Tyler Loftis

As a Grand Rapids native and full-time New York-based artist, Tyler Loftis brings a strong passion to his new role of Executive Director of ArtPrize. 

Loftis may be new to this position but he is not an ArtPrize rookie. 
"There's been a lot of different iterations," Loftis said in a recent interview with local media. "I was on the board, I've sponsored it, I've been an artist in it, and now, I am the executive Director."

Loftis believe that ArtPrize could only exist in Grand Rapids and he sees the city becoming an important destination for artists and art lovers, year round. 

Transcript

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SPEAKER_01 0:02

Welcome to the official Art Prize Podcast, a limited series going behind the scenes of Grand Rapids Premier Art Competition. I'm your host, Steve Kelso. I'm a former Art Prize reporter for Wood TVA, a former Art Prize artist, and the owner of Kelso Communications, a proud Art Prize sponsor. In this series, I'm talking with the artists, the organizers, and the decision makers shaping Art Prize 16. Hello, and welcome to another edition of the official Art Prize Podcast. Today, for this episode, I'm proud to be joined by the new executive director of Art Prize, Tyler Loftus. Tyler, welcome. Thanks for coming in today.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Thanks. Glad to be here. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_01 0:46

So I gotta know what's it been like so far?

SPEAKER_00 0:50

Well, it's great. I mean, I'm an artist, I'm a painter, it's all I've ever done. So for me, it is kind of being in my wheelhouse, and I'm from here. So it's even more exciting. And I think we're really pushing the envelope on the arts in general across not only this country but the world. So it's been exciting.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Talk to me about how monumental a task it is to organize a thousand artists, how many venues, just four weeks of events. How do you even undertake all of that?

SPEAKER_00 1:20

Well, my background, um, I live in New York now and I also live here. So I'm I'm bi-coastal now. Um never thought I would say that out loud, but I am bi-coastal. And my to have success in New York, it you have to be able to juggle a lot of balls and you have to manage people and have a team, basically. So I've done that, and so I was able to carry over some of that experience here. But really, the biggest thing is just focusing on the art and the artists. I mean, if you have that, the rest sort of falls into place because there's people that can help you. You know, there's people who understand events, there's people who understand crowd control or whatever you may, you know, at these at these levels, you want those experts. And the city has been fantastic. I mean, the city of Grand Rapids has absolutely been amazing. Uh Vette Pittman, her whole team, um, everybody has just been incredible uh helping us. Mobile GR, you know, all these entities have stepped forward. But my big thing, um, kind of what you alluded to is the art and the artist is really the biggest thing. And so having my background and being around this event for a long time, it sort of enabled me to sort of have a little bit of a leg up before I even started on kind of understanding some of that and what I wanted to do with that and how I wanted to sort of handle that. So far, so good.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

Explain to folks who may not know who Yvette Pittman is because she is always juggling.

SPEAKER_00 2:39

So Yvette Pittman is over at the office of special events and she has been around for the city of GR. For the city of GR. She's been around since the beginning. And this woman, I mean, we're talking put a huge chair on a bridge, hang something from this, put this in that. Is this gonna, you know, is this not gonna fall over? Is this gonna be she is absolutely an artist herself on how she helps out? And you know, everyone from Mark Washington, everyone has just been incredible. So it's been a really great environment to step into. Um, super excited for this year. And it's really just it's a citywide uh event, you know, put on by the city, by the denizens of the city, by the corporations of the city. Um, it's really awesome. Really being inside of it, I see it from a whole other sort of lens of how many hands and how much positivity really drives this thing. So it's been great.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

You have been fond of saying that this couldn't happen in any other city except for Grand Rapids.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

