ArtPrize wrapped up earlier this month, with Mark Lewanski taking home the $100,000 prize for his glass sculpture Arras: a 10-by-4-foot woven glass tapestry. Despite the win, since the government shut down which is impacting many federal organizations, festivalgoers who wanted to see the work were only able to see a small sample of the winning piece. In fact, nobody, including Lewanski himself, was able view the sculpture in its entirety these past two weeks, where it’s been displayed inside the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.
The Ford Museum is one of many businesses and organizations that ceased operations since the Oct. 1 government shutdown, directly affecting artists and creative enthusiasts of ArtPrize. 38 artists were forced to move or leave their artwork inside the museum for an indefinite period of time. On average, ArtPrize welcomes over 800,000 visitors a year across all weekends. With the Ford Museum and other venues being closed, it is unclear how the shutdown affected numbers this year. Lewanski’s winning piece is only one of multiple locked inside, dampening the final days of the event for many artists.
“I’ve received no timeline for the return of my work,” said Hope Wallace, an ArtPrize artist. “(Ford employees) do not have access to the building, email or phones.”
Wallace’s display of clay-sculptured houses titled “Life is a Fairytale” is scheduled for several exhibits beginning in November. Wallace is worried about a possible loss of income if she is unable to get the pieces back on time. She added the venue’s early closure could have affected her and her fellow artists’ voting standings, especially given the smaller size of her work.
“It has put a damper on my (ArtPrize) experience,” Wallace said. “I had reached the top 20 in my district, and I do think (the shutdown) put a damper on voting.”
Despite the circumstances, Wallace added that ArtPrize and the Ford Museum had been as accommodating as possible, but she had been out of town when they were informed of the pending shutdown, unable to collect her work. Tying the matter back to the federal government, Wallace commented on the impact of federal policies and approaches on people nationwide.
“The United States government is designed to serve,” Wallace said. “I am deeply concerned about the current administration and its cavalier and cruel way they are undermining the American people to fulfill their own needs and agendas.”
Brad Reed, artist and half of the father-son duo Todd and Brad Reed Photography, said the Ford Museum set a record for the most people through their door in one day Sept. 27, shortly before the shutdown.
“Over 10,000 people came through the Ford Museum that day,” Reed said. “As a business owner and artist, you can’t usually afford that kind of exposure.”
Reed added the pause in exposure was harmful to his business because people attended ArtPrize’s final weekend hoping to see the winner and top contenders, but were unable to access many works. Like Wallace, Reed noted the state of the United States’ current political climate.
“Politics (are happening), as usual, at the expense of United States citizens,” Reed said. “We pray for all the citizens of this great nation who voted in politicians to negotiate and do what is best for our country.”
Despite this year’s end to ArtPrize, Reed feels the festival handled the situation as well as they could have, giving artists as much advanced notice as possible and answering any questions.
“We have had multiple pieces do really well in the voting,” Reed said. “But now, we don’t worry about the votes. We just enjoy being a part of ArtPrize and work towards having a great piece each year that thousands of people can enjoy.”
