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A
SSOCIATED
N
EWSPAPERS OF
M
ICHIGAN
P
AGE
5
August 29, 2013
C
ANTON
- N
ORTHVILLE
It’s a snap
Local photographer’s work on
exhibit at Grand Rapids ArtPrize
Canton Farmers market now doubles state food funds
A Northville photographer has put the
beauty of Michigan on display at the presti-
gious ArtPrize 2013 competition in Grand
Rapids.
Two photographs by John O'Brien, a
Northville resident, have been selected for
an exhibition at Riverview Center, an office
building at 678 Front Ave. adjacent to the
historic Sixth Street Bridge and Grand
River Walk as part of the city-wide display.
An estimated 200,000 vehicles pass the site
on any given day, and O'Brien's work will be
seen by many more as the event brings hun-
dreds of thousands of art lovers to town,
according to event organizers.
ArtPrize is an international art competi-
tion with a $200,000 top prize decided
entirely by public vote. For 19 days, art pops
up in every inch of the city, and O'Brien said
he is thrilled to represent his hometown as
artists from around the world converge on
Grand Rapids to show their work, spark
conversation and vie for the valuable cash
awards.
“I never thought I would be selected to be
part of such a great event,” O'Brien said. “It
has been a humbling experience for me. I'm
excited and nervous to be showing two of
my favorite photos.”
O'Brien grewup inGrandville, and inher-
ited his love of photography and the out-
doors from his father, Jack O'Brien.
Although much of his photography reflects
the landscapes he first discovered and
explored in his youth while camping
throughout Michigan, O'Brien has taken his
camera on extensive travels through Italy,
France, Sweden, Finland, Germany, the
Netherlands, and theCaribbean.
O'Brien lives in Northville with his wife,
Terri, and daughters, Lauren and Darbi,
who grew up in front of their father's lens
and helped deepen his appreciation of the
power of photography, he said. O'Brien's
wife entered her husband in ArtPrize, and
Riverview Center immediately jumped on
the chance to display Tracks on Tin Shanty
BridgeRoad andForgottenWindow.
O'Brien's “day job” is director of Applied
Storytelling in Detroit, but he has spent his
life cultivating his love of photography. He
has taken his camera around the world but
his favorite place to shoot is Michigan, he
said.
Double Up Food Bucks, the pro-
gram designed by Fair Food
Network to expand access to
healthy food for low-income
Michigan residents and to support
Michigan farmers, is now under
way for a fourth season across the
State of Michigan. The Canton
Farmers Market is again one of the
nearly 100 farmers markets in
Michigan that doubles the value of
Supplemental
Nutrition
Assistance Program benefits-also
known as SNAP or food stamps-
whenused to purchase fresh, local-
ly-grown fruits and vegetables at a
farmersmarket.
Bridge Card users can purchase
tokens at the Canton Farmers
Market, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
every Sunday now through Oct. 20,
rain or shine. The DoubleUp Food
Bucks program matches Bridge
Card purchases up to $20 for pro-
duce only. These tokens will be
available at the back porch of the
Bartlett-Travis
House
in
Preservation Park, located at 500
N. RidgeRoad inCanton.
"We are very fortunate to be a
part of this program that increases
healthy food access while support-
ing Michigan agriculture and our
local economy," said Canton
Farmers Market Manager Tina
Lloyd. "It's great to see this type of
program in action that not only
encourages healthy menu plan-
ning by also honors Canton's agrar-
ian past and restores our connec-
tion to the land and the farmers
that sustainus."
Currently the Canton Farmers
Market provides 25-30 onsite ven-
dors every week in an open-air
market, offering farm-fresh locally-
grown produce, locally prepared
food and crafts created by local
artisans.
Warmer temperatures and fre-
quent rainfall, up until now, have
contributed to a bounty of summer
crops. If the temperatures spike
again, Market guests are encour-
aged to shop early to avoid the
heat.
For more information about
Double Up Food Bucks, visit fair-
foodnetwork.org.
For additional information
about the Canton Farmers Market,
visit www.cantonfun.org under the
Community Events tab or email
cantonfarmersmarket@canton-
mi.org.