Yeah, I mean, I don't want to say that I've got a crystal ball and I understand every other city, but being in the art world for most of my life, you know, I have been around the block a few times when it comes to art events. And I think that there's been a little bit of a notion that, you know, this thing sort of just happened here. Um, being around it for almost a decade now, I can fully say uh in my deepest core of who I am that it's because of Grand Rapids this thing has happened. This place is magical. Um from even before President Ford. I mean, a lot of people don't know President Ford is responsible for a lot of great public art in the United States. I mean, there is this quiet, humble, proud art tradition in the city that is just waiting to bloom. And I just think that Grand Rapids is an extraordinarily special place. And I'm very humbled and very, I can't, I don't even know. I'm just kind of overwhelmed to be back in the homeland part of this thing and and now sort of helping out with a lot more um of myself than I ever than I ever had because I've been helping out for a long time, but not quite in this capacity and seeing it from the inside, and again, how many people have helped out is extraordinary. This place is truly extraordinary.

SPEAKER_01 4:52

Some of the uh other folks I've talked to, we've talked about the history of art in Grand Rapids, and it all goes back to the Calder. Everybody credits that day in the, I believe, the late 50s, early 60s, when the Calder is first set in place there. Uh, a lot of folks say that Art Prize couldn't have happened without Festival of the Arts. It all builds, doesn't it? It it just it all we didn't even know we were building it, and yet here we are.

SPEAKER_00 5:22

Well said. I mean, I almost have nothing to add, although the furniture companies and design has been strong in Grand Rapids for much, much before that. So there are tendrils that go even deeper. Um and again, uh why this place, I don't know. But this place is really driving us all. And I think it's time for us to sort of highlight a little bit more the city as the it's the reason. It's it's the thing that keeps inspiring, it's the thing that keeps this this art train rolling. And I just, yeah, I it's just such a magical place.

SPEAKER_01 6:03

They named us Beer City USA a long time ago. And I see on your art prize posters this year, Art City USA.

SPEAKER_00 6:11

Yeah, that's why I'm here. I mean, I am here to sort of see what the sky, what the limits are like. You know, I come from New York, I have success there, I have a lot of things happening in New York, you know. Um, nothing is on pause. But I feel like this is one of the most avant-garde places to do, show, and be in the arts right now. So for me, the sky is the limit. And I think that this could very easily become Arts City USA, America's safe place to experience the fine arts. I mean, we've already shown our true colors and how humble and how proud we are with how we represent, as you said, the culture. Um, and I've told you this before. It's on the side of our garbage trucks, it's on manhole covers. You know, it we are very proud, yet it's for everybody. We get it out there. We don't put it on a pedestal. We say art is special, it's our identity, but it's for everyone. And that sentiment, I think, is truly American. And that is the wave of the future in the arts. And this is the place that right now is doing it. So I find myself here, very strangely being from here. Even if I wasn't from here, I can still say that I would find this place truly magical and mesmerizing because it just does things you just wouldn't expect.

SPEAKER_01 7:20

I've talked to a number of people for this podcast series who are not from here. I am not from here. I tell people I'm not from Grand Rapids, but I got here as soon as I could. Um, it is just, we are at a really interesting point in this city's history right now, I think. There are so many things going on in this town, and we're kind of bucking that national trend. Something that always stuck out to me about Art Prize was this democratization. The fact that I, uneducated about art, dare have an opinion. That all of us had the ability to vote on what we thought art was. And I think talk to me a little bit about that phenomenon.

