Art in the Sky billboard contest declares winners

Visual art can end up lingering in museums or galleries, seen only by those who seek it out. Six lucky Lansing artists were just awarded the opportunity to have their artwork displayed on billboards all across the city.

The Lansing Arts Council’s Art in the Sky Billboard Project has been running for 11 years. The contest provides local artists a chance to have their art seen by a multitude of commuters every day. The contest shows off the diverse body of art that Lansing has to offer while also giving the winning artists a chance to market their individual work.

A panel of virtual judges chose six finalists through a careful scoring process. This year’s awardees are Cheryl Grabski, Laura Gajewski, Kelly Hansen, Sara Pulver, Stephanie Gregg and Jacob Erickson.

When Gregg found out that her piece was chosen as a winner in the 2020/2021 contest, she was both surprised and amused.

“At age 75, it is a boost to one’s spirits to have one’s art recognized. The year 2020 has been a year of isolation due to COVID-19 pandemic, plus canceled trips to visit our five grown children and our seven grandchildren," said Gregg. “It has also been a year of producing more meaningful art.”

Gregg’s piece for this year’s contest was influenced by Maya Angelou. She titled it “A Brave and Startling Truth” because, in her opinion, 2020 revealed many brave and startling truths. The piece features a figure holding a book and reclining on a bright red heart.

“The heart becomes a billboard-sized shout-out of admiration, respect, love and hope that together, 'We, the people, are the possible, the miraculous and the true wonder of the world. That is when, and only when we come to it,'’’ said Gregg, quoting Angelou.

Hansen, a professional graphic designer, museum exhibit designer and teacher at Michigan State University, won the contest with a portrait of her son that sought to capture the realities of living through COVID-19.

“As weeks began to turn into months of quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, I thought it was important to capture some of the realities of our experience — missed haircuts, boredom, over-reliance on phones, video games, computers, isolation and uncertainty, as well as resilience,” said Hansen.

She felt grateful upon learning that her piece was one of the contest winners. For Hansen, Art in the Sky was a bright spot in a dismal year. It tickled to know her kid’s portrait would be plastered all over the city. “My kids are all at an age where they don’t even like me to take their picture. Now, one of them is going to be featured on billboards all over town,” said Hansen.

When Grabski set out to create her contest entry, she looked to her dearest source of inspiration for help: her cat. Her piece is called “Sunflower Kitty,” and it’s inspired by her cat’s tendency to snack on her houseplants.

“You like to eat my plants, kitty? Then, I’m going to turn you into one,” said Grabski. “I like to keep my art lighthearted, cute and whimsical.” The illustration features a cat in a sunflower costume sitting calmly in a row of other flowers.

“I am beyond excited about having my artwork displayed that large,” said Grabski. “I’ve never had my work shown on that scale.”

Gajewski’s billboard piece is a continuation of an artistic thread that she’s been following for decades now. Her piece features a decaying, abandoned house in stark black and white.

“With my drawings I hope to provoke thoughts of these subjects as witnesses to life, surviving as empty shells wrapped around the passage of time,” explained Gajewski.

Two of Gajewski’s solo exhibitions were canceled this year. She said that it’s been a difficult year for everyone, not just artists.

“But artists — artists feel,” said Gajewski. “So many of us are empaths; we feel deeply and fully. I have found it difficult to sit down in the studio this year, with heart and head hurting. Art is vital, and especially during this time — it’s important to make art, to see art, and to share art. It’s embedded in the fibers that weave us all together.”

Throughout 2021, billboards in Greater Lansing and beyond will feature each artist’s work individually for two months. The Art in the Sky contest creates a communal art experience, in which the city and the roadways that tie it together become an art gallery for all to appreciate — both longtime residents and those just passing through.

“The Art in the Sky Billboard Project is one of the most recognized public art initiatives in our region. People remember the billboards and look forward to their arrival each year,” said Arts Council executive director Meghan Martin. “This year, they have even more significance, reflecting our experience of having to view art from afar and giving area artists the opportunity to truly have their work seen on a grand scale.”

To check out the contest winners, visit: Lansingarts.org/programs/billboard-project