- Details
- By Levi Rickert
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Anishinaabe artist Jason Quigno installed his 7,000-pound sculpture on Thursday outside Grand Valley State University’s L.V. Eberhard Center as an entry in the bi-annual Artprize competition in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich.
ArtPrize is an open, independently organized international art competition that takes place for 18 days in Grand Rapids. ArtPrize is a bi-annual event that began in 2009 and attracts artists from around the world. ArtPrize organizers say this year there is artwork from more than 800 artists from 30 countries on display in 150 venues.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
Quigno, an accomplished sculptor who has won awards for his work at the Santa Fe Indian Art Market, has an art studio in Grand Rapids.
“I had entries each of the first couple of years of ArtPrize and then I was too busy to enter a piece a couple of years,” Quigno said to Native News Online.
This year, Quigno entered “Infinity Cube” into the competition. The granite sculpture’s dimensions are 88”x78”x78” and rest atop a temporary base Quigno built for ArtPrize. It will eventually be placed on a pyramid base to complement the slope of the cube.
“I started this sculpture years ago with a 10,000-pound block of granite I purchased from a dealer in Canada and I began carving,” Quigno said. “I began cutting spiral circles and kept going.”
Qiugno’s sculpture is a contemporary representation of American Indian artistry. He says the piece represents how we are all connected—within and without.
As a sculptor, Quigno works with different stones — granite, basalt, marble, limestone and alabaster.
Quigno, a tribal citizen of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, who has been carving stone since he was 14, is a life-long resident of Michigan and is a direct descendant of Chief Cobmoosa, also known as the Great Walker, one of the most recognized nineteenth-century Grand River Ottawa leaders.
The sculpture will be on display until Oct. 4, 2021 in downtown Grand Rapids.
More Stories Like This
Q&A: Sicangu Lakota Filmmaker Yvonne Russo on Her New Hulu Series, 'Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae'Third Annual Tribal Museums Day Centers Diverse Histories, Cultures & Lifeways
Tommy Orange's "Wandering Stars" Makes TIME's 100 Must-Read Books of 2024 List
Barbie Honors Maria Tallchief, America’s First Prima Ballerina, with Inspiring Women Doll for Native American Heritage Month
10 Native American Artists and Musicians You Should Know
Support Independent Indigenous Journalism That Holds Power to Account
With the election now decided, Native News Online is recommitting to our core mission: rigorous oversight of federal Indian policy and its impact on tribal communities.
The previous Trump administration’s record on Indian Country — from the reduction of sacred sites to aggressive energy development on tribal lands — demands heightened vigilance as we enter this new term. Our Indigenous-centered newsroom will provide unflinching coverage of policies affecting tribal sovereignty, sacred site protection, MMIR issues, water rights, Indian health, and economic sovereignty.
This critical watchdog journalism requires resources. Your support, in any amount, helps maintain our independent, Native-serving news coverage. Every contribution helps keep our news free for all of our relatives. Please donate today to ensure Native News Online can thrive and deliver impactful, independent journalism.
