Grand Rapids is gearing up for ArtPrize, an unprecedented competition that will award nearly one-half million dollars to prize winners, including $250,000 to the artist who receives the most public votes. ArtPrize, which will run from Sept. 23 through Oct. 10 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, will have no formal jury, curator or judge. The public will decide who wins the prizes by voting, using mobile devices and the web.
More than 1200 artists have entered the competition, including doll artist Nancy Tassin from Grand Haven, Michigan who will be showing her work at Fountain Street Church.
Nancy’s ArtPrize entry, titled “An American Family”, will be an art doll portrait sculpture of President Obama and his family. It respectfully captures the humanity and hope that lies at the core of who the Obamas are and what they mean to our nation. Each figure’s body is soft sculpted out of fabric over a wire armature. The hands, feet, and faces are free sculpted from polymer clay without the use of molds. The eyes are glass and the wig is handmade from Angora goat hair. The costumes are handmade from wool, silk, cotton, and other fibers. Each sculpture is finished with oil paint. The figures range from 10 to 23 inches tall.
"People have always been my favorite subject to drawn, paint and now sculpt," explains Nancy. "I find the human face so interesting with all of the little differences that make each one of us unique. The body is wonderful. I never tire of watching people move – the way a small child learns to balance as he climbs on a box, how a boy runs with grace after a soccer ball, or the way an old person eases into a chair."
About 20 years ago Nancy bought one of Annette Himstedt's Barefoot Children. As she studied the doll's face she realized she wanted to sculpt. She experimented with various mediums, but found polymer clay to be the most rewarding.
Those who see Nancy's art dolls often comment on her ability to breathe life into the clay. On seeing one of her art dolls, a friend once asked, “I know you sculpt the heads from clay, and that the eyes are glass, but where do you find the little souls?”
Nancy chose President Obama and his family as the subject for her piece because they represent an important moment in history and she wanted to capture them as they start their journey. "I think they are a beautiful family with strong values. Their closeness and the support they provide to one another seem to embody the hope our nation needs at this time. Whether or not one agrees with his policies and ideals, I feel like the Obamas as the First Family, represent America ’s best qualities," says Nancy.
Nancy is the mother of three grown children and has five grandchildren. Her art has always been a passion, if not a profession, and recently she found inspiration in sculpting art dolls. When one of her dolls appeared in Contemporary Doll Collector Magazine, she experienced the joy of sharing her work with others. Although she normally does not display her work, this past success and the excitement of sharing her visions inspired her to enter the Art Prize competition.
Additional Resources
ArtPrize Website: www.artprize.org
Nancy Tassin’s ArtPrize Profile: http://www.artprize.org/
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