“The piece is still lodged in the Ford Museum and I’m waiting - we're all waiting - to hear what's going to happen with the government and when I will have access to the piece.”
Mark Lewanski's large woven glass sculpture 'Arras' won the ArtPrize $100,000 public vote grand prize, despite no one being able to see it in person the last two days of competition.
When word came the museum might have to close its doors, some artists scrambled to move their pieces to an alternate venue.
Not an option for Lewanski.
“Not this piece which was so large and heavy, and the installation was so complex that I really have no opportunity or time to move it.”
In fact, when he can get into the museum to remove his piece, it will take 2-3 days and a small forklift.
“We have to build a very large wooden crate that we will install on the piece while it's on the wall and proceed to lower it down with the forklift and we have some very large casters that we put on the bottom to roll it around to their large freight elevator.”
But with $100,000 prize money in his pocket and a couple of potential buyers on the line, Lewanski is content to let the work stay where it is until he finds it a permanent home.
“I would hope that it would stay somewhere around Grand Rapids, as the prize winner that would be really great. I'd love to see it somewhere public, but wherever it ends up, it'll be interesting to see.”
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