From the Shores – Edge of Isaac

On Sunday, September 16, 2012 – I spent a pleasant afternoon installing my entry at my venue, Peaches Bed & Breakfast. The atmosphere here is wonderful! I was greeted by the owner Jane, the resident dalmatian dogs and the inviting smell of a toasty warm concoction being prepared from home brewed beer.

The large 48″ x 32″ gallery-wrapped canvas piece is on display in the main dining room – just to the left of the entrance. I just know the visitors are going to have a wonderful experience here. Peaches is a “major venue”, hosting 24 artists in a relaxed atmosphere, showcasing both indoor and outdoor art, in a setting where one can envision it in one’s own home.

Peaches is the ONLY ArtPrize venue hosting live demonstrations by our artists on both days of the first two weekends. Come, linger, enjoy. Free parking, great art, a fabulous BBQ and free goodies.

SCHEDULE

LOCATION
Peaches Bed & Breakfast
29 Gay SE Grand Rapids, MI 49503

HOURS OF OPERATION

• Opening Day – September 19, 2012: 5PM-8PM
• Mon-Thurs: 12PM-8PM
• Fri & Sat: 12PM-10PM
• Sunday: 12PM-6PM

The Edge of Isaac – Ludington State Park

After shooting all summer long in various locations throughout Michigan, I finally captured “the image” which became an obvious choice for my centerpiece photo of my 2012 ArtPrize exhibit.

I spent my afternoon on Saturday, September 1, 2012 in Ludington, Michigan with a longtime family friend to photography their daughter’s senior pictures. We had a very fun outing, and I would be the first to admit I haven’t spent any time in the Ludington area. Eventually we made our way to Ludington State Park to end the portrait session with beach images and a few near the Hamlin Dam. The ambient light was SO beautiful all day – almost the best conditions for portraits I’ve ever seen – due to the very unusual cloud cover.

Throughout the day, a very apparent line of clouds remained over exactly one-half of the sky. The other half of the sky was crystal clear and blue. These formations were the remnants of Hurricane Isaac, which had been causing so much destruction and flooding throughout the southern United States and even places in the Plains. As you can clearly see from the radar I captured from my cell phone – the distinct northern edge of the storm was parked over Ludington.

As I drove away from the photo session, I crossed the channel bridge leading out of Hamlin Lake – and the sunset was in full swing. The sight that greeted me was utterly amazing! Pulling over as fast as I could, I grabbed my gear and ran over to the bridge. There was only one other person standing on the bridge taking in the breathtaking view… and we were both in awe of the reflections created in the water.

A fine art gallery-wrapped style canvas, 48″ wide by 36″ high has been ordered, and will be installed in the dining room of Peaches Bed & Breakfast. There may be a few small pieces accompanying the image, but this photo is intended to be the main entry.

Due to the wonderful feedback I’ve been receiving from Facebook visitors, I’m offering prints available for purchase. Because the image is SO new, I’d like to ask folks to be patient with their order, as I most likely will not have them ready for shipment until the week of September 10th. However, you may place orders if you would like by using the buttons below to purchase safely and securely via PayPal. If you have questions, please contact me.

PLEASE NOTE: This image will not look correct if cropped to fit traditional 8×10 | 11×14 | 16×20 photo sizes – therefore please take note the sizes offered below are the only sizes available.

Photo Cards

Boxed Card Set (six in gift box w/ envelopes) – $25.00 + 3.95 shipping

Prints Only

6×9 Print – $20.00 + 3.95 shipping

16×24 Print – $85.00 + 8.95 shipping

20×30 Print – $150.00 + 12.95 shipping

Matted Prints

8×12 Matted Print (full frame, matted to 12×16) – $45.00 + 4.95 shipping

Poster Print

12×18 Press Printed Poster w/ Glossy UV Coating – $25.00 + 5.95 shipping

Fine Art Canvas

16×24 Gallery-Wrapped Fine Art Canvas – $210.00 + 24.95 shipping

20×30 Gallery-Wrapped Fine Art Canvas – $325.00 + 24.95 shipping

24×36 Gallery-Wrapped Fine Art Canvas – $425.00 + 24.95 shipping

The showcase image was captured on Saturday, September 1st, 2012 at Ludington State Park. The unusual cloud formations were a result of the remnants of Hurricane Isaac as they passed over the Great Lakes.

A current work-in-progress – the From the Shores photography collection may feature other unique, new images captured not only from the Great Lakes – but will feature streams, rivers, inland lakes and may include important flora and fauna naturally found in these locations.

Be sure to visit during Demo Days (both weekends of ArtPrize) and meet the artist in person!

In June 2012, Niedzwiecki served as an Artist-in-Residence at the Hill House near East Jordan, Michigan. Sponsored by ISLAND (the Institute for Sustainable Living and Natural Design), the central location of the residency offered Niedzwiecki close proximity to many waterways. During the twelve-day residency (and throughout the remaining weeks of summer), Stacy concentrated on seeking out unique perspectives and objects discovered literally “from the water’s edge.”

Over 20+ artists will be featured at the Peaches B&B location, making it one of the largest concentrated locations of art to enjoy in the “Hillside” venue district.

Vote

Voting at ArtPrize is free and open to anyone 16 years of age or older. You must first register to vote.

