For Immediate Release
Contact: Mary Ann Sabo
Sabo Public Relations, 616.485.1432
Or
Erin Nemastil
Sabo Public Relations, 616.633.0642
LTAC Announces Seventh Annual Competition for Artists with Disabilities
Artists Can Display Artwork at the GRAM and Win Cash, Sponsorship in ArtPrize
Grand Rapids, Michigan, March 23, 2016 – Adult artists with disabilities have a chance to win $500, have their artwork displayed in the Grand Rapids Art Museum and be entered in ArtPrize 2016 – thanks to the Legacy Trust Award Collection.
Back for its seventh year, the Legacy Trust Award Collection is soliciting artwork from Michigan artists with disabilities for its popular mini-competition in advance of ArtPrize. Four winning artists will each receive $500 and sponsorship in ArtPrize, the radically open art competition scheduled this year for Sept. 21 through Oct. 9 in downtown Grand Rapids.
The statewide competition is open to all Michigan artists with disabilities and seeks paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, collages, mixed media and other works for art. Four winners will be chosen by popular vote, a panel of celebrity judges and the LTAC Advisory Committee.
Artists must register with LTAC by Friday, April 15 to be considered for the 2016 competition. Registration forms are available at http://ltacarts.org/artist-registration/.
Sponsored by Grand Rapids-based investment advisory and wealth management firm Legacy Trust, LTAC will be held this year in the Grand Rapids Art Museum May 12-13. A private reception for all artists, judges and LTAC supporters will be held on the evening of Wednesday, May 11.
The public will have a chance to view and vote on the art from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 12 and Friday, May 13 in the GRAM, which is located in downtown Grand Rapids.
Winning artists will have their work displayed during ArtPrize at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. Last year, 88 artists from around the state submitted artwork to LTAC.
“We are delighted Grand Rapids Art Museum and DeVos Place have graciously partnered with us for a fourth year,” said William Walker, CEO of Legacy Trust. “The opportunity for our artists to display their work at one of Michigan’s leading art museums and at one of the highest-traffic ArtPrize venues in the competition are two ways we give LTAC participants an unforgettable experience.
“We have hosted artists from Lansing, Detroit, Northern Michigan and the U.P. over the past years, along with those who call Grand Rapids home. This year we continue to expand our outreach and hope to see entries from all over Michigan.”
Walker and his wife, Deborah debuted LTAC in 2010. The magic of ArtPrize swept the Walkers away, and they wanted to find a meaningful way to join the dialogue. As the parents of a daughter with special needs, they decided to launch LTAC, an art competition designed to remove barriers for participation in ArtPrize for adult artists with disabilities.
In 2013, Legacy Trust established an advisory committee of those in the business, arts and disability communities. This LTAC Advisory Committee established the Lillian Perry Walker Award, a special juried award to honor the young woman whose spirit was the spark that brought LTAC to life in 2010.
Last year, the competition took the step to become a nonprofit, which allows individuals and businesses to make tax-deductible donations of goods and services to LTAC Arts. LTAC Arts is a recognized 501(c)(3) in the state of Michigan. More information can be found on www.LTACArts.org.
Winners of LTAC 2016 will be announced on Wednesday, May 18. Along with having their artwork entered into ArtPrize, the winning artists will each receive a cash prize of $500. All entry fees and promotion expenses for ArtPrize will be paid by Legacy Trust, which – for the third year – has secured the high-profile DeVos Place venue for the winning artists during ArtPrize.
Artists from all genres are invited to participate in the competition. All artists must submit an artist registration to Legacy Trust by April 15. All artwork must be completed and available for showing in Grand Rapids by 5 p.m. on April 22.
Following is a list of guidelines for submitting artwork:
- All participating artists must be a resident of Michigan and at least 18 years of age by April 3.
- All artwork must be original, attributable to the applicant and completed within three years prior to Sept. 21, 2016.
- All artwork is subject to the “Official Rules for Artists-ArtPrize,” which can be found at www.artprize.org.
- The four top artists will retain ownership and all rights to their artwork, subject to the rules and restrictions of ArtPrize 2016. The artists agree to make themselves and their artwork available to LTAC and all partnering agencies and sponsors prior to and during ArtPrize for promotions and marketing efforts.
- The top four artists who receive the award will be entered into ArtPrize 2016 as a Legacy Trust Collection Award winner.
- LTAC artists agree that if their artwork wins any ArtPrize award, they will donate 25 percent of any award to create a special Legacy Trust Endowment Fund to continue arts programs for adults with disabilities in greater Grand Rapids.
- Winning artists will be notified by Legacy Trust by May 18 and will be entered into ArtPrize.
- There are no restrictions on artists who are not part of the Collection from entering ArtPrize on their own.
Artwork may be delivered by mail, UPS, FedEx or in person to Legacy Trust, 99 Monroe Ave. NW, Suite 600, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503 by 5 p.m. on April 22. See the registration form for additional rules and details at http://ltacarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/2016-Legacy-Trust-Award-Collection-Artist-Registration-Form.pdf.
ArtPrize, an international art competition that draws tens of thousands of people to West Michigan each fall, returns to Grand Rapids for its seventh year on Sept. 21 through Oct. 9. It debuted with much enthusiasm in 2009 and participation has soared the following years. This year is expected to see a continued increase in community engagement and entries.
More information on LTAC is available at http://ltacarts.org. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LegacyTrustAwardCollection and on Twitter with #LTAC.
LTAC is also sponsored by Meijer, Sabo Public Relations, Kantorwassink, Gilson Graphics, Kitchen Sage and Andrews Hooper & Pavlik.
About Legacy Trust
Legacy Trust is an independent, locally owned, Michigan-chartered bank that specializes in providing investment and wealth-management services to individuals, families, foundations and non-profits in West Michigan. Legacy Trust delivers highly customized financial and investment solutions tailored to meet the unique situation of each client. For more information, visit us at www.legacygr.com.
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