Power Portraits
Joy Looks Good
The project
The Spectrum Between Us
In this year’s ArtPrize installation, The Spectrum Between Us, 30 portraits flew 10 feet in the air behind HAS HEART in Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Grand Rapids, each one paired with a hand-dyed tapestry that reflects the exact color worn in the photo. These colors aren’t just visual—they’re emotional frequencies: joy, calm, strength, renewal. During ArtPrize, the rainbow came alive—rippling in the wind, telling stories, and honoring the freedom to be fully seen.
Power Portraits
Each hue in the series holds a story. Read their stories and see which one is calling you.

Dustin in Burgundy
Dustin approached color the same way he approaches motion—with curiosity, restraint, and trust in the process. By removing color first and gently dashing Burgundy back into the fabric, his upcycled pieces began to feel like rhythm made visible.

Chance in Moss & Brazil Nut
Chance in Moss Green and Brazil Nut feels like the moment a forest floor comes alive after rain. Grounded, curious, quietly playful—this portrait is about what happens when someone who lives in structure gives himself permission to wander.

Dante in New Black
Dante doesn’t speak loudly—but his presence is unforgettable. New Black isn’t flat — it sparkles with purpose, like midnight confetti. Dante in New Black is about depth, resilience, and redefining power in stillness.

Ryan in Truffle Brown
Truffle Brown is the color of sacred ground—rich, earthen, and steady. In this portrait, we meet Ryan DeLuca: a somatic therapist and founder of Cacao de Luca, whose presence speaks in gentle rhythms and grounded rituals. Photographed in the forests

Shauna in Rust Brown
Shauna dances with the earth—fearless, and full of grace. A writer, poet, and grounded traveler, she moved through The Highlands in a storm, wrapped in the richness of rust, truffle, and chamois browns. These aren’t just colors—they’re layers of history,

Melissa in Baby Pink
Melissa in Baby Pink glowed like a whisper in motion. A romantic at heart and a shapeshifter of style, Melissa shows us what it means to wear joy like it’s your birthright.

Yamalisa in Hot Pink
Yamalisa doesn’t just wear pink—she commands it. In hot pink, she walked through Lookout Park like a queen reborn, radiating strength through stillness and elegance through action. A leader in both the legal world and the lives of young women

Amber in Dragon Fruit
Amber moves through the world like a wild flame — vibrant, untamed, and brimming with creative energy. Wrapped in Dragon Fruit pink, she embodies both fierce individuality and tender sweetness, a living contradiction that feels utterly magnetic.

Hannah in Raspberry
Raspberry is a hue of sweetness and strength — and so is Hannah. From her vibrant curls to the infinity bands on her wrists, every detail spoke of a woman who nurtures joy, connection, and legacy. Hannah reminds us that

Lillian in Magenta
Lillian wore Magenta Galactica like it was stitched from her own soul — layered, cosmic, and alive with complexity. Neurodivergent and beautifully self-aware, Lillian is learning to celebrate her sensitivity as her greatest strength. This color wasn’t just clothing —

Nick in Red Violet
Nick stepped out of black and into Red Violet — a color of curiosity, transformation, and emotional depth. We met dancing at Rosa Parks Circle, and in this shade, he came alive. This portrait captures a moment of flow, of

Marlise in Grape
Marlise moves through life like a living bouquet — steady, radiant, and full of quiet power. An art educator, dancer, and soon to be somatic teacher, she chose grape as her Power Portrait: rich, romantic, and emotionally alive. This hue

Laego in Ultraviolet
Laego holds multitudes — quiet yet electric, grounded yet imaginative. Styled in Ultraviolet, with dyed hair to match, he looked like a firework mid-fade — vivid, emotional, and powerful in his softness. This is a color for artists who move

Mika in Periwinkle
Mika in Blue-Violet is a portrait of transformation—someone standing between worlds, blooming where softness meets structure. Mika holds the story of being both the flower and the stone, of letting yourself be seen before you’re fully formed.