How the public vote works:

Round 1 (Sept. 19 – Sept. 29)
11 days to explore ArtPrize and vote for the entries you think should win.

Round 2 (Sept. 30 – Oct. 4)
5 days to cast one vote for your favorite of the Top 10 entries.

REGISTER TO VOTE

Stacy Niedzwiecki

What is ArtPrize, you say? If you live anywhere in West Michigan, you’d have to live in utter seclusion to not be aware of this radically unique competition held throughout the streets and downtown establishments of Grand Rapids, Michigan. But for those of you who haven’t experienced it – ArtPrize fills our community with the good, the bad and everything in between. The numbers are staggering – bringing in 1200+ artists from all over the world and drawing in tens of thousands of visitors.

To view my project plans – visit my profile at http://www.artprize.org/stacy-niedzwiecki.

I am actively seeking a venue in which to display my images. My goal is to have the majority of the work created during my time spent at ISLAND’s Hill House Artist Residency Program and throughout the summer of 2012.

If you are a fan of my work, and would graciously consider a donation of any sort towards the production and resulting display, I am humbling posting a PayPal “Donate” button below. Producing an ArtPrize display takes a great deal of effort and funding to produce an quality entry of size or magnitude.

Thank you for your consideration.

View my 2010 ArtPrize entry
View my 2009 ArtPrize entry

Here’s a few posted Facebook reviews about my 2010 ArtPrize exhibit:

“Stacy, my wife and I viewed your display this afternoon. Awesome photos. I would have a hard time selecting just one.” - R. DeRade

“I was there tonight. Your work is beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed it.” - K. Hayden

“I loved it Stacy! My favorite is the sunset that is mostly orange. Do you know which one I am talking about? It was stunning! They are all beautiful!” - J. Doran

“Hi Stacy – I walked up to the church today – your display is beautiful. That must have been an awesome adventure!” – R. Shangle

“Hi Stacy,
My wife, the kids and I stopped to see your exhibit. We thought it was great! It was funny, we stopped in at Fountain St Church because I forgot what church you were at. I asked one of the volunteers there if  “Stacy NNNNNN-Something (because I can’t remember you married name). The gal said “Oh You mean Stacy Niedzwiecki! She did this magnificent piece on a glass block wall! She is at Immanuel Lutheran!” I asked how on Earth she would remember an artist’s name and where it was exhibiting. She just replied, “Because its the best one there!”

Well let me just say that I’ve known you for 30 years, can only remember Cossolini, completely butcher your married name, and some volunteer in the wrong church 5 blocks away knew your work and exactly where it was.

I’m just sayin’… You definitely made an impression…  Nice work. Vote up 35021!” – K. Smith

“My wife and I were at Immanuel Lutheran to see your exhibit. Great photographs along with great information. Good job!” - W. Streeter

“My husband and I went to see your exhibit last night. You did a beautiful job. We liked the different sizes and how the glass made it look like water.” - A. Kieliszewski

“You have a lovely exhibit, Stacy! Well done – once again!” - D. Badt-Covell

“That’s one of the most impressive print displays I’ve seen. Perfect background for the type of the subjects in your photographs. Fluid, movement. I like it much better than that “artsy-fartsy minimalist” approach I see in so many other galleries, where there’s just one, small print hanging from the ceiling against a huge, blank wall.” - J. Crotty

“Stacy your exhibit “breaths” YOU! Your creativity, talent and hard work really shows in your ArtPrize exhibit. You have my vote! *<(:o) ” - C. Christensen

Hey girl! Been meaning to email you and tell you I stopped in last Monday and saw your photos. They are just beautiful!!!  I really LOVED the one with the rainbow! Congrats! - T. Hjelm

http://rockfordsquire.com/2010/09/30/local-photographer-travels-great-lakes-by-tall-ship-to-capture-images-for-artprize

If you have not activated your voting status in person at the event, you must do so at a registration site.

REGISTER + ACTIVATE
You can vote as soon as you register and activate

Register now on artprize.org. You must have a unique email address to register. (If you voted last year, you are already registered. You must still activate your voting account in person.)

You must activate your voting account in person at the event. Come to any registration site between September 22-October 6 (final day of voting) and present a valid government ID (driver’s license, state ID or passport). View registration sites

Ready to Vote?

1. Sign in to artprize.org
2. Click into venues you visited and browse their artists
3. Vote!
4. Vote for my entry, if you’d like (hint, hint, hint!)

Great Lakes - Great Ships - Great Concerns by Stacy Niedzwiecki

Stacy Niedzwiecki
Great Lakes – Great Ships – Great Concerns
VOTE UP: 35021

Full Radio Interview:
http://www.wjrwam.com/article.asp?id=1962393

Immanuel Lutheran Church has double the amount of artists from the 2009 event – thirty in total!

Tonight (Friday, September 24th) will be the public reception, from 6-8pm. I strongly encourage you to come up and see the exhibits from artists from Michigan, other states, and other countries from around the world!
Reception details on Facebook

When visiting my display at Immanuel Lutheran Church, you are strongly encouraged to pick up a copy of Great Lakes United’s Green Book. The book offers many useful suggestions on how you can take action to protect our freshwater resources.