Hershberger’s art installation ‘Culture Clash’ on display and ready for voting in Grand Rapids

GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen College Professor Emeritus of Art Abner Hershberger has his 11×26-foot art installation, “Culture Clash” on view at ArtPrize, an international exhibition in Grand Rapids, Mich., from Sept. 21 to Oct. 6. His work is located at DeVos Place Grand Gallery (303 Monroe Ave. NW).

Viewers can vote award favorites by cell phone after on-location registration. Last year 400,000 people representing 22 countries voted. Awards totaling $450,000 were given last year, plus some curatorial awards.

Hershberger is one of 1,582 artists accepted this year. Every artist must be accepted by a venue located in a four-block downtown area. ArtPrize is a unique art competition because of open-voting for awards being done by the public, rather than by art specialists. His art work, mural-like in scale and composition, was installed last week by using a utility lift because of its location 14 feet above floor level.

The uniqueness of the ArtPrize program inspired Hershberger to reflect on the two styles of art he has used. Each style has been shown separately in the past due to museum and gallery specifications. The open criteria of ArtPrize allowed him to combine the two styles in one art work, or installation. This permitted him to express the concept of his two significant communities. The nonabstract “Heritage Works” represent his Mennonite community and the abstract expressionist works represent the art community.

View Hershberger’s entry at: www.ArtPrize.org.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.