ABOUT SOPHIE GRILLET:
From the UK, been in Ann Arbor since arriving in the US in 96, former cartoonist, was UMMA docent (2004-2023), originator and organizer of Westside Art Hop, joined AAPAC Oct 2019 (just stepped down but still working on the Special Projects committee which included Golden Paintbrush Awards.)
RESOURCES:
Ann Arbor Public Art Commission
Nominations Accepted Through Aug. 1 for 2025 Golden Paintbrush Awards
Help recognize public art! Nominations for the 2025 Golden Paintbrush Awards are now open!
Golden Paintbrush Nomination Application
TRANSCRIPTION:
David Fair: Public art has long been a tradition in Ann Arbor. It adds to the city's aesthetic and is part of its cultural identity. I'm David Fair, and welcome to another edition of Washtenaw United. The nominations for the 2025 Ann Arbor Public Art Commission's Golden Paintbrush Awards are about to close--August 1st, to be exact. Joining us today to talk more about the awards is Sophie Grillet. She is a originator and organizer of the Westside Art Hop in Ann Arbor and works on the Commission's Special Projects Committee, which, as it would happen, includes the Golden Paintbrush Awards. Sophie, thank you so much for the time today!
Sophie Grillet: Well, thank you for inviting me!
David Fair: What is the scope of what the Commission defines as public art?
Sophie Grillet: For the purposes of the Golden Paintbrush Awards, for sure, we're defining it as any art that is openly visible and accessible to people in Ann Arbor. That is, the art needs to be in Ann Arbor, but the people can come from wherever they like.
David Fair: I threw in my opinion that public art is a part of Ann Arbor's cultural identity. You are an artist and live and work in the city's creative community. How do you see it contributing as a representation of who and what is Ann Arbor?
Sophie Grillet: Well, one way, I think, it really represents Ann Arbor is because it supposed to be eclectic and anything. It doesn't have to be like official, as it were. It can be any kind of art that you've seen somewhere that somebody's done. Like, it could be a decoration of ice things hanging from a tree by your neighbor, which my neighbors did, which was brilliant. But it was before the Golden Paintbrush revived, but anything like that or it'd be something grand that is a big, well-funded thing that happens. So, it can be absolutely anything, as long as it's visible to people, and you don't have to sort of pay to get in or anything like that. So, that's it! It's eclectic! It's what people do. Sometimes, they might just do it because they feel like it, or it might be something that was invited and sponsored by someone. So, just about anything if you can see it!
David Fair: I'm interested in kind of social issues--social justice. The community issues Ann Arbor is contending with include affordable housing, wage disparities, neighborhood character versus density development. Does the Golden Paintbrush Awards look for some level of artistic commentary on matters of social and racial equity and equality?
Sophie Grillet: Well, it does look for community involvement, and we don't really define what that should be. But if it's just one artist and they've done a painting and hung it on their wall, even if it is their exterior wall, that doesn't really count as engagement with people. So, we really want to have something where it has some kind of dialog with the community, or invites the community to contribute, or to something where it is involved with people and not just an artist and a character doing a thing. I say artists like that everybody's a painter. And I mean, I do painting. I do other things, but it doesn't have to be painting. It can be absolutely anything within the arts. So, it can be visual arts. It can sculpture. It could be music. It can poetry. It can be theater. It can be just be a weird public event of some sort that's kind of artistic, so anything at all which comes under the arts. If you thought it was great and you liked it, you enjoyed it, and you have some kind of record of it, or somebody does, so that the judges can see it, then, yeah, go ahead and nominate it. If you think it was great, let's hear about it!
David Fair: Well, you've identified a diverse range of art. I'm curious as to whether the judge panel is as diverse as the artistic contributions.
Sophie Grillet: Well, we're always interested to hear from people who would like to judge, but we do try and find people who have some kind of enthusiasm about the arts and don't have to be artistic themselves. So, it can be people from the arts community or business or just anybody who's involved in Ann Arbor and would like to contribute, so we do try. We do try. And it's hard because everybody's busy. People are busy all the time.
David Fair: WEMU's Washtenaw United conversation with artist and Ann Arbor Arts Commission Special Projects Committee member Sophie Grillet continues on 89.1 WEMU. And today, we're discussing the 2025 Golden Paintbrush Awards for Public Art as the nomination process will end on August 1st. And I hope this isn't too personal, Sophie, but you've identified that you are an artist. It is the realm in which you work. What does art mean in your life?
Sophie Grillet: Well, first, originally, art is a way of personal expression, and I find nonverbal expression particularly useful, because words have a great place in our lives. But the other side is also very important, and it brings emotions and is a way of expressing emotions and also talking to other people without using words. So, trying to making your emotions and their emotions speak to each other is, I think, very cool and amazing, actually, that it can do that. You know, the world we live in now has so much that needs to be expressed and so many noises that we each have to try and make up some kind of sense of it, and if we can link up with each other's feeling and and say, "Yes, yes! We do agree on this," or "We can connect on this thing, or "Yeah, I see what you're saying. It makes me think of the next step or the next thing in my life." And I just find that one useful strand of that kind of human conversation.
