ACTIVESITE

Night one

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:29:00 +0000

ACTIVESITE | artspace voting codes are as follows

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:12:00 +0000

ACTIVESITE | artspace voting codes are as follows-- Attendees will send all votes to 878787

Our codes are 30221 (use to vote up) vote30220 (use if you want to vote down- but why would you do that?)

http://www.artprize.org/artist/id/2832

ACTIVESITE | artspace Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:42:00 +0000

Sunday Night Work

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:22:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:15:00 +0000

Delivery From Coalesse today!

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:31:00 +0000

The tables are solar powered and light up underneath when its dark.

Sorry for the lousy cell phone pics...

New Signage, Plans, and Construction.

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:47:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:57:00 +0000

Come out this Saturday to Wealthy Theatre for a Community Media Center Fundraiser. ACTIVESITE is pleased to be a sponsor and will be there with some more details about our ArtPRize events. And the event looks like it is going to be amazing.

http://www.grcmc.org/about/news.php?news_item_id=668

“Salmagundi” is a live performance featuring locally renown string and piano musicians, the premiere of several ArtPrize entrants, choreography by Wealthy Theatre’s “Dance In The Annex” (DITA) group, African percussion by Jason Wheeler’s Glean Infusion, selections by electric violinist Ritsu, lyrics by Muskegon Heights rapper Naeink, and visualizations by DJ Jef Leppard.

Event Poster

ACTIVESITE shakes things up for ArtPrize

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:07:00 +0000

ACTIVESITE shakes things up for ArtPrize
Posted by Olivia Pulsinelli | Business Review West Michigan August 04, 2009 11:48AM

For a community like Grand Rapids, which is trying to tap into the creative class, to help retain the next generation and to show that -- as the second biggest city in Michigan -- it really is a vibrant community, endeavors like ArtPrize are great opportunities for promoting those missions.

And ACTIVESITE seems like a natural fit for such an event. The biannual exhibits for art students are held in underused buildings, while participants in ArtPrize will exhibit their work throughout Grand Rapids -- both bringing the art world and the business community together.
ACTIVESITE also has a history of building partnerships in the business community, and many of those organizations -- plus more -- will be a part of ACTIVESITE's entry in ArtPrize later this year.

So far, the list of 12 organizations includes names familiar to the ACTIVESITE crowd -- Serve Studio Architecture, Ice Sculptures Ltd., etc. -- plus newer collaborators, such as ThinkXD and Immersive Labs. I'm betting more will be added as the team finds other opportunities to collaborate.

They're also shaking things up in terms of the actual event. I attended the ACTIVESITE ArtSpace open house last week to try to get a better idea of what their upcoming exhibit will be like.

On their Web site, the tagline for their ArtSpace concept says, "ACTIVESITE inverts the usual art experience, instead focusing attention on the social interaction generated by the space itself. Sculpture equals walls, performance equals environment, art equals experience ... you."

I asked Paul Amenta (in charge of the creative side of things) to expand on that -- he used the analogy of a play, which helped me grasp the idea better. When a play is being performed, that performance is the art. So in ArtSpace, sometimes the people who come will be observing the art, and at different times, they will be interacting and will be a part of the art.

Although Paul said this concept isn't anything new in the art world, I still think it's probably something many people (myself included) won't really get until they see it. Which I don't think is a bad thing. I'm certainly up for new experiences, and I hope a lot of other people are, too.

ACTIVESITE | artspace Preview event

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:42:00 +0000

Planning Meeting 7.25.09

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:13:00 +0000

Getting down to details...

Innovation Michigan

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:58:00 +0000

Read about all of Michigan Business Review's Innovation Michigan finalists in the special publication:
http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2009/07/a_market_for_innovation.html

PDF of part 1 of the special section

Also check out our add on page 3

PDF of part 3 of the special section

Program from ACTIVESITE | emerge 1

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:33:00 +0000

http://www.activesite.org/ACTIVESITE_emerge_PROGRAM.pdf

Text from the ACTIVESITE | emerge program...

