Emily Kennerk’s award-winning piece, “Whisper,” showcased the power of words. (submitted photo)
Artist Emily Kennerk of Zionsville made a lot of noise at the recent ArtPrize international art competition in Grand Rapids, Mich., literally. With earplugs in, Kennerk patiently explained to the thousands of attendees during the 19-day event the idea of her piece, “Whisper.” Constructed of an 80-foot table complete with place settings with wiring attached underneath the table to a microphone, the piece showcased the power of what we say, the heard and unheard. As attendees whispered into the microphone the table shook with place settings falling to the ground. Her originality resulted in the piece reaching the public and juried Top 20 out of 1,550 works of art and winning the Time-Based Public Vote $12,500 award. Kennerk told the crowd, “I had a 90-year-old tell me of her ‘small voice,’ but when she stepped to the microphone and spoke, she shook the table. At that moment I thought, ‘I’ve already won.’”
