Our first trip to Grand Rapids took place during a global pandemic, at a time when death and heroes were constantly in the news. We were proud to take our Heroes: Now and Then traveling exhibit to the Grand Rapids Art Museum to inspire and encourage heroes within us and around us.
Our next trip to Grand Rapids takes place in the midst of an election year, a time when divisiveness and sometimes nasty political perspectives dominate headlines. So Mint Artists Guild is happy and proud to share something inclusive, something everyone may appreciate and celebrate: Small Joys. These 50 paintings by youth in the Mint Creative Summer Jobs program share many everyday happy moments: a walk with friends; a grilled cheese sandwich; some watermelon; the sun shining over the Detroit River or perhaps Lake Michigan and children playing.
They land in ArtPrize, in a bank window and lobby, through Sept. 28 And they remind us that beautiful flowers and sipping a bubble tea know no political party or racial or ethnic background. Small Joys belong to just about everyone.
A couple of summers ago, we also asked our artists to share their joys in a video or a poster. And we received some surprising responses, from making a cheesy chicken dish to a trip to Eastern Market for fruits to going berry picking to two friends hanging out- one white, one brown. One Mint artist finds joy in lip gloss and Mom and travel. You’ll see a couple of their videos on our YouTube Channel very soon; please subscribe to be notified. And here is Blanca Osario’s 2023 joy poster, which is not part of our ArtPrize show:
Our Small Joys paintings were created over three summers by 30 young Detroit artists. They chose something that gives them joy or something they see as a universal joy. Some are highly professional and some are created by, well, beginning artists.
If you’re in Grand Rapids for ArtPrize, please stop by United Bank of Michigan’s downtown branch on Ionia Avenue and check them out. And please vote for us #92748; you must be within ArtPrize to start voting.
If the bank is open, go inside and share your idea of a Small Joy. It could end up in a tiny painting by a Mint artist in 2025, when we hope to share these and more Small Joys in Detroit.
Here are the Mint Artists Guild artists who created Small Joys paintings:
Oluwaseyi Akintoroye, Ileana Bell, Joy Billups, Kelsey Blannon, Zee Brown, Donald Calloway III , Skyy Campbell, Moumita Chawdhury, Jaylen Davis, Jin Drake, Jessica Fligger, Kyra Clair Fuqua, Tatyana Garrison, Masiah Glasker, Brizait Gonzalez, Tiana Guyton.
Also: Dana Hanson, Patience Jackson, Maleek Jackson, Faith Jones-Honey, Aarya Jean Lewis-El ,Jamela Lugo-Thomas, Dallas McCatty, Amaya Nard, Blanca Osario, Saliha Shah, Jakyvian Smith, Karima and Kaz Thomas, Kimberly ‘Soul’ Turner and Bryanda Washington.
Small Joys painting at top by Bryanda Washington; all paintings © Mint Artists Guild
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