You see, any artist can enter – as long as you can find a venue to host your artwork. And any location within the ArtPrize boundary (mostly within downtown Grand Rapids) can become a venue to host art. This is the second year of ArtPrize and there are 1713 artists with artwork showcased at 192 different venues.
I didn’t make it downtown last year at all for ArtPrize and really didn’t know much about it until it was already underway. This year I really wanted to get down there and/or take my girls – but I didn’t know what to expect in terms of parking, shuttles, how to get around from venue to venue… That’s one thing I do miss about working downtown – I used to know everything that was going on down there and could explore on my own during lunchtime or after work. So I was excited when a friend called me and invited me to go downtown with her on Saturday night for a couple of hours.
ArtPrize = Part arts festival, part social experiment
This international contest is decided solely by public vote. The event is designed for you to take it into your own hands and make it what you want it to be. The outcomes of ArtPrize are infinite. What will you bring to the equation?
You = Creator
ArtPrize is a platform for creation. The event’s organizers are just a small part of the whole. Everyone brings something unique to the table, and we’re excited to see what you will bring.
Art = Community
Art is the focus of the competition, but the main event is community. Artists take over the city, visitors explore and new relationships form. Communities open to new ideas organically.
The community keeps growing, even after the event is over.
Want to see more photos of art from ArtPrize? Check out the official Flickr group!