by Paula S. Thompson

Created on: October 10, 2009   Last Updated: May 13, 2012

Since Alexander Calder's La Grande Vitesse was installed outside City Hall in 1969, Grand Rapids, Michigan has been at the forefront of public art installations. The most recent addition to its public art history is ArtPrize, an international art competition which allows any artists the chance to showcase their work.

The first ArtPrize competition was held September 23rd through October 10th, 2009. The mission of ArtPrize was to open conversation between artists and their audience, as the competition culminates in a public vote for the prize money.

ArtPrize works were placed in over 150 venues throughout a three-square-mile boundary in Grand Rapids; the boundaries were Leonard St. (north), Wealthy St. (south), College Ave. (east), and Straight/Alpine Ave. (west). Artists petitioned venues for places to host their work; if a venue felt an artist matched their venue, a "Hosting Agreement" was signed between the venue and the artist. Venues could be indoors or outdoors, of any size and any type; venues for 2009 ranged from parks to store fronts to restaurants and bars. In addition, a number of art galleries within the boundaries, such as Open Concept Gallery and the Grand Rapids Art Museum, also participated.

For an artist to be eligible for ArtPrize, he or she must be 18 years of age, have not received payment of any sort for the work being displayed, and must display the work at a registered ArtPrize venue. Only one work can be submitted per artist, and a non-refundable $50 entry fee is required. the artist is responsible for transporting the work to the venue and removing it; an artist may sell the piece on display, but it must remain on display for the length of the competition.

To vote in ArtPrize, one must register. Voters must be at least 16 years old and present a valid government-issued ID (driver's licence, passport, or other state ID). During the first week of voting, registered voters vote "up" or "down" on any artist; "up" votes are used to determine the top 10 for final voting, while "down" votes are used to show which artists are creating the most conversation or controversy. All voting is done electronically - online, via text message, via mobile browser, or by iPhone app. During the second week of voting, the field is narrowed to 10, and voters have one vote to cast for their favorite.

The top prize for ArtPrize for 2009 was $250,000; second place received $100,000, third place $50,000, and fourth through tenth place received $7,000 each. The inaugural winner of ArtPrize was Ran Ortner, whose oil on canvas work, Open Water no, 24, was featured at the Old Federal Building on N. Division Ave. It will now go on display at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.

Source: artprize.org

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