ArtPrize
ArtPrize is an art competition and festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Anyone over the age of 18 can display their art, and any space within the three-square-mile ArtPrize district can be a venue. There are typically over 160 venues such as museums, galleries, bars, restaurants, hotels, public parks, bridges, laundromats, auto body shops, and more. ArtPrize lasts for 19 days beginning in late September, and during each festival $500,000 in cash prizes are awarded based on public voting and a jury of art experts. ArtPrize was created in 2009 by Rick DeVos, the son of Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos and United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. The DeVos family contributes approximately $560,000 annually to the ArtPrize budget. In 2017, the festival's connection to the DeVos family's wealth and their conservative politics was criticized by artist Eric Millikin in his “Made of Money” installation, placed within ArtPrize. In 2014, The Art Newspaper listed ArtPrize as one of the most-attended "big ticket" art events (those where visitors are often counted more than once), with ArtPrize's attendance of 440,000 being roughly one quarter of the 1.6 million who attended the Russian Imperial Costume exhibition at the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. ArtPrize was highlighted along with Slows Bar BQ and the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park as one of the reasons to visit Grand Rapids in The New York Times’ "52 Places To Go in 2016." In 2018, ArtPrize announced the Project exhibition to showcase larger works and planned to hold ArtPrize every other year, though the Project 1 event in 2019 experienced substantially less visitors. The twelfth ArtPrize was postponed in 2020 with officials citing the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 event ran from September 15 to October 2, 2022, with many visitors criticizing the smaller scale of works present. ArtPrize was conceived by Rick DeVos as an untraditional art contest with its goals being: any artist in the world could compete; anyone with property in downtown Grand Rapids could turn their space into a venue; and any visitor could vote for their favorite artwork. Event organizers would provide no selection committees or curators. And the largest cash prize in the art world would be awarded entirely by popular vote. At the inaugural ArtPrize, held in 2009, the winners were determined solely by the public, voting from mobile devices and the ArtPrize website. In 2010, ArtPrize added categories judged by art experts, and in 2014 restructured the awards format bringing two parallel tracks of public vote and juried awards with equal prize amounts. The updated award structure includes two Grand Prizes of $200,000, one chosen by public vote and one selected by a panel of three arts experts. An additional $100,000 in awards are given to artists in four entry categories—Two-Dimensional, Three-Dimensional, Time-Based, and Installation—as well as the Outstanding Venue Juried Award for best curatorial presentation. Visitors must attend the annual event in person in order to vote. They can either download the ArtPrize mobile app, free for iOS and Android devices, which uses location services to determine when a visitor has stepped into the three square-mile event district—or visit an ArtPrize HUB location to register in person. Each artist is assigned a 5-digit vote code which is posted near their entry during the event, and available both online and in the mobile app. The 2009 exhibition occurred in a 3-square-mile (7.8 km2) area of downtown Grand Rapids, from September 21 to October 9, 2009. 