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.

Concept
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.

2009 competition
The 2009 exhibition occurred in a 3 sqmi 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.

Participation
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

Public Vote Awards
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:
 * 1) Open Water no.24 – Ran Ortner (displayed at The Old Federal Building)
 * 2) Imagine That! – Tracy Van Duinen (displayed at the Grand Rapids Children's Museum)
 * 3) Portraits – Eric Daigh (displayed at The Old Federal Building)
 * 4) The Grand Dance – David Lubbers (displayed on the Grand River near the Blue Bridge)
 * 5) Moose – Bill Secunda (displayed at The B.O.B.)
 * 6) Nessie on the Grand – The Nessie Project (displayed on the Grand River near the Blue Bridge)
 * 7) Field of Reeds – John Douglas Powers (displayed at The Old Federal Building)
 * 8) The Furniture City Sets the Table for the World of Art – Sarah Grant (displayed on the Blue Bridge)
 * 9) Ecstasy of The Scarlet Empress – Jason Hackenwerth (displayed at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA))
 * 10) winddancer 2 – Michael Westra (displayed on the Blue Bridge)

Surprise Awards
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

2010 competition
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.

Participation
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

Public Vote Awards
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:


 * 1) Cavalry, American Officers, 1921 – Chris LaPorte, Grand Rapids, Michigan
 * 2) Svelata – Mia Tavonatti, Santa Ana, California
 * 3) Lure/Wave, Grand Rapids – Beili Liu, Austin, Texas
 * 4) A Matter Of Time – Paul Baliker, Palm Coast, Florida
 * 5) Vision – David Spriggs, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
 * 6) Helping mom one penny at a time – Wander Martich, Grand Rapids, Michigan
 * 7) Dancing With Lions – Bill Secunda, Butler, Pennsylvania
 * 8) salt & earth (garden for Patricia) – Young Kim, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
 * 9) SteamPig – The Steam Pig Experiment Birks, Jensen, Grand Rapids, Michigan
 * 10) Elephant Walk – Fredrick Prescott, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Juried Awards
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

2011 competition
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.

Participation
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

Public Vote Awards
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:


 * 1) Crucifixion – Mia Tavonatti, Santa Ana, California
 * 2) The Metaphorist Project – Tracy Van Duinen, Chicago, Illinois
 * 3) Rain – Lynda Cole, Ann Arbor, Michigan
 * 4) President Gerald Ford Visits ArtPrize – Sunti Pichetchaiyakul, Thailand and Montana
 * 5) Rusty: A Sense of Direction/Self Portrait – Ritch Branstrom, Rapid River, Michigan
 * 6) Grizzlies on the Ford – Llew “Doc” Tilma, Wayland, Michigan
 * 7) The Tempest II – Laura Alexander, Columbus, Ohio
 * 8) Ocean Exodus – Paul Baliker, Palm Coast, Florida
 * 9) Under Construction – Robert Shangle, Grand Rapids, Michigan
 * 10) Mantis Dreaming" – Bill Secunda, Butler, Pennsylvania

Juried Awards
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

2012 competition
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.

Participation
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

Public Vote Awards
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.
 * 1) Elephants – Adonna Khare, Burbank, Calif.
 * 2) Song of Lift – Martijn van Wagtendonk, Colbert, Ga.
 * 3) Rebirth of Spring – Frits Hoendervanger, Detroit, Mich.
 * 4) Stick-to-it-ive-ness: Unwavering pertinacity; perseverance – Richard Morse, Fennville, Mich.
 * 5) Lights in the Night – Mark Carpenter and Dan Johnson, Grand Rapids, Mich.
 * 6) Life in Wood – Dan Heffron, Traverse City, Mich.
 * 7) Origami – Kumi Yamashita, Brooklyn, N.Y.
 * 8) The Chase – Artistry of Wildlife, Marlette, Mich.
 * 9) Return to Eden – Sandra Bryant, Lynden, Wa.
 * 10) City Band – Chris LaPorte, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Juried Awards
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.

2013 competition
The 2013 ArtPrize competition ran from September 18 to October 6.

Participation
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

Public Vote Awards
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.
 * 1) Sleeping Bear Dune Lakeshore – Ann Loveless, Frankfort, Mich.
 * 2) Polar Expressed – Anni Crouter, Flint, Mich.
 * 3) UPlifting – Andy Sacksteder, Port Clinton, Ohio
 * 4) Dancing With Mother Nature – Paul Baliker, Palm Coast, Fla.
 * 5) Botanical Exotica a Monumental Collection of the Rare beautiful – Jason Gamrath, Seattle, Wash.
 * 6) Earth Giant –  Benjamin Gazsi, Morgantown, W.V.
 * 7) Myth-or-Logic – Robin Protz, New Hartford, Conn.
 * 8) Finding Beauty in Bad Things: Porcelain Vine – Fraser Smith, St Pete Beach, Fla.
 * 9) Taking Flight – Michael Gard, San Francisco, Calif.
 * 10) Tired Pandas – Nick Jakubiak, Battle Creek, Mich.

Juried awards
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.

Controversy
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.

2014 competition
The 2014 ArtPrize competition ran from September 24 to October 12.

Participation
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

Public Vote Awards
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

Juried Awards
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. 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.
 * Intersections – Anila Quayyum Agha, Indianapolis, Indiana
 * The Hair Craft Project – Sonya Clark, Richmond, Virginia

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

2015 competition
The 2015 ArtPrize (also known as ArtPrize Seven) competition ran from September 23 to October 11.

Participation
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

Public Vote Awards
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

Juried Awards
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:

2016 Competition
The 2016 ArtPrize competition, also known as ArtPrize Eight, took place from September 21 to October 9.

Participation

 * 1,453 artist entries
 * 170 venues
 * 37,433 registered voters
 * 380,119 votes cast
 * 507,000+ (est.) visitors to Grand Rapids, Michigan

Public Vote Awards
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

Juried Awards
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:

2017 Competition
The 2017 ArtPrize competition, also known as ArtPrize Nine, took place from September 20 to October 8.

Participation

 * Red Dirt Rug Monument.png,346 artist entries
 * 175 venues
 * 43,010 registered voters
 * 384,053 votes cast
 * 522,000+ (est.) visitors to Grand Rapids, Michigan

Public Vote Awards
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

Juried Awards
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:

2018 Competition
The 2018 ArtPrize competition, also known as ArtPrize 10, ran from September 19 to October 7.

Important Dates

2019 Project 1
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.