September Updates: Art Hop and Chicago

My updates have been sparse this September, so I thought I'd put up an update on some of my activities here in the States as I prepare to leave.

Last Thursday I visited Art Prize in Grand Rapids with my mom and Laurel. For those who are unfamiliar, Art Prize is a yearly event in Grand Rapids where thousands of artists put up works across the city, inside and outside. The top pieces earn a hefty chuck of change, and viewers get to vote to determine the winners. 

An Art Prize piece made by sharpie 

I'd only been to Art Prize once before as a freshman at K. I was once again thoroughly impressed. The competition is a fun way to see a wide variety of art, ranging from abstract multimedia presentations, to a marble angel, to a giant quilt of a Michigan lakeshore. Best of all you get to explore the city of Grand Rapids, which I think is an under appreciated gem of southwest Michigan. I just wish I hadn't missed last year. Luckily I'll be back in time for the next one! 

This Art Prize piece occasionally breathes fire 

Me with Matilda 

This past Sunday through Wednesday I was in Chicago seeing Bryan, Jessie, Matilda, Keith, and Lisa one last time before I leave. We got to go to a delicious restaurant called MK (pronounced in the style of Mr. Mackey). I also took another trip to the Beercade (a place I've blogged about before) with Keith. We went on a Monday night when drafts were a dollar off and there was actually enough room to play at the old arcade machines, although the pinball room was closed. Still, it was fun playing classics like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Mortal Kombat alongside my older brother (and the beer was delicious). We enjoyed a trip to the Chicago Children's Museum with Matilda, a bike ride along Lake Shore Drive, some delicious Intelligentsia coffee (best cappuccino I've ever had), and an architectural walking tour all about Art Deco. 

These past two weeks have been a fun way to wrap up my time in the USA. Now I just have to finish packing and get on a plane! 

Flags in the river for Art Prize 

One work was a miniature golf course

At MK I got a complimentary dessert! 

Building a skyscraper with Matilda at the Children's Museum