Meijer Gardens' ArtPrize Exhibition Features Worldwide Emerging Sculptors

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.,

Coinciding with the sixth annual ArtPrize competition, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park will host 16 artists from across North America, England, Italy, Egypt and Germany in, "Highly Recommended: Emerging Sculptors." This group exhibition surveys the complexities and diversity of sculpture today through the innovative efforts of talented new sculptors.

Officially beginning the week prior to ArtPrize, "Highly Recommended: Emerging Sculptors," will be on display as Meijer Gardens' fall exhibition from September 19, 2014 through January 4, 2015.

"As ever, Meijer Gardens is honored to participate in ArtPrize and this year's exhibition is deeply meaningful," said Joseph Becherer, chief curator and vice president of exhibitions and collections. "We began our curatorial process by having conversations with sculptors represented in our permanent collection, who recommended emerging talent across the international scene."

"Highly Recommended: Emerging Sculptors" creates a collaborative relationship between established artists in the Meijer Gardens permanent collection and a new generation of sculptors. A wide variety of materials ranging from bronze and steel to the innovative use of neon and copper wire will be showcased.

"This is an exhibition that really speaks to the diversity and energy of contemporary sculpture," said Becherer. "Every work is strong in its own right, but the collective power of these 16 objects and installations is testimony to the dynamism in the art world today."

As an ArtPrize Exhibition Center, "Highly Recommended: Emerging Sculptors" will be free of charge during ArtPrize (September 24- October 12). Exhibition areas will be open to the public during Meijer Gardens' regular business hours, as well as official ArtPrize hours (Sundays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Mondays, Wednesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.). On ArtPrize's opening day, the public will be able to register to vote in ArtPrize and exhibition areas will be on display from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. All other areas of Meijer Gardens observe regular hours and standard admission fees.

Visitors can register to vote and purchase official ArtPrize merchandise at Meijer Gardens.

Exhibition and ArtPrize Programming

Curator's Choice
Friday, September 25, noon
Fee: Free
Join Laurene Grunwald, director of sculpture, exhibitions and installations, and Heidi Holst, curator of arts education, as they discuss their thoughts on the works in "Highly Recommended: Emerging Sculptors." Share your thoughts and questions about the sculptures.

The exhibition "Highly Recommended: Emerging Sculptors" is made possible by: The Meijer Foundation and Botanic and Sculpture Societies of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

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Images available upon request. View thumbnails at: http://www.meijergardens.org/storage/docs/Highly_Recommended__Emerging_Sculptors_images.pdf

About the Artists

• Alisha Wessler (New York, New York) - From afar It Is an Island (107 objects), 2013. Mixed media.
• Alyson Shotz (Brooklyn, New York) - Spiral Helix, 2009. Dichroic acrylic, Sintra, steel.
• Antonella Zazzera (Todi, Italy) - Armonico CLXVII, 2011. Woven copper wire.
• Armen Agop (Pietrasanta, Italy) - Untitled, 2013. Black granite.
• Chiara Dynys (Milan, Italy) - Love Hate, 2012. Steel, LED lights, Plexiglass.
• Christopher Yockey (Long Island City, New York) - You Have Options, 2014. Painted and stainless steel.
• Daniel Silver (London, England) - Untitled, 2014. Carrara marble and bronze.
• David Henderson (Brooklyn, New York) - Corby 3, 2013. Plywood.
• Katrin Albrecht (London, England) - Die Hütte Brennt/The Shed is on Fire, 2007-2014. Fabric and glue.
• Loris Cecchini (Berlin, Germany) - Wallwave Vibration (anatomy of a diagram), 2012. Polyester resin and paint.
• Lucy Glendinning (Somerset, England) - Feather Child 1, 2010-2011. Wax, jesmonite, timber, duck and pheasant feathers.
• Mat Chivers (London, England) - Chain of Events, 2007. Beer limestone.
• Michele Ciribifera (Perugia, Italy) - Double ond Anomala, 2011. Brass, ardesia stone.
• Osman Khan (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - House, 2014. Fluorescent tube lights, aluminum, copper, electronics, wood.
• Sean Paul Lorentz (Petaluma, California) - Bogie, 2013. Steel.
• Tom Price (London, England) - Network, 2012. Bronze, Perspex and wooden base.

About Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

One of the world's most significant botanic and sculpture experiences, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park serves nearly 600,000 visitors annually. Meijer Gardens was recently ranked in the top 100 most-visited art museums worldwide by Art Newspaper, the leading publication in global art news. The 139-acre grounds feature Michigan's largest tropical conservatory; one of the largest children's gardens in the country; arid and Victorian gardens with bronze sculptures by Degas and Rodin; a carnivorous plant house; outdoor gardens; and a 1900-seat outdoor amphitheater, featuring an eclectic mix of world-renowned musicians every summer. The internationally acclaimed Sculpture Park features a permanent collection including works by Rodin, Oldenburg, Moore, Serra, Bourgeois and Plensa, among others. Indoor galleries host changing sculpture exhibitions with recent exhibitions by Picasso, Degas, di Suvero, Borofsky, Calder and Dine. In June 2015, the 8-acre Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park will open. Created by renowned designer Hoichi Kurisu, the garden will also feature sculpture by Anish Kapoor, Zhang Huan and Guiseppe Penone, among others.