At first, ArtPrize winner Abdoulaye Conde didn’t think it could be true.
“what was your reaction when you first heard you were the winner? I can’t believe when I hear my name.”
“I was so happy. So surprised.”
Conde says it took him 25 12 hour days to paint his mural “Raining Wisdom” on the side of a building on Ottawa Avenue NW. After it was voted best n show crowds gathered to see the piece.
“Do you see why it won the first prize? Absolutely. The color schemes. The hard work and dedication. The vision. He only had one shot to do it. Kind of like a tattoo. You can’t undo a tattoo, so, yea, you can’t undo the mural.”
“I can see why it won first prize. I think it is gorgeous. It is amazing.”
The first place prize money is $125,000.
“I am so happy to have this prize because my baby will be born in December. And I want to build a new house for my Mum in Africa.”
This was the first ArtPrize since the city of Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Inc. and the Kendall College of Art and Design took over the franchise from founder Rick DeVos.
“I’m so appreciative of ArtPrize. It is a nice opportunity for all the artists.”