SPEAKER_00 8:02

Well, I think that is one of the geniuses of what Art Prize has done is ask people what their opinion is through the mechanism of the voting. And I'll tell you, at the beginning I was critical because art, competition, voting. But it's it's done a magical thing. It's included people in the conversation. And it's it's it's held people accountable to say, is this craft or is this fine art? Is this a one-of-a-kind piece, or is this a row of 30 of the same things that could have been made in a factory? Those are some of the deepest questions you can ask yourself. I don't care if you're in Manhattan, Paris, wherever. Um, it is one of the deepest questions that you can ask as a viewer. And really, art, the fine arts, it's the same as music and film. It's just seeing and experiencing more. Because the more you see, the more you understand your own view. Art is about you, it's about your view. So this place really just caters towards the natural way that art should be seen. You know, there should be a lot of choices. You know, you should be able to, as you go to a movie theater and there's many options to see, you should have many options because it's a personal path, the arts. It's about you, it's about your preferences. It's not about picking the right thing or getting the education. Art has been around for thousands of years before the wheel. Sure, since we drew on cave walls. Correct. These conversations have been happening since the beginning of time, as far as civilization, as far as our timeline goes as humans. So it's something that's very, very old and it's something that is completely experience-based. You learn by experiencing, just like you learn what movies you like. And I tell all Americans, I mean, what would you say if somebody came in and said the movies you like and the music you like is dumb? What would you do? No, those are my preferences. Art, children make art. Children don't make movies. Children bang on things, but you know, they're not out there playing symphonies. So this is something that's really, really close to our hearts. It's just an exposure thing. We haven't been exposed to it as much as we need to, and Art Prize does that.

SPEAKER_01 10:08

Every artist, I don't care if you made this coaster or if you're the Rolling Stones, you have nothing without a patron. Has the experience that Grand Rapidians have had over all of these years made us better patrons?

SPEAKER_00 10:28

Well, that's a deep question. I think that that's something that is still in the future, as far as a place to come buy art or getting people to come here to collect art. I think that's a very exciting thing. It's on the horizon. But the first thing that all artists want is to be seen. You know, the biggest thing that we want is to fulfill our part of society. You know, we are here to help us connect with what's happening now, what's happened in the past, and what potentially is going to happen in the future. And only art can do that. It's a non-political, it's a non-political cultural device that helps connect us to who we are. You look at French art and Spanish art, they're right next to each other, but completely different. French art is filled with color. Spanish art is ostensibly black and white, dark colors, totally different vibes, but that tells their culture. And as an artist, you are really at the behest of the energies around you. You know, there's this fallacy that people think that artists are out there steering the whole ship. You're not. You're at the highest levels, you're a pass-through. And so to walk around during Art Prize and see all of these different points of views, to see all of these different walks of life express themselves, that's an entirely new experience. And art has only really been in the United States in this way 80 years. 80 years. New York has been the center of the Western art world for 80 years. Okay, brand new story. Brand new story. Before that, it was all basically white men for thousands of years. Now, in this short of time, being in the United States, we have this explosion of all different ethnicity, different walks of life, everybody showing together. And Art Prize puts that on blast, this American moment. And that for me is just like history in the making. And when you come out to Art Prize, you're part of that history. It's exciting.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

And you juxtapose those two events happening simultaneously, the the renaissance, if you will, in art that you're discussing and what's going on in Grand Rapids. And it's pretty much a winning combination at that point.

SPEAKER_00 12:34

Absolutely. I I deeply believe we're going to look back at this time and see a real pivotal point for the United States. Interesting.

SPEAKER_01 12:43

I want to address a couple of uh things I hear on the street. There are a lot of people out there, I think, who believe that Art Prize is funded from some family with deep pockets, and that's how all of it works. And that just is not the case anymore.

SPEAKER_00 13:01

No, and honestly, this event is for everyone. And I think this year, especially, we're going to be getting out there and asking for support from everyone, from that dollar to $2,000 level, whatever you can do, because this event is about and for everyone. And I think that moving forward, that is going to be the way that this thing continues. Is the more voices, the more participation, the more buy-in from our community here and understanding this culturally relevant place that not only for the United States, but potentially the world. I mean, we are doing something unprecedented. I just cannot say it enough. That's why I'm sitting here doing this. That's why I came back with all the stuff I have going on in New York to come do this. That's how serious this is for me. And as an artist, you have these things downloaded into your soul from places you don't understand, but as an artist, you trust them. And that's one way that we sort of lead in our part of culture that we're not here to necessarily follow the pre-existing rules. We're here to sort of interpret the magic that's kind of swirling around us. And I don't think artists have quite been appreciated enough in this country yet. And I think that our prize can potentially be that platform that helps us connect more with not only the fine arts, but also artists.

