ArtPrize 2013 news from Lily Lihting Li Kostrzewa

L K at the BOB vote# 54597 - "Joy and sadness are all a part of our life" 

The 5th Annual ArtPrize is opening their doors on Wednesday September 18, 2013. According to the Grand Rapids Press, this year will have 1,812 artists from 47 countries. There are 45 US states represented, total of 1,524 works of art displayed on 169 venues and 19 days in exhibition from 9/18 to 10/6. There are 9 voting sites, such as Grand Rapids Art Museum, clearly marked on the ArtPrize map.

Mt. Pleasant artist Lily (Lihting Li) Kostrzewa set up her 16 foot painting at the B.O.B. (20 Monroe Ave. NW) basement on 9/15 Sunday afternoon. A team of helpers from Rockford (a few miles north of Grand Rapids) came to give her a hand. Pictured are her sister and brother in-laws Julie and Scott Staudacher, and their two children Nick and Lydia. It was a team effort of five of them. After detail measurement and hammering they hung the artwork in two triptychs on a 10 foot wall.

The title of artwork is “Joy and Sadness are all a part of our Life” talking about life is good and life is bad in both ways. One theme you will see, leaping youths with dancing tutus which are full of life, energy and innocence on vivid yellow, pink background colors. On the contrast, the other theme is full of sadness, falling and confusing on depression dark colors. Kostrzewa made the dark ones after Sandy Hook tragedy. The dancing girl in the paintings is her daughter Grace Kostrzewa who is her model for all the photographs. In the life of journey, she states we will never know what the next thing is coming to us; it could be good or bad. Chinese calligraphies on these paintings are about joy/blessing and sadness/memoriam.

Currently, Kostrzewa is also celebrating her 20th solo exhibition titled “In the Blink of an eye” at Central Michigan University Park Library (Baber Room) the show will continue thru October 28, 2013.

16 foot painting at the B.O.B. (20 Monroe Ave. NW) basement