1,262 artists or artist collaboratives displayed their work in 159 venues. An estimated 200,000 attendees visited the event, with 334,219 total votes cast throughout the 19 days. = ArtPrize 2009 official participation numbers: 1,262 artist entries 159 venues 37,264 registered voters 334,219 total votes cast 200,000 (est.) visitors to Grand Rapids, Michigan = The 2009 prizes, totaling to $449,000, were: 1st place: $250,000 2nd: $100,000 3rd: $50,000 4th through 10th: $7,000 each Public Vote Top 10 On October 1, the top 10 entries were announced, and their ranking was announced October 8: Open Water no.24 – Ran Ortner (displayed at The Old Federal Building) Imagine That! – Tracy Van Duinen (displayed at the Grand Rapids Children's Museum) Portraits – Eric Daigh (displayed at The Old Federal Building) The Grand Dance – David Lubbers (displayed on the Grand River near the Blue Bridge) Moose – Bill Secunda (displayed at The B.O.B.) Nessie on the Grand – The Nessie Project (displayed on the Grand River near the Blue Bridge) Field of Reeds – John Douglas Powers (displayed at The Old Federal Building) The Furniture City Sets the Table for the World of Art – Sarah Grant (displayed on the Blue Bridge) Ecstasy of The Scarlet Empress – Jason Hackenwerth (displayed at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA)) winddancer 2 – Michael Westra (displayed on the Blue Bridge) = Two previously unannounced awards were handed out: Curators Choice Award ($5000): salt & earth – Young Kim, Winston-Salem, N.C. Sustainability Award ($2500): The Image Mill: Sustainable Cinema #1 by Scott Hessels The 2010 event took place from September 22 to October 10. The event introduced "Exhibition Centers," local cultural institutions featuring professional curation. Each ArtPrize Exhibition Center was required to host voter registration/activation as well as a retail presence. ArtPrize sought to have at least one Exhibition Center in each downtown Grand Rapids neighborhood. = ArtPrize 2010 official participation numbers: 1,713 artist entries 193 venues 21 countries and 44 U.S. states 44,912 registered voters 465,538 votes cast 250,000 (est.) visitors to Grand Rapids, Michigan = The 2010 prizes, which were decided by public vote, totaled $449,000, were: 1st place: $250,000 2nd: $100,000 3rd: $50,000 4th through 10th: $7,000 each Public Vote Top 10 On September 30, the 2010 Top 10 entries were announced, and their rankings were revealed during the Winners Announcement on October 7: Cavalry, American Officers, 1921 – Chris LaPorte, Grand Rapids, Michigan Svelata – Mia Tavonatti, Santa Ana, California Lure/Wave, Grand Rapids – Beili Liu, Austin, Texas A Matter Of Time – Paul Baliker, Palm Coast, Florida Vision – David Spriggs, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Helping mom one penny at a time – Wander Martich, Grand Rapids, Michigan Dancing With Lions – Bill Secunda, Butler, Pennsylvania salt & earth (garden for Patricia) – Young Kim, Winston-Salem, North Carolina SteamPig – The Steam Pig Experiment Birks, Jensen, Grand Rapids, Michigan Elephant Walk – Fredrick Prescott, Santa Fe, New Mexico = Event organizers announced the addition of four juried awards for ArtPrize 2010. Event organizers noted that, depending on sponsor availability, more juried awards might be added to the program. Categories and winners Two-Dimensional: Garden Party, Chez Hatfield – Andrew Lewis Doak and Adrian Clark Hatfield, Royal Oak, Michigan Three-Dimensional: XLoungeSeries – Mark Wentzel, Atlanta, Georgia Time/Performance: The Jettisoned – Yoni Goldstein, Chicago, Illinois Urban Space: Plan B – Rick and Rose Beerhorst, Andre Beaumont and Mike Hoyte, Grand Rapids, Michigan International: Evaporative Buildings – Alex Schweder La, Berlin, Germany / New York, New York Sustainability: A Matter Of Time – Paul Baliker, Palm Coast, Florida Jurors The 2011 event ran from September 21 to October 9. The biggest change to the competition was the addition of an exhibition center dedicated to performance art—St. Cecilia Music Society. The organization was also the recipient of a $100,000 Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. = ArtPrize 2011 official participation numbers: 1,582 artist entries 164 venues 39 countries and 43 U.S. states 38,811 registered voters 383,106 votes placed 322,000 visitors to Grand Rapids, Michigan = The 2011 prizes, which were decided by public vote, totaled $449,000, were: 1st place: $250,000 2nd: $100,000 3rd: $50,000 4th through 10th: $7,000 each Public Vote Top 10 On September 30, the 2010 Top 10 entries were announced, and their rankings were revealed during the Winners Announcement on October 6: Crucifixion – Mia Tavonatti, Santa Ana, California The Metaphorist Project – Tracy Van Duinen, Chicago, Illinois Rain – Lynda Cole, Ann Arbor, Michigan President Gerald Ford Visits ArtPrize – Sunti Pichetchaiyakul, Thailand and Montana Rusty: A Sense of