David Fair: As we consider the importance of art and its impact on how we view the world and choose to live in it, we know that arts programs are among the first to be cut in our educational system. There are a number of political conversations that could be had on that front, but through the prism of your artistic self, what do you think we lose when we aren't educating children and the future generations about art?
Sophie Grillet: Well, you may have seen that bumper sticker that says, "The earth without art is just 'eh'."
David Fair: I haven't seen that, but that's great!
Sophie Grillet: And really, what's the point? I remember there's a quote from Winston Churchill, which, believe it or not, is weird, but he was an artist as well--quite an accomplished watercolorist. It was suggested to him that the art should all be cut during wartime because they weren't important. And he said, "Well, if we don't have the arts, what is it that we're fighting for?" You know, what is culture if it isn't about the arts? As I was talking about before, that public discussion that we have each other or personal discussion, even one-on-one, but there's more to life than things. You know what I mean? And I think people are beginning to notice that more than ever.
David Fair: We're talking public art and the 2025 Golden Paintbrush Awards with Sophie Grillet on 89.1 WEMU's Washtenaw United. What are some of your favorite examples of public art in Ann Arbor? And, of course, it is all subjective, but I'm sure you've identified some that you like to visit more than once.
Sophie Grillet: Well, to tell you the truth, one of my favorite kinds of public art is walking around the neighborhoods and seeing the little fairy villages that kids have put around trees. It's so eclectic and imaginative, and they take you into a whole other world, which just describes the kind of art I like, you know? And then there's that guy who does sculptures by the bridge on North Main by the rail truck.
David Fair: Beautiful work!
Sophie Grillet: Concrete pieces. And they have a strange sort of prehistoric quality about them, and I just find them wonderful, too. And they change every now and then. And I don't know who he is. I think there was some article about him many years ago in the Ann Arbor News, but I admire those. And then, we have some amazing murals that go up. Those are pretty stunning, and the Art Center has been supporting that, which is great! I think it would be wonderful if people outside the center of downtown, some businesses and things, invited people to do more murals. I was involved in one with Donna Clemens on the car wash place out on South Industrial making a big mural there, and that was really fun to do, which I hadn't done before. Teaching about on top of a ladder is probably not my thing at my age, but you know we did it. We did it!
David Fair: And it was worth all the effort!
Sophie Grillet: It was very wonderful! Yeah, yeah!
David Fair: The nominations for the Golden Paintbrush Awards close August 1st. What happens then?
Sophie Grillet: What happens then is the judges have a look at what people have submitted, and I hope that they're overwhelmed by all the wonderful contributions that all your listeners are going to send in. And they sort out some of the top contenders, and those are put online, so that there can be a People's Voice Award as well. And then, when the judges have finally picked their selection and the People's Voice awarders pick their selection, the artist, who is the main person in the project, will get simply a tile--a pewabic tile--to recognize the achievement and a certificate of the award, awarded by the City Council and the Mayor. And so, that's all it is. There's no money, I'm sorry to say. Hopefully, we will have some at some point. But right now, it's recognition and a thank you from everybody for what they've done for our city and for what they've given to us. So, really, that's all it is. It's about recognition is what it really is about and how we appreciate the arts and then we appreciate what everyone's doing. So, that's the important part!
David Fair: It is what decorates our lives, and, Sophie, thank you so much! I recognize you for a great conversation today! Much appreciated!
Sophie Grillet: Oh, well thank you so much! And tell everybody to think when they're going around the city, what have they seen? What are they seeing? Send us your nominations. It's at Golden Paintbrush. It's at a2gov.org/golden.
David Fair: Well, we will look forward to see how this all turns out. That is Sophie Grillet. She is an artist, originizer, organizer of the Westside Art Hop and member of the Ann Arbor Arts Commission Special Projects Committee. To find links to Sophie's art and more information on the 2025 Golden Paintbrush Awards in Ann Arbor, stop by our website at WEMU.org. We'll get you everywhere you want to go. Washtenaw United is produced in partnership with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan, and you hear it every Monday. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU-FM Ypsilanti. Celebrating 60 years of broadcasting from the campus of Eastern Michigan University!
WEMU has partnered with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan to explore the people, organizations, and institutions creating opportunity and equity in our area. And, as part of this ongoing series, you’ll also hear from the people benefiting and growing from the investments being made in the areas of our community where there are gaps in available services. It is a community voice. It is 'Washtenaw United.'
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU today to keep your community NPR station thriving.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on X (Twitter)
Contact WEMU News at 734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
