Kirtland Community College instructor Justin La Doux is named feature artist for Roscommon's upcoming “Celebration of Fine Art!” Oct. 23-25
By Hilary SalvasROSCOMMON – Kirtland Community College faculty member Justin La Doux, who was recently selected to compete for the world's largest art prize in Grand Rapids earlier this month, will be the featured artist at the first-ever “Celebration of Fine Art!” in Roscommon on Friday through Sunday, Oct. 23-25.
Justin La Doux, 27, Kirtland instructor, will be the featured artist at the first-ever “Celebration of Fine Art!” in Roscommon on Friday through Sunday, Oct. 23-25. Above, La Doux stands next to his LION, which he entered in the first-ever ArtPrize International competition in Grand Rapids. Made of scrap metal and standing six-feet high, the LION was assembled using a mig and arch welder.
Kirtland officials, with assistance from organizations including the Pen & Palette Group in Higgins Lake, invited area artisans to display their creative efforts at the fine arts exhibition that will take place at two venues – the AuSable River Center and the Roscommon County Annex, both located in the Village of Roscommon – this weekend.
The three-day event during the fall color change will actually consist of two parts, with a small works exhibition at the AuSable River Center on North Main Street and a fine arts show for larger and more distinctive pieces at the Roscommon County Annex on South Fourth Street, adjacent to the CRAF Center.
La Doux, a part-time instructor at KCC, was selected as the featured artist for the first-ever fine arts event. La Doux recently entered one of his pieces for a $250,000 art prize. His original art work, LION, was chosen from more than 1,700 applicants to be a participant in the first-ever ArtPrize International competition.
The competition is described as “unprecedented” in the ArtPrize media kit because the public decides who wins by registering at the event during a two-week period. All the exhibits occupied hundreds of venues within a three-square-mile area in the Grand Rapids downtown riverfront district.
La Doux, 27, was made aware of the international art competition by Scott Rice, an art instructor at Kirtland. Although La Doux is skilled in many different art forms, he decided to make his entry with a relatively new medium to him – welding, using all recycled materials.
The difficult part was deciding what exactly he wanted to create. La Doux and Rice tossed around the idea of a moose or a dragon. La Doux even crafted a sculpture of a Great Blue Heron. He felt, however, that his heron, while impressive, was not of sufficient size and complexity to compete for the top prize.
That’s when LION was born.
La Doux’s LION is, to put it mildly, stunning in design, structure and stature. Made of various pieces of scrap metal and assembled using a mig and arch welder, the LION stands six-feet high, about three-feet wide and eight-feet long.
But the size of La Doux’s work is not its most remarkable feature. Rather, it is the seemingly endless layers, of what some would call junk or tools, and textural differences that could keep a viewer inspecting and appreciating LION for hours on end.
Where you think there will be hollow space upon closer inspection, you find muscles made from car parts, saw blades, and farm equipment. Where at first you simply see a sharp-toothed roaring jaw, you realize his jaw is formed from a cheese grater and what appears to be some type of Victorian looking grating.
La Doux estimates the creation of LION took about 100 hours to complete. And he hopes the layering will provide the visual eye candy to keep voters talking and thinking about his entry. He also hopes to bring attention to recycling in ways many people hadn’t considered.
The KCC instructor and paraprofessional is a big recycling fan. La Doux once found an old muffler along side the road and turned it into an alligator. He finds his materials not only discarded on roads but also at Goodwill, St. Vincent DePaul’s and the Salvation Army. LION’s back bone was partially structured from an antique scale from his grandparent’s farm.
“I feel that this sculpture is a good way to help people think in a more positive way on how we can make a difference,” La Doux said in his work statement for LION. “The biggest benefit for me with using recycled items in my art is that most of the items are cheap, free and will not end up in a landfill.”
While La Doux’s creative efforts have made him the featured artist at the upcoming Celebration of Fine Art, organizers are sure that those attending the three-day event will find many other pieces that will also capture their eye.
“The purpose is to showcase the exceptional level of artistic talent and creativity available in the area, as well as provide a venue for local artisans to display and sell their products,” said KCC president Dr. Tom Quinn.
The show will include works by artists from Otsego, Roscommon, Crawford, Ogemaw and Oscoda counties. The college will display the items at the two venues in Roscommon, which will be open to the public. Refreshments will also be available during all three days of the event. There is no charge to attend, though donations will be accepted.
The Celebration of Fine Art! includes a reception from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, at the AuSable River Center. Planned hours for the weekend are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, and then 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25.
For more information on the fine art show, visit online at www.kirtland.edu or call 989-275-5000, extension 388.
Hilary Salvas of Rose City is a staff writer for the Kirtland Zine, Kirtland Community College’s student magazine.
Clinical Artistry
By JERRY NUNN
Artists and art aficionados both come out winners in a new joint effort between the Tolfree Foundation and the West Branch Creative Arts Association. Artwork on display at the West Branch Medical Arts Center is for sale, with 20-percent of the proceeds going to benefit the Tolfree Foundation.
WEST BRANCH – The institutional hallways at West Branch Medical Art Center took on a more artistic appearance following the joint efforts of the Tolfree Foundation and the West Branch Creative Arts Association. Starting this week, the clinic walls will serve as an art gallery, displaying the works of 30 area artists.
Both groups stand to win.
West Branch-area Artists now have a permanent venue where they can sell the work and the Tolfree Foundation pockets 20-percent of all works sold. Once sold, art work is replenished. The themed showings will change with the seasons.
Money raised goes toward the purchase of a $400,000 digital mammography system, according to Mary Koliba, foundation Director. Wednesday’s public reception, and the private showing Tuesday, were the kick-off to a larger money raising campaign, Koliba says. Coming fund raising efforts include a Cow Girls Wear Pink campaign and other events. Tanger Outlet Center is also kicking in with it Style of Pink shoppers card promotion. While shoppers pay $1 for a discount card, they save 25-percent off a one-time purchase. Proceeds go to the Tolfree Foundation.
To learn more about the Tolfree Foundation’s efforts to combat breast cancer, as well as other benevolent works the group is involved in, visit them online at www.tolfreefoundation.org.
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