Direction/Self Portrait – Ritch Branstrom, Rapid River, Michigan Grizzlies on the Ford – Llew “Doc” Tilma, Wayland, Michigan The Tempest II – Laura Alexander, Columbus, Ohio Ocean Exodus – Paul Baliker, Palm Coast, Florida Under Construction – Robert Shangle, Grand Rapids, Michigan Mantis Dreaming" – Bill Secunda, Butler, Pennsylvania = In addition to awards distributed as a result of a public vote, the organization distributed seven juried awards for ArtPrize 2011. An award dedicated to an outstanding venue was added in 2011. Each juried award winner received $7,000. Categories and winners Two-Dimensional: One Ordinary Day of an Ordinary Town – Mimi Kato, St. Louis, Missouri Three-Dimensional: Nature Preserve – Michelle Brody, New York, New York Time/Performance: Remember:Replay:Repeat – Caroline Young, Chicago, Illinois Urban Space: Salvaged Landscape – Catie Newell, Detroit, Michigan International: DISAPPEARANCES – an eternal journey – Shinji Turner-Yamamoto, Cincinnati, Ohio Venue: SiTE:LAB – Curator: Paul Amenta, Grand Rapids, Michigan Sustainability: Walking Home: stories from the desert to the Great Lakes – Laura Milkins, Tucson, Arizona Ox-Bow Residency: Progressive Movement(s) – Evertt Beidler, Portland, Oregon Jurors The 2012 ArtPrize competition ran from September 19 to October 7. The event introduced new changes to the ArtPrize Juried Awards program, including category prizes valued at $20,000 (up from $7,000) and a first-ever $100,000 Juried Grand Prize, decided by panel of three art experts. = ArtPrize 2012 official participation numbers: 1,517 artist entries 161 venues 46 countries 41 U.S. states and territories 47,160 voters 412,560 votes placed 375,000 (est.) visitors to Grand Rapids in 19 days = The 2012 prizes, which were decided by public vote, totaled $360,000, were: 1st place: $200,000 2nd: $75,000 3rd: $50,000 4th through 10th: $5,000 each Public Vote Top 10 The top 10 entries were determined by a record 412,560 votes, and announced on October 10. Elephants – Adonna Khare, Burbank, Calif. Song of Lift – Martijn van Wagtendonk, Colbert, Ga. Rebirth of Spring – Frits Hoendervanger, Detroit, Mich. Stick-to-it-ive-ness: Unwavering pertinacity; perseverance – Richard Morse, Fennville, Mich. Lights in the Night – Mark Carpenter and Dan Johnson, Grand Rapids, Mich. Life in Wood – Dan Heffron, Traverse City, Mich. Origami – Kumi Yamashita, Brooklyn, N.Y. The Chase – Artistry of Wildlife, Marlette, Mich. Return to Eden – Sandra Bryant, Lynden, Wa. City Band – Chris LaPorte, Grand Rapids, Mich. = In addition to awards distributed as a result of a public vote, the organization distributed seven juried awards, totaling $200,000, during ArtPrize 2012 in five categories and a juried grand prize. Each category winner received $20,000. The Juried Grand Prize winner was awarded $100,000. The award was decided by a three-member jury panel. Juried Grand Prize winner Displacement (13208 Klinger St.) – Design 99, Detroit, Mich Category Award winners Two-Dimensional: Habitat – Alois Kronschlaeger, Brooklyn, N.Y. Three-Dimensional: More or Less – ABCD 83, Chicago, Ill. Time/Performance: Three Phases – Complex Movements, Detroit, Mich. Urban Space: Flight – Dale Rogers, Haverhill, Ma. Venue: SiTE:LAB – Curator: Paul Amenta, Grand Rapids, Mich. Ox-Bow Residency: Collective Cover Project – Ann Morton, Phoenix, Ariz. Jurors The 2013 ArtPrize competition ran from September 18 to October 6. = ArtPrize 2013 official participation numbers: 1,805 artist entries 169 venues 47 countries and 45 U.S. states and territories 49,000 voters 446,850 votes cast 400,000 (est.) visitors to Grand Rapids, Michigan = The 2013 prizes, which were decided by public vote, totaled $360,000, were: 1st place: $200,000 2nd: $75,000 3rd: $50,000 4th through 10th: $5,000 each Public Vote Top 10 The top 10 entries were determined by a record 446,850 votes, and announced on October 4. Sleeping Bear Dune Lakeshore – Ann Loveless, Frankfort, Mich. Polar Expressed – Anni Crouter, Flint, Mich. UPlifting – Andy Sacksteder, Port Clinton, Ohio Dancing With Mother Nature – Paul Baliker, Palm Coast, Fla. Botanical Exotica a Monumental Collection of the Rare beautiful – Jason Gamrath, Seattle, Wash. Earth Giant – Benjamin Gazsi, Morgantown, W.V. Myth-or-Logic – Robin Protz, New