ArtPrize Artist Turns Anxiety and Overthinking Into Art That Reminds Viewers They Are Not Alone
Jake Newby
| 3 min read
For years, Rockford teen Isabelle Remington was one of the 900,000 annual ArtPrize visitors, wandering through Grand Rapids venues and drawing inspiration from thousands of participating artists from around the world. This year, others have a chance to draw inspiration from her art.
Remington’s ArtPrize 2026 entry, “Anatomy of the Overthinker,” uses charcoal, chalk, graphite and white colored pencil to portray the 18-year-old’s visual representation of anxiety and mental noise reverberating beneath a calm exterior.
Her work is meant to turn something we can’t see – the experience of overthinking and feeling trapped inside an anxious mind – into something visual and artistic.
Finding light in the darkness
The technical process behind Remington’s drawings is meant to reflect the emotions she is exploring.
Working primarily on black paper, she builds values with pencil and adds highlights with white colored pencil. Rather than simply adding darkness to a drawing, she describes the process as pulling light out of darkness to depict a quest for clarity when thoughts feel chaotic.
Remington says throughout “Anatomy of the Overthinker,” the human form becomes both a vessel and a prison; bodies appear boxed in or restrained, while skeletal anatomy, dissected dictionary definitions and intensely focused eyes reflect the feeling of being consumed by anxious thoughts.
Her favorite ArtPrize piece is “Under the Skin,” which illustrates that contrast to a tee. Half of the subject’s face appears like it might to the outside world, while the other half reveals the skeletal structure underneath.
“My art reflects my own journey over the past two years of my life,” Remington said. “As a highly introverted being, I am prone to periods of shyness, anxiety and stress. I want people not to just be able to look at my art and go ‘Wow,’ but I want them to be able to feel how I have gone through dark times myself.”
Experience ArtPrize in Grand Rapids
Remington’s work is part of the 2026 ArtPrize competition at the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Steketee’s Building, located at 86 Monroe Center St. NW, in downtown Grand Rapids.
ArtPrize runs Sept. 18 through Oct. 3, with participating venue hours generally running from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Some individual venues may have extended hours.
Additionally, the grand prize for winning this year’s public vote is a trip to space. Not for the artist, but a modified version of the art itself.
The winning piece will be digitized, placed on a laser-engraved plaque and sent into low-Earth orbit with California-based aerospace startup Reflect Orbital. After a Reflect satellite launches sometime next year, it will spin through the sky 500 kilometers above Earth at 18,000 miles per hour, according to WOOD TV. Voting is open now; click here to learn more.
This year’s ArtPrize event also features themed programming, including dance, music, visual art and fashion. Highlights include:
- An opening music celebration featuring the Earth Harp
- Doodle Street for young artists
- A Halftime Party at John Ball Zoo
- An Oct. 3 Awards Celebration featuring fashion, ballet, symphony and opera
Blue Cross has maintained a longstanding connection with ArtPrize, supporting the event and hosting artists at its Grand Rapids location over the years. The Steketee’s Building is again among the more than 150 venues participating this year. Head over to Art Prize’s website to learn more about the 2026 event.
Photo credit: WOOD TV
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