SPEAKER_01 14:16

Something I else I hear from folks out there. Man, it just isn't what it used to be. I'm not sure our prize is ever supposed to be what it used to be, or right? I'm not sure still what it is, but how do you address that?

SPEAKER_00 14:32

Well, I want to first say I have the deepest uh gratitude towards all the past members of our prize. Um, it's been uh incredible to sort of build on all of their hard work. Um, but I will say that this thing is unprecedented. So there's no event that you can sort of cheat off of, or there's no place to look to figure out how this thing works. What I have been very fortunate to have is 15 seasons now to look at and to sort of study. And that is what I've done. You know, I did not come in as the new coach of the football team that now I think I'm gonna change it all around in one season. No, absolutely not. You know, I looked back at all the magic that's happened and really picked and prodded and took the stuff that I felt like um was gonna be special for this year. So for me, it's a little bit coming back to the roots, you know, sort of understanding the mechanics of what Art Prize is. But instead of sort of being blown away by the big shiny thing, I think of Art Prize, and I've said this a lot now, as the road. And I think it's important for us now to think about where we're gonna go on that road and for us to kind of put a re-emphasis on the art and the artists, because for all the past teams, it's been very tough because it's just it's a it's almost like uh a new year every year. Yeah. So for me, kind of buttoning down some of the mechanics and really kind of focusing on the art and the artists to sort of create the future, to sort of steer all of us in the right direction. You know, that is not my job. I'm a shepherd, if anything, or a bit of a gardener trimming hedges here and there, but my job is to listen to the public, to listen to the artists and sort of follow their lead. And we've had some magical people who have who have started this thing, who have who have funded it. And I have nothing but the deepest respect for all those people that have been involved.

SPEAKER_01 16:17

In the final few minutes that we have left for this podcast, if there's one thing that you want the good and great people of Grand Rapids to know about art prize that you don't think they're quite getting, what would it be?

SPEAKER_00 16:30

Well, deep level artists for everybody. This is your event. From a participatory level, um, October 3rd, we are trying to break a record, the world's most attended fashion show at the Akashir Amphitheater. It's free. We want to get Guinness here, want to make this official, and say that you know what? We're gonna have an end flyover culture party because we are gonna break the record for the most attended fashion show ever in the world. What is the current record? 3,000 people. Well, we certainly have enough venue to break that pretty much wide open. Absolutely. And like I said, it's free, so we can all come together and celebrate this, and we can all help tell the world that hey, this is Grand Rapids, we love the fine arts, and we love fashion. And R. C. Caitlin's show is just it's stunning. And for me, again, people coming to this, there can be a lot of people in the audience that potentially this is their first fashion show. Probably, their first opera, their first ballet, or maybe even their first symphony show. But that's all gonna be on blast at the amphitheater on the third.

SPEAKER_01 17:41

The best part about it is like everything else, most everything else at our prize, it's free. It's free. I hear there might be other surprises in the works there. Are you at liberty to say anything for a podcast? Sure, sure.

SPEAKER_00 17:55

Um a friend of mine, now now a friend of mine, uh Brian Cranston, is gonna come out and he is giving a talk uh Friday for kids about acting. He's gonna be answering questions. And then Saturday, he's gonna be presenting an award on stage um for in partnership with Delta Airlines to put a piece in the uh Sky Lounge at the Detroit airport. Fantastic. So that's gonna be super exciting. So, yeah, we've got some other fun stuff too. You know, I mean, there's there's a lot going on.

SPEAKER_01 18:31

And did they hear that here first on the Art Prize podcast? Yes, they did. You heard it here first, Tyler Loftus. Thank you so much for joining me today. Absolutely, so it's been a great conversation. Very much looking forward to this year's event. Me too. Thanks for joining us for this episode of the official Art Prize Podcast. Make sure to download the Art Prize app and cast your votes. Visit artprize.org for more information.