Identity crisis averted. Also, Artprize.

I have returned from my unannounced hiatus. My extended departure from what I know is a riveting weekly read is attributable to two factors.

• First, it was midterm season in Treetown. This has now ended and blogging can go back to being a relaxing form of creative expression as opposed to a stress-inducing procrastination tool. Creativity flows much more freely with a cup of hot coffee in one hand and the burden of proving myself as a student removed from my shoulders.
• Second, I’ve been struggling for a while with a perceived contradiction between the things I create and the way they’re presented (i.e. the blog title and my published “purpose” for writing). As I’ve explored blogging and the process of creating comprehensive artistic pieces, my intentions for doing so have evolved. So I spent the last week doing what I hypothesize would be called “rebranding” were this something more significant than a creative outlet for a student whose life is ruled by numbers and statistics.

And now I return with a new name and the blogging equivalent of a cut and dye job. From here on out I’ll be posting under “the wanderlove chronicles”, a title I feel better captures what this blog has become: a sort of captain’s log in which I narrate my adventures, both near and far, and accompany them with photographic evidence. I’m excited about this. I hope you are, too.

Now, because my life over the last few weeks has been dominated by binomial distributions and attack rates and directed acyclic graphs, my customarily overflowing fount of adventure has been running pretty dry. However, right before I jumped into the belly of the beast, I made a quick trip home to enjoy something that has become a highlight of my West Michigan fall over the last five years.

ARTPRIZE.

Artprize is a radically designed art competition that takes over the city of Grand Rapids from mid-September to early October. Entry is open to anyone over the age of 18 and venues can be found within a three-square-mile swath of downtown designated the “Artprize district”. Artists come from all over the world. People come from all over the world to see their art. Monetary prizes are awarded on a juried-basis and on the basis of a popular vote. It makes art accessible to the public. It offers the city of Grand Rapids an opportunity to strut it’s stuff. And it’s been an integral part of the survival of Grand Rapids in the height of the 2008 recession and the post-recession period. These are things I’m all about. Ergo, I am all about Artprize.

This year I had the privilege of spending a leisurely Saturday taking in the art, breathing in the crisp Michigan-fall air, and sipping a café miel with a dear friend. When I wasn’t looking at art, I was sneaking in some homework time at any of my favorite downtown coffee shops. Even if you’re not looking at the exhibits themselves, it’s a great time to be downtown. Because you get to watch other people look at art. Which is a thing of beauty unto itself.

Cheers to hometown pride, trips home that refresh the soul, and the best of company.

Happy Tuesday.