)
- Mr. Lili, ArtPrize Artist - (Rome, Italy)
- Johnny Camacho, ArtPrize Artist - (Brooklyn, NY)
- Sean Sterzer, ArtPrize Artist - (Grand Haven, MI)
ArtPrize runs September 20 through October 8.