Momo in Midnight Blue
Momo Gueye embodies resilience and radiance. From being discovered by Marrakshi Life at sixteen to modeling across continents and now studying fashion at Kendall College, his journey is one of strength, purpose, and grace. When he held a handful of

Lynn in Cobalt Blue
On 6 acres of her parent’s land, Lynn came alive in deep splattered blues—elegant, cinematic, and quietly commanding. Known for shaping stories behind the scenes, Lynn stepped into the frame with the grace of a classic film star and the

Nate in Cerulean Blue
Cerulean Blue is the color of possibility—a soft expanse that makes space for both dreams and grounding. In this portrait, Nate brings intuitive motion and sound into form, reminding us that healing isn’t always loud or linear. It’s often found

Matty in Turquoise
Matty Moon radiates like sky and sea in Turquoise—a hue chosen by his daughter, but worn like a second skin. As the creator of Moondance and a somatic practitioner guiding others through movement and breath, Matty invites everyone into authentic,

Parker in Celadon
Parker flows through life like water—intentional, grounded, and alive. Photographed among the tall grasses at Crahen Valley Park, his Celadon portrait reflects a heart-centered balance between play and purpose. With every step, he reminds us that clarity doesn’t require certainty—just

River in Jade Green
River moves through the world like a whisper—soft but unforgettable. Photographed in a blend of sea-glass greens, she embodied the quiet power of Jade: heart-led, grounded, and fluid. A dancer and feeler learning to trust her own pace, River reminds

Amy in Sea Glass
Sea Glass is resilience made visible—softened edges, delicate strength, and a calm radiance that speaks of transformation. For Amy, this hue mirrors her own journey: from dance interrupted by pain, to finding her way back through movement, healing, and community.

Angel in Kelly Green
Angel is a powerhouse. She feels deeply, loves fiercely, blossoms when she feels safe, and radiates in the sanctuary of color. We danced through the lens together to honor her favorite color: Kelly Green, the green of growth, strength, safety,

Josh in Lime Squeeze
Lime Squeeze is alive and electric. It’s tart, playful, and full of spark—like the crisp slap of a drum. From drum circles to classrooms to festivals, Josh plants seeds of music that grow wherever they land. In Lime Squeeze, he

Nessa in Chartreuse
Chartreuse is wild, electric, and alive. It lives where yellow meets green, vibrating with renewal and risk. In this portrait, we meet Nessa, who stepped into her power among the blooms of Hillcrest Community Gardens. Regal, radiant, and deeply present,

Tiece in Lemon Yellow
Tiece walks gently, like the first light of morning. In Lemon Yellow, she glowed—not loudly, but steadily. A future social worker and soft-spoken guide, she carries resilience on her skin and warmth in her words. Her portrait feels like clarity

Jesse in Daffodil
Jesse and I met under a parachute and connected over how childlike joy connects us. He didn’t think yellow was his color until he wore Daffodil… and suddenly, he was the sun. ☀️ Lighthearted, grounded, and radiant, Jesse reminds us

Bee in Deep Yellow
Bee moves through the world like sunlight — quietly pollinating joy wherever she goes. Wrapped in Golden Yellow and Marigold, she embodies warmth, resilience, and the steady glow of someone stepping fully into their light.

Kendall in Soft Orange
Kendall and I met a drum circle where rhythm, fire, and connection flowed freely. With his drum, his joy, and the golden glow of Soft Orange we flowed around P. J. Hoffmaster State Park. A return to rhythm. A return

Franklin in Orange Crush
Franklin carries the kind of peace that can’t be faked. He radiates the calm clarity of someone deeply rooted. At Proven Trails, he moved through earth and light in vibrant Orange Crush—playing tones on a singing bowl, embodying presence, creativity,

Breah in Peach
Breah doesn’t just hold space — she sweetens it. With crystals, a hula hoop, and joy in her bones, she let the color wrap around her like sunlight. Peach is her perfect match — soft, radiant, and full of grace.

AJ in Scarlet Red
Scarlet is not for the faint of heart. It’s fire in motion—bold, grounded, alive. Aj’s creative energy burns bright and purposeful. We began our shoot at Vault of Midnight, flipping through anime pages and firebender lore, then walked into the

Cassie in Pomegranate Red
Cassie is a phoenix in motion—embodying Pomegranate with fierce softness and sacred fire. She dances between ripeness and ritual, showing us how red can root, rise, and reclaim. This hue is not about wearing something loud—it’s about being deeply felt.




