Sept. 14, 2026
Grand Rapids Community College is proud to participate in ArtPrize as a host venue for the 2026 competition. Eleven artists will showcase their work in GRCC’s Paul Collins Art Gallery and at Spectrum Theater.
The exhibits will be open throughout the ArtPrize run (Sept. 18-Oct. 3). Students, faculty, staff and the public are welcome to explore the exhibits and experience creativity that brings together art, learning and community.
ArtPrize Exhibits at Paul Collins Art Gallery
“Ascension”
Artist: Laura Korch
Korch uses her work as a visual dialogue between the physical and spiritual. This 3D piece juxtaposes a rigid steel trapezoid with the sacred geometry of the lotus. The base represents our human baggage and drama, while the stacked lotus flowers serve as a tool for shifting perspective and a glimpse into the larger meaning of life.
“Corals Alive & Dying”
Artist: Charlene Moy
Drawn to the interplay between beauty and environmental devastation, Moy uses materials destined for landfills to create a diverse array of textures, patterns and colors. This piece endeavors to foster a dialogue on sustainability and ecological stewardship by combining repurposed materials with watercolors and conventional art materials.
“Dissociated Reality”
Artist: Carly Richmond
Social media can be fun, but it can also lead to getting caught up in negativity and endless cycles of scrolling. Scrolling can feel mindless and deeply disorienting. Richmond’s piece addresses the effects of dissociation with a somber palette of beige and fragmented areas that disrupt the figure or scene.
“Gamma Ray”
Artist: Jill King
This 3D piece channels the explosive energy of gamma radiation into a sculptural metaphor for a political landscape in upheaval. King used a welded steel framework and quilted textiles to create a dynamic burst on one wall that projects a single ray through a black hole on the opposing wall. This release of energy asks viewers to witness both collapse and the possibility of transformation.
“Hope is What You Do With It”
Artist: Hana Girdvainis-Sawyer
These 2D, multimedia pieces invite viewers to reflect on the cyclical, self-perpetuating nature of war and its effects on the lives of victims. Girdvainis-Sawyer draws on historical research, psychological inquiry and symbolic architecture to expose structures that make violence feel inevitable and hope an act of will.
“Reality?”
Artist: Rodney Hoover
Hoover uses icons that appear in our everyday lives to create interest and curiosity about other realities. Tree trunks filter through this 3D piece from the top and bottom in an invitation to escape reality through art.
ArtPrize Exhibits at Spectrum Theater
“Critical Mass”
Artist: Monique Jauw
Jauw’s piece is based on the plutonium ball inside a third atomic bomb that was never deployed in World War II. Viewers trigger the movement of electricity projection on the painting to simulate the inner workings of the plutonium ball. The piece invites us to consider the impact one atom or one voice can have and to consider what a world without compassion would look like.
“Embracing Well Being”
Artist: Anne Labovitz
Created specifically for Spectrum Theater, this piece is a large-scale sculptural work made out of painted Tyvek scrolls. Suspended from the ceiling, the artwork responds to air currents and visitors' movement, creating gentle swaying. Visitors are encouraged to walk beneath and around the artwork. Its sweeping, accordion-like form and saturated color create an immersive experience intended to evoke wonder, awe and discovery.
“Presence In Light”
Artist: Janice Easterday
Easterday’s piece centers on light and atmosphere and is built to read clearly at a distance. Subtle variations in edge, tone and color create a layered experience that unfolds slowly, rather than all at once. Some of the paints on the 36’’ x 48 ‘’ painting are hand-mulled from earth pigments. Easterday asks viewers to consider what they experience as they spend time with the painting.
“Someone Is Standing There”
Artist: Wanda Moreno-Agular
This piece explores the relationship between identity, observation, and self-perception through the language of classical portraiture. It features a reclining woman without a face, partially enveloped in heavy drapery, her identity left unresolved. In this exchange between subject and viewer, the painting poses a quiet question: If this is me, faceless...who are you?
About ArtPrize
ArtPrize is an annual international art competition and cultural festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Each year, more than 900,000 visitors experience the transformative power of art as they explore a city transformed into a living canvas. A full list of entries and artists is available on artprize.org.