Grand Rapids High School Senior Wins Top Prize in Consumers Energy-Sponsored Student Art Competition
WASHINGTON, D.C. – (RealEstateRama) — A Grand Rapids Public Schools senior’s painting depicting the evolution of electricity production in Michigan has earned her a $1,000 college scholarship and prominent display of her winning creation in downtown Grand Rapids as ArtPrize heads into its final week.
Grace Cameron’s piece, “Winds of Time,” was chosen by three professional judges as the top winner of the fourth annual SmartArt competition among Grand Rapids Public Schools’ high school students, sponsored by Consumers Energy.
Cameron, who attends City High School, was first among the Top 10 finalists in the SmartArt (Students Making Art with a Renewable Theme) competition. The winners were announced today at Rosa Parks Circle during ArtPrize’s Final 20 Announcement of the top publicly voted entries, sponsored by Consumers Energy. The company has been an ArtPrize sponsor since 2011.
Presenting the $1,000 scholarship check to Cameron was John Broschak, Consumers Energy’s vice president of generation, gas compression and storage operations. He was joined on stage by Carolyn Evans, GRPS assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, and Maggie Malone, the district’s fine arts director.
“We know that in order to sustain and grow our communities in the long run, we must support our children today,” Broschak said. “What better way to support that growth than by encouraging young artists to set their imaginations free and create wonderful artwork that people will enjoy for years to come?”
In her artist statement, Cameron said her piece highlights two of her biggest interests: history and the environment.
“History is important because we need to know where we have been and where we should go from there. This painting illustrates that concept perfectly. It was created to inform people of the history of energy production and illustrates the move toward a better, sustainable future,” Cameron wrote.
The painting depicts several eras of electrical generating plants during Consumers Energy’s history, from the Croton hydroelectric dam built in 1907 on the Muskegon River in Newaygo County to two wind energy parks constructed in recent years in Mason and Tuscola counties.
Since the beginning of ArtPrize more than 10 days ago, a large banner with the Top 10 SmartArt finalists has been on display along the side of Consumers Energy’s Ellsworth Substation at Fulton and Market streets downtown. Cameron’s entry will be noted on the banner as the first place winner.
In addition to the banner, the Top 10 entries are framed and on display inside the lobby of 50 Monroe Ave. in downtown Grand Rapids.
This year, for the first time, Consumers Energy’s Facebook page hosted a “People’s Choice” contest based on the number of likes, shares and comments. The People’s Choice winner is Eric Seeby, a senior at City High School, who received nearly 500 votes out of nearly 2,700 votes cast. He will receive a $200 Visa gift card and his teacher will receive a $200 gift card toward classroom supplies.
Evans said interest among students and teachers has increased with the SmartArt competition now in its fourth year, and assists in the district’s transformation efforts. “We are grateful to Consumers Energy for their support of our students to help them become tomorrow’s leaders. This is a tremendous experience for everyone involved.”
In February, Consumers Energy and GRPS representatives visited each of the district’s high schools to promote the SmartArt competition. In May, GRPS officials selected the Top 20 entries from more than 40 submitted pieces.
The Top 20 were judged by a panel of experts from Kendall College of Art & Design at Ferris State University, Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University. About two weeks ago, Consumers Energy and GRPS hosted the Top 20 students and their teachers at the company’s Grand Rapids Service Center to announce the 10 finalists and to celebrate everyone’s achievements. The remaining top finalists received a variety of prizes; all 20 students received a special T-shirt with all of their names included on the back and a rendering of the Top 10 banner on the front.
ArtPrize, now in its eighth year, is an international art competition, open to any artist and decided by public vote. It invites artists to try out new ideas on a large and diverse population. It seeks to broaden the critical dialogue around contemporary art by awarding the world’s largest art prize, including two $200,000 grand prizes and $100,000 in category awards – decided equally by public vote and expert jury. ArtPrize Eight includes 1,453 entries representing 44 countries and 40 U.S. states and territories. In 2015, ArtPrize attracted nearly 440,000 active participants. Since its inception, individuals of all backgrounds have cast more than 2.4 million votes for public art.
“At ArtPrize, we believe that art is not extracurricular — it is essential, and we value programs that enrich communities through art,” noted Christian Gaines, ArtPrize executive director. “We’re thrilled to see the partnership between Consumers Energy and Grand Rapids Public Schools continue to grow and deepen year over year, offering children in our community expanded opportunities to explore their creativity. We’re also excited with this year’s addition of the SmartArt People’s Choice Award, and to be displaying the Top 10 SmartArt finalists at 50 Monroe in the heart of the ArtPrize district.”
Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
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Media Contacts:
Consumers Energy: Roger Morgenstern, 517-499-6320
Grand Rapids Public Schools: John Helmholdt, 616-481-2152
ArtPrize: Jaenell Woods, 616-214-7921
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For more information about Consumers Energy, go towww.ConsumersEnergy.com.
Media toolkit
The SmartArt Top 10:
- Grace Cameron, Winds of Time
- Juan Huizar, Consumption
- Halima Suleiman, The Giving Tree
- Meaghan Gietzen, The Death of an Ecosystem
- Rewlon Chambers, The Renewable Chandelier
- Devin Holtrop, The Biodegradable Future
- Sage Rogers, Blades of Power
- Jalexia Stoutmyre, Soaring Energy
- Eric Steeby, Efficiency*
- Serena Dones, Gaia
* winner of online People’s Choice contest
WINNERS ONLINE:View the Top 10:https://www.facebook.com/ConsumersEnergyMichigan/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10153764693491044
ARTPRIZE: Learn more about ArtPrize:www.artprize.org.