Billy Mayer
Professor of Art
Hope College

This is the forth time that our students have had the wonderful opportunity to participate in ACTIVESITE. The brainchild of Paul Amenta, Todd Ernst, and Eric Kuhn ACTIVESITE has provided art students from the area and beyond with a unique, out of the “white box” gallery experience that allows them to explore other options for the sculptural experience. These projects have an almost rock concert like feel to them given the one night only format that the venues allow, and establishes an urgency for the viewer to see it all before the evening ends.
Our students now eagerly anticipate the next event and consider it an honor to be able to participate.
ACTIVESITE also brings to the public an opportunity to see the creative output of some of the best student work in our communities that otherwise might not be seen outside of the college setting.
In addition, the greater Grand Rapids community benefits from the experience of seeing the architectural potential of some long neglected buildings in the city, breathing new life into them, if ever so briefly.
This innovative approach to integrating sculpture and the urban landscape is to be applauded loudly.

Tamara Fox
Assistant Professor
Hope College

ACTIVESITE is a unique venue for viewing the work of emerging and established artists in Michigan, showcasing sculpture, installation, multimedia work, and video. There are few places in which one can view so much innovative art. This event – ACTIVESITE | emerge – features the works of recent or pending graduates of art programs from Michigan institutions. These are artists on the cusp of their careers, and fittingly we have been invited to enter into a space that is on the cusp of transformation.
Events held at ACTIVESITE are very much informed by the site itself –the location is part of the attraction and influences the perception of the exhibited works. Experiencing ACTIVESITE is almost disorienting. You cannot enter into the space without becoming engaged with the art, as it seems to embrace you. There is little boundary distinguishing the space between viewer and artwork. Taking the work out of the gallery –the hallowed “white box” of museum, gallery, art center – is no small part
of the appeal of ACTIVESITE.
Grand Rapids has seen a remarkable amount of activity and development in the past few years. It is a city in the midst of positive transformation –a rare bright spot in the state of Michigan, which has been impacted by losses in manufacturing and its share of the real estate crisis. One thing that stands out is that a large portion of this development has been instigated through the philanthropic activities of persons and groups who have an emotional investment in the town, or wish to enhance the quality of life here. The arts are vitally important to the life, culture, and spirit, of a community. Few can deny the unifying, moving, and yes, sometimes unsettling power of art.
Collaboration is crucial to this endeavor. Beyond being a practical consideration, collaboration on all levels from persons of varied skills and talents establishes an ownership to the event. In truth there is nothing unique about collaborative art exhibits. Art has been collaborative in its presentation if not creation for centuries, but unlike a conventional museum or gallery setting, ACTIVESITE is not an anonymous collaboration . Everyone who participates and views the work at ACTIVESITE has a role in the experience. Indeed, Amenta has said that if there could be anything resembling a mission statement or an agenda to the project it is that there is to be a sense of ownership about the event. It is undoubtedly successful in this endeavor.

Norwood Viviano
Assistant Professor
Grand Valley State University

Students learn through engagement. The ACTIVESITE project is a catalyst for collaboration on many levels. Grand Valley State University’s participation in the event over the last two years continues to encourage exchange between regional faculty and students. This exchange fosters a sense of community among the individual sculpture programs lasting well beyond the actual event. The temporal nature of ACTIVESITE addresses some of the fundamental issues in sculpture today, strategies of installation and response to a site. The project speaks to the diversity of contemporary sculpture practice allowing students an even broader experience within the field. ACTIVESITE also functions as an exciting and challenging tool for emerging sculptors to learn as they work in relation to an unfamiliar place and situation.

Program from ACTIVESITE | emerge 2

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:16:00 +0000

http://www.activesite.org/ACTIVESITE_emerge_PROGRAM.pdf

Text from the ACTIVESITE | emerge program...