Hartford, Conn. Finding Beauty in Bad Things: Porcelain Vine – Fraser Smith, St Pete Beach, Fla. Taking Flight – Michael Gard, San Francisco, Calif. Tired Pandas – Nick Jakubiak, Battle Creek, Mich. = In addition to awards distributed as a result of a public vote, the organization distributed seven juried awards, totaling $200,000, during ArtPrize 2013 in five categories and a juried grand prize. Each category winner received $20,000. The Juried Grand Prize winner was awarded $100,000. The award was decided by a three-member jury panel. Juried Grand Prize winner Ecosystem – Carlos Bunga, Barcelona, Spain Category Winners Two-Dimensional: Europa and the Flying Fish – Kyle Staver, New York, N.Y. Three-Dimensional: Through the Skies for You – Kevin Cooley / Phillip Andrew Lewis, Chattanooga, Tenn. Time/Performance: The Last Post – Shahzia Sikander, New York, N.Y. Urban Space: united.states : an everydaypeople project – J.D. Urban, Brooklyn, N.Y. Venue: The Fed Galleries @ KCAD, Kendall College of Art and Design – Curator: Michele Bosak, Grand Rapids, Mich. Ox-Bow Residency: Erase – Greg Bokor, Beverly, Mass. Jurors = David Dodde's Fleurs et riviere was an entry that placed magnetic flowers on the Alexander Calder sculpture La Grande Vitesse. After getting complaints, the City of Grand Rapids contacted the Calder Foundation to get their input. Calder's grandson, Alexander S. C. Rower, replied: "The initiative is luckily temporary and reflects an utter lack of understanding and respect of Calder's genius." The city decided to have the flowers removed before the end of the exhibition. The 2014 ArtPrize competition ran from September 24 to October 12. = ArtPrize 2014 official participation numbers: 1,536 artist entries 174 venues 41,956 voters 398,714 votes placed 441,000+ (est.) visitors to Grand Rapids, Michigan = The public vote determined three $20,000 category winners and a $200,000 grand prize winner. The grand prize winner does not receive $20,000 for their category win. Public Vote Grand Prize winner Intersections – Anila Quayyum Agha, Indianapolis, Indiana Category Award winners Two-Dimensional: Outcry – Gretchyn Lauer, Grand Rapids, Michigan Three-Dimensional: Reciprocity – Marc Sijan, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Time-Based: Your Move? – Robert Shangle, Sparta, Michigan Installation: Intersections – Anila Quayyum Agha, Indianapolis, Indiana = The jury awarded five $20,000 category winners and a $200,000 grand prize winner. There was a tie for the grand prize, so each winner received $100,000. Juried Grand Prize winners A first in ArtPrize history, the Grand Prize Jury recognized two outstanding works—splitting the $200,000 Juried Grand Prize. Intersections – Anila Quayyum Agha, Indianapolis, Indiana The Hair Craft Project – Sonya Clark, Richmond, Virginia This is also the first time the opinions of both the voting public and the jury of art experts converged, awarding a top prize to one piece – Intersections by Anila Quayyum Agha. Category Award winners Two-Dimensional: The Hair Craft Project – Sonya Clark, Richmond, Virginia Three-Dimensional: Tengo Hambre – Maximo Gonzalez, Mexico City, Mexico Time-Based: respirador (breather) – Dance in the Annex, Grand Rapids, Michigan Installation: Symptomatic Constant – Julie Schenkelberg, Brooklyn, New York Outstanding venue: SiTE:LAB @ The Morton, – Curator: Paul Amenta, Grand Rapids, Michigan Jurors The 2015 ArtPrize (also known as ArtPrize Seven) competition ran from September 23 to October 11. = ArtPrize 2015 official participation numbers: 1,649 artist entries 162 venues 35,481 registered voters 422,763 votes cast 438,000+ (est.) visitors to Grand Rapids, Michigan = The public vote determined three $12,500 category winners and a $200,000 grand prize winner. The grand prize winner does not receive $12,500 for their category win. Public Vote Grand Prize winner Northwood Awakening – Loveless Photofiber, Frankfort, Michigan Category Award winners Two-Dimensional: Northwood Awakening – Loveless Photofiber, Frankfort, Michigan Three-Dimensional: Greatest Generation/Beta Team/November – Fred Cogelow, Wilmar, Minnesota Time-Based: Whisper – Emily Kennerk, Zionsville, Indiana Installation: REACH and SPLASH – Andy Sacksteder, Gladstone, Michigan = The jury awarded five $12,500 category