Well…we are into the second year of the local art competition here in Grand Rapids, and while I like the idea of doing more for downtown than just opening a new bar, a commentary I read in the GR Press this morning kind of got me thinking about what art is to me and if that judgment is valid. In the article, Ed Riojas, a local artist, states that he is uncomfortable with the path that the competition is taking; with the emphasis becoming more on process than creativity. But I guess that gets to the question that has been asked since the first art appeared in the caves of France 30,000 years ago: What is art? I really can’t answer that question…I know what I like and that includes the old masters I saw when I was in Las Vegas, the stunningly beautiful work of Picasso, Renoir, and Rembrandt took my breath away the first time I saw their paintings in person. I think we can agree that the works of Alexander Calder and his “La Grand Vitesse” that we have been so fortunate to have here in Grand Rapids these many years fit the conventional view of art, but does a giant penny made up of pennies?

I think this questioning of process over creativity reflects arguments that we’ve had over the years around the world….and there may be a component of these arguments that is just the old guard trying to protect it’s territory, as we saw in the 50′s with music when rock and roll was shattering the accepted style and form that fit into middle America at the time. But, I think we also have to understand that popular does not always mean quality…Jacqeuline Susanne sold millions of books but no one confused their popularity with being great literature. I think this process emphasis just relates to the general dumbing down of American society….I think we can appreciate the work that goes into some of these pieces, but let’s not confuse work with creativity and bringing something new to the conversation.