Pentwater resident and horseshoe nail sculpture artist Alan VanDuinen is among the hundreds of entries at this year’s ArtPrize 2025 going on now in Grand Rapids, Mich., from now until Saturday, Oct. 4. VanDuinen’s “Nailed in Time: Holy Week Reflections” is on display at Cornerstone Church. Located at 48 Lafayette St., in the heart of the Heritage Hills district, VanDuinen’s exhibit is among 38 artist exhibits on display at the Grand Rapids church.
The entire exhibit includes 91 human forms and was created using 719 horseshoe nails. He specifically uses horseshoe nails, ordered online from a company out of Kentucky. The nails, made for shoeing horses, are made up of different metals, making them softer than carpenter nails. “People think I weld them together, but because the metal is soft, I actually solder them,” VanDuinen explained. “I take five horseshoe nails to form the body, arms and legs. Then by bending and soldering them, I can create a variety of human forms that show emotion and personality.”
VanDuinen, who was raised in New Era, is a former high school math teacher and residential home builder who has been doing nail sculpture for over 50 years. His sculptures, sold through craft shows for many years, mainly represent people. Part of his 50-year artistic journey even allowed him the privilege of gifting sculptures to Johnny Cash, President Richard Nixon and President Gerald R. Ford. But his “Nailed in Time” work holds much more meaning for him.
Three years ago he was asked by a former pastor, who is now in Muskegon, if he’d be interested in creating a nail sculpture display of Holy Week events. It was to be part of a church-wide exhibition that included art of all forms. “It was meant to be a multi-sensory experience as part of their traditional Good Friday service. I worked on it from January to Good Friday that year,” VanDuinen said.
The exhibit is patterned after the 14 “Stations of the Cross” or “Way of the Cross” images or carvings, displayed in some churches or other sacred places, depicting the key events in the Passion of Jesus Christ. These “stations” are used as a focal point for further prayer and reflection by worshippers throughout the church year, but specifically during Lent and on Good Friday.
The commissioned art opportunity for that Muskegon church opened the door for VanDuinen to display his “Nailed in Time” sculptures at a Grand Haven church two years ago. Then during the Easter season this year, he displayed them at his home church, New Era Reformed. After seeing them for himself, a fellow congregant encouraged him to enter them in ArtPrize. “I never would have entered if I didn’t have grandkids who are techy and could help me with the online enrollment process,” joked VanDuinen.
“I had to submit an artist’s statement, provide pictures and select the venues where I wanted to display my art,” he said. “The venues also have to put out a spiel and invite artists to consider them as a location.
“After I’d been selected by the Cornerstone Church, I went to one of their services and met one of their ArtPrize venue committee members. They shared that their committee had invited a variety of artists to consider them as their venue. Not all works are faith-based, but there are many beautiful pieces to see.”
VanDuinen, who was on site last weekend and intends to be there the next two weekends, said it has been an interesting journey. “The conversations I’ve been able to have with different people have been enlightening. As I’m talking to people, I share with them that it’s been more than about just creating sculptures. This exhibit highlights a personal relationship that has been developed over the years. I’ve highlighted 14 key events of Holy Week from the Garden of Gethsemane to the Entombment. Each sculpture is accompanied by a sign identifying what event it represents. At the end of the exhibit I have a sign saying, ‘Is it finished?’ I wanted to put the emphasis on the Resurrection and the empty tomb, and all that it means for humanity.”
One visitor, a pastor’s wife, commented to VanDuinen last weekend that she was very familiar with the timeline of Holy Week, but as she went through the display, she had tears streaming down her face as she considered everything they represented.
ArtPrize venues are divided up into five districts, and while downtown Grand Rapids may see the most action, there are over 1,000 entries located at numerous venues across the city.
ArtPrize runs through Saturday, Oct. 4. Outdoor exhibits are available 24/7, while indoor exhibits are open to the public Mondays through Thursdays from 5-8 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 8 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. VanDuinen plans to be present with his exhibit each weekend, as well as some weekdays as he is available.
In an effort to encourage public engagement, visitors may vote for their favorite exhibits until Thursday, Oct. 2 at 10 p.m. “Voting is your way to help shape the competition! Every vote counts toward determining which entries move forward in the competition and, ultimately, which artists take home the prizes,” states the official ArtPrize website. “Your first vote must be from within ArtPrize boundaries. Once registered, you can vote for as many entries as you like, but only once per entry per day. After a full 24 hours, you can vote for the same entries again.”
For more information about ArtPrize locations, finding specific artists, voting protocol, events and more, please visit https://www.artprize.org/visit....