winners and a $200,000 grand prize winner. Juried Grand Prize winner Higher Ground – Kate Gilmore, Queens, New York Category Award winners The category winners were: Two-Dimensional: The Fearless Brother Project Presents – Monroe O'Bryant, Kentwood, Michigan Three-Dimensional: The Last Supper – Julie Green, Corvallis, Oregon Time-Based: That Was Then – Prince Thomas, Houston, Texas Installation: In Our Element – Ruben Ubiera, Miami, Florida Outstanding venue: SiTE:LAB @ The Rumsey Street Project, – Curator: Paul Amenta, Grand Rapids, Michigan Jurors The jurors were: The 2016 ArtPrize competition, also known as ArtPrize Eight, took place from September 21 to October 9. = 1,453 artist entries 170 venues 37,433 registered voters 380,119 votes cast 507,000+ (est.) visitors to Grand Rapids, Michigan = The public vote determined three $12,500 category winners and a $200,000 grand prize winner. The grand prize winner does not receive $12,500 for their category win. Public Vote Grand Prize Winner Wounded Warrior Dogs – James Mellick, Milford Center, Ohio Category Award Winners Two-Dimensional: Portraits of Light and Shadow - Joao Paulo Goncalves, Pompano Beach, Florida Three-Dimensional: Wounded Warrior Dogs - James Mellick, Milford Center, Ohio Installation: The Butterfly Effect - Allison Leigh Smith and Bryce Pettit, Durango, Colorado Time-Based: Sweeper's Clock - Maarten Baas, Den Bosch, North Brabant, Netherlands = The jury awarded five $12,500 category winners and a $200,000 grand prize winner. Juried Grand Prize Winner The Bureau of Personal Belonging – Stacey Kirby, Durham, North Carolina Category Award Winners Two-Dimensional: les bêtes - Isaac Aoki, Grand Rapids, Michigan Three-Dimensional: Excavations - William Lamson, New York, New York Installation: This Space is Not Abandoned - 912 CollABORATIVE, Grand Rapids, Michigan Time-Based: Search Engine Vision “ISIS” - Eric Souther, Mishawaka, Indiana Outstanding Venue: Split between EVERYTHING IS TRANSFORMED, SiTE:LAB / Rumsey St. Project and This Space is Not Abandoned, 912 Grandville Avenue. Jurors The ArtPrize Eight jurors included: The 2017 ArtPrize competition, also known as ArtPrize Nine, took place from September 20 to October 8. = 1,346 artist entries 175 venues 43,010 registered voters 384,053 votes cast 522,000+ (est.) visitors to Grand Rapids, Michigan = The public vote determined three $12,500 category winners and a $200,000 grand prize winner. The grand prize winner does not receive $12,500 for their category win. Public Vote Grand Prize Winner A. Lincoln – Richard Schlatter, Battle Creek, Michigan Category Award Winners Two-Dimensional: A. Lincoln - Richard Schlatter, Battle Creek, Michigan Three-Dimensional: Lux Maximus Fused Glass, Copper, Bronze and Metal - Daniel Oropeza, Costa Mesa, California Installation: Oil + Water - Ryan Spencer Reed, Ludington, Michigan; Richard App, Grand Rapids, Michigan Time-Based: Red Dirt Rug Monument - Rena Detrixe, Tulsa, Oklahoma = The jury awarded five $12,500 category winners and a $200,000 grand prize winner. Juried Grand Prize Winner The Heartside Community Meal – Seitu Jones, St. Paul, Minnesota Category Award Winners Two-Dimensional: Sofía Draws Every Day: Years 2, 3, and 4 - Sofía Ramírez Hernández, Grand Rapids, Michigan Three-Dimensional: Flint - Ti-Rock Moore, New Orleans, Louisiana Installation: Society of 23's Locker Dressing Room - Jeffrey Augustine Songco, Grand Rapids, Michigan Time-Based: Red Dirt Rug Monument - Rena Detrixhe, Tulsa, Oklahoma Outstanding Venue: The Fed Galleries @ KCAD, Kendall College of Art and Design – Curator: Michele Bosak, Grand Rapids, Mich. Jurors The ArtPrize Nine jurors included: The 2018 ArtPrize competition, also known as ArtPrize 10, ran from September 19 to October 7. Important Dates For 2019, ArtPrize began its "Project" exhibition series, with Project 1 running from September 7 to October 27. The concept was to alternate between ArtPrize and the Project series every year. While ArtPrize organizers described Project 1 as a success, crowds were much smaller and visitors criticized the event as being less festive. As Project 1 was concluding, the executive director of ArtPrize, Jori Bennett, announced that she would step down. Official Website ArtPrize on Facebook ArtPrize on Twitter ArtPrize on Instagram