When the Art World Makes Anything Feel Possible
Kelly Lynne Figueiredo
Reflecting on ArtPrize 2026
Tomorrow, ArtPrize 2026 comes to a close, and I find myself thinking less about the ending and more about everything this experience has given me.
When I entered The Matriarch, I hoped people would connect with the work. I hoped they might stop for a moment, look into the faces of these animals, and think about leadership, instinct, mentorship, and the assumptions we carry with us.
What I did not fully anticipate was how much the experience would give back to me.
Having The Matriarch displayed at Grand Rapids City Hall was something I will never forget. Seeing the five paintings together in that space after months of imagining, planning, and painting them was both surreal and deeply rewarding.
But ArtPrize became about so much more than displaying artwork.
It was the conversations with people who stopped to look. The thoughtful feedback. The people who shared what a particular painting meant to them. The artists I met. The enormous range of creativity throughout Grand Rapids.
There is something remarkable about being surrounded by so many people who have made something that did not exist before.
For a few weeks, an entire city seems to say that creativity matters.
And the energy is contagious.
Being surrounded by artists willing to imagine something and then actually make it real creates a feeling that is difficult to describe. The art world suddenly feels wide open. Ideas feel possible. Opportunities feel possible. Even the things that once seemed a little too ambitious begin to feel worth pursuing.
I was only one artist among so many talented people participating in ArtPrize, but being allowed to play even a small part in that creative energy has meant more to me than I can say.
One of the highlights was being interviewed for Voices of ArtPrize, which gave me the opportunity to talk about The Matriarch, what inspired the series, and what it has meant to be part of ArtPrize.
The experience has also brought unexpected connections and opportunities.
Northern Michigan University shared my ArtPrize story, which was especially meaningful to me. I have also received invitations to speak with groups including the Zonta Club and the Ladies' Library Association, giving me the opportunity to share not only my artwork but also the story behind this second chapter of my creative life.
My work is also expanding into new retail spaces, including Ledge Craft Lane, where I am beginning to share more of the lighter and more playful side of my artwork alongside my fine art.
I am also looking ahead to a solo exhibition in July.
The exhibition will bring together three bodies of work: The Knowing, The Matriarch, and the series I am currently developing, The Awakening.
Together, they create a progression.
The Knowing asks us to listen.
The Matriarch asks us to remember.
The Awakening asks us to see.
I am excited to continue developing that story and to see what happens when these three collections are experienced together.
And perhaps most importantly, I have met so many wonderful people.
Artists. Visitors. Supporters. People who simply stopped for a conversation.
Those moments have become part of the ArtPrize experience for me just as much as the exhibition itself.
I entered ArtPrize with five paintings and an idea.
I am leaving with new friendships, new opportunities, new inspiration, and an even stronger belief in the value of making art.
I love the idea that when we create something, we are putting something into the world that was not there before.
The world can always use more beauty, more curiosity, more imagination, and more reasons to stop and look a little closer.
ArtPrize reminded me of that.
And I am incredibly grateful that The Matriarch, and I, were able to be part of it.
Kelly Lynne Figueiredo
Media coverage
IN THE NEWS
Northern Michigan University shared Kelly’s path from public service to a full-time art practice and the story behind The Matriarch.
Read “NMU Alumna Featured in ArtPrize”