To honor those artists and their talent, the Thornapple Arts Council is holding a sponsorship competition for artists who have been accepted into Art Prize 2010.

“Anybody who went to Art Prize last year knows what a great event it is,” said Megan Lavell, executive director of the Thornapple Arts Council. “There is really high-quality art there from artists all over the country, and we should be proud that some of the art this year will be created by people in our own community.”

The Thornapple Arts Council is offering sponsorship to artists who have been accepted into Art Prize this year.

“We recognize the cost and hard work that go into creating a piece of art, and we want to be able to help and support artists in their work,” said André Wiegand, member of the Thornapple Arts Council Board of Directors who helped develop the Art Prize sponsorship program. “We want to recognize our community’s artists for their work and dedication to the arts.”

The Thornapple Arts Council will award a $1,000 sponsorship to the winning Barry County Art Prize artist. Ten other Art Prize artists will be awarded a $100 sponsorship. The winning artist will be decided through a voting process at thornapplearts.org. Artists who receive sponsorship will be asked to participate in an art show later, with details on the show yet to be determined.

You can download an application or contact the office by e-mail or by phone at 269-945-2002. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31.

The Thornapple Arts Council of Barry County was founded in November 1985 by Sue Drummond with help from John Fehsenfeld and many generous supporters behind the scenes. 25 years later, Thornapple Arts Council members, volunteers and staff maintain their vision to spark creativity, community and culture through programs and education that bring personal enrichment and quality of life to Barry County residents.