cubeIf you haven’t already heard about ArtPrize then go check out artprize.org (after you’re finished reading this article). 2009 was the initial year in this new annual event held right here in my home town… Grand Rapids, Michigan. ArtPrize is the first event of it’s kind. The brainchild of Rick Devos, ArtPrize offered the largest purse for an art competition ever, over $449,000 with first prize cashing in a quarter million. The event is juried by the public, and is more or less open for any kind of artist to enter. Businesses in downtown Grand Rapids can sign up to be a venue and then select from the registered artists. This year’s numbers were staggering. 1,262 artists competed, 159 venues showed their works, 37,264 voters casting 334,219 votes. Not bad for a first time at bat.

I was privileged to volunteer for ArtPrize 2009. I was a “way finder” and helped register people to vote. It was a blast and a smart way to view the inner working of the event. For ArtPrize 2010 I’ll be competing as an artist. What I have in store for my entry is a doosie.

I’ll be breaking theworld record for largest Rubik’s Cube mosaic mad eby a single person. I’ll be solving 1,750 cubes (most will be solved live at the event) and then configuring them into a mosaic of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I hope to certified upon completing the project. What’s more important is what I plan to do with the cubes once the event has wrapped up. I’ll be distributing them to classrooms across Michigan so that kids can learn about geometry and algebra in a fun and tangible way. The big hurdle is money. I need to raise $15,000 dollars to purchase the cubes, pay for shipping the cubes to classrooms, get GWR out here from London, and cover some miscellaneous costs. If you’re interested in donating check out my project at Kickstarter or check out the PixelPete2010 website.