I am pleased to welcome you to activesite emerge, a showcase of Michigan’s remarkable, emerging creative talent… and the first activesite to be presented as a program of the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (uica). The leaders of uica and activesite share a passion for urban development, innovative art forms, and the thrill of public assembly. We have formalized our long-standing affiliation so that we can offer even greater exposure to our artists and business partners. We are also creating an educational tour program for school groups and patrons to enjoy in the week following each activesite event.
The arts help us to celebrate diverse points of view, communication that is not limited by language, and the knowledge that problems can have more than one answer. For our community to thrive, it is vital that we make the most of the arts and our creative class.
Thank you for participating in this very special program. Please continue to do whatever you can to advocate for the arts, to support our local entrepreneurs, and to cherish our emerging creative talent. We have the power to create the community we want to be.

Wishing you an inspiring spring,

Jeffrey Meeuwsen
Executive Director
Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts

Aquinas College
Jillian Osbourn
Calvin College
Joe Arens
Miranda Brouwer

Cranbrook Academy of Art
Marie Perrin-McGraw
Jayoung Yoon

Grand Valley State University
Nathan Dorotiak
Zyra Castillo
Ruby Miller
Christine Paulin

Hope College
Daryl Anderson
Nikolas Burkhart
Theresa Fernandez
Heather Garrett
Amy Giles
Michelle Ipema
Karie Luidens
Kathleen Mojak
Justine Post
Emilie Puttrich
Sarah Sligh
Randall Schultz
Audrey Wasielewski

Kendall College of Art & Design
Crystal Brown
Angela Crouse
Reuben Garcia
Margaret Howard
Kieran Johnson
Jessica Liptak
Jovonnah Nicholson
Steven Rainey
Elizabeth Sweet

University of Michigan
Andrew Bodley
Michael Borowski
Ashley Lieber
John Walters

Western Michigan University
Morgan Richardson
Tiffany Speet

planning meeting 6.25.09

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:57:00 +0000

ACTIVESITE | emerge on WXMI

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:27:00 +0000

We are thrilled to be listed as finalists for "Innovation Michigan 2009"

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:15:00 +0000

An event dedicated to honoring those companies that have demonstrated the best innovative processes, products and strategies throughout Michigan. A committee will select the top innovative companies out of a pool of public nominations. The best of the best will be announced at Innovation Michigan.

Special Section published July 16.

http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=705723

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2009/01/innovation_michigan_july.html

Innovation Michigan 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm (Eastern Time)

GVSU
301 W. Fulton Street
Pew Campus
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
USA
THE 2009 FINALISTS ARE:

EMP Advanced Development
Fireboy Xintex
Heat Tranfer International
Immersive
Kalamazoo Valley Ccommunity College Wind Energy
Locus Development
Maestro eLearning
ZZZ Shirt
Kellogg Community College & Western Michigan University
Active Plastics
A & B Packing Equipment
Fulton Innovation
Plumstone
Western Michigan University
Frederick's Design
Lakeshore Advantage
Employment Group
Corotech
Business Intelligence Associates
Integrated Architecture
Mindscape
Select A Flush
Grand Valley Health Plan
ACTIVESITE
GiftZip
Grand Valley Surgical Center

ACTIVESITE | ArtPrize

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:20:00 +0000

Planning meeting held tonight. Going to be very interesting.

First round of Innovation Michigan finalists announced

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:10:00 +0000

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2009/06/first_round_of_innovation_mich.html

Cool Town Studios Article

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:41:00 +0000

http://www.cooltownstudios.com/site/comments/michigan-towns-artists-use-entire-city-as-canvas/

Ice Sculpture bar From EMERGE

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:07:00 +0000

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paschka/3454091283/sizes/l/

http://www.icesculpturesltd.com/

On the Town

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:14:00 +0000

http://www.mlive.com/onthetown/index.ssf/2009/04/pebble_in_the_pocket.html

Activesite

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:02:00 +0000

Barnaby walkthrough

Exteriors

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:09:00 +0000

Thanks to Terry Johnston

http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerbooktrance/

Rapid Growth Media Article

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Kuhn) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:54:00 +0000

http://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/features/gsync.aspx