Overnight, a large amount of artists' installations have started to pop up all over the city. In all there will be 1,713 artists that have secured a venue in Artprize 2010 with 192 venues participating. Last year, the first annual ArtPrize competition, there were 1,262 artists from 41 states and 14 countries with 159 venues participating. One of these extremely talented artists is Michael Mayosky. You may have seen him throughout Grand Rapids, painting on a spinning easel alongside local musical groups.

“These smaller paintings are a chance for me to get a feel of the people, places, and vibes of the city.” Mayosky said.

He is taking this energy and putting it into a five-story mural on the north-facing wall of Goodspeed lofts on Grandville Avenue and Cherry Street.  

Mayorsky comes across as a very enthisiastic artist covered in RepcoLite paint. He said he just found out it will cost $6,000 for the paint alone. He was very happy when RepcoLite, a locally owned paint company, donated all the paint for the project. As we viewed this massive wall, Mayosky explained, “It will contain reflections of the region, people, elements, and potential of Grand Rapids as I experience them this summer. These impressions I will use to create a window into today’s G. R. for residents and visitors in the future.” 

The title is “Meditation of Life Without Time."

This Kansas City, MO native is quite an accomplished, self-taught mural artist. For the last 16 years Mayosky has traveled across the country painting murals and conducting performance art. His murals are in homes, restaurants, waterparks, shops, and on alley walls and building exteriors.

“Painting is the first thing that felt right for me. At age two I knew I wanted to make a mess on a wall," he said. "Murals tell of a shared history and a shared imagination. Histories unearthed for public pondering are my specialty. Much of our reverence for history comes from murals by past civilizations. I am honored and blessed to be brush and paint for today’s world. To see life from the scaffolding, and to imagine others looking through my murals into another time and place, is deeply inspiring.”  

Mayosky invited me to take a ride on the boom for a better look at his work. As we began to rise to five stories, the view of the city and the mural were breathtaking. It was quite overwhelming to see the mural from this perspective. I could never imagine taking on a project this large. Mayoski will complete it in 11 days.

Michael Mayosky’s Artprize id is 48785.