Artprize

Artprize is not the phenomenon it once was. In fact, I think the first sign of its eventual slide into mediocrity was the elimination of the thumb-​down vote.
My friend and I often joke that all it takes to win Artprize is size, a modicum of skill, and a religious portrayal (but, only if it’s Jesus!) Any works that are genuinely compelling are ignored in favor of chainsaw-​art, or well-​organized piles of trash.
Look for our entry next year, a 20 foot margarine carving of Jesus waving the American flag.

Not only is this my favorite Grand Rapids event, it is by far my favorite event in the state of Michigan. Every year I look forward to Art Prize. I load the Art Prize app on my phone and I’m off for a great adventure. The entire downtown area is literally turned into a giant art show. Museums, convention centers, churches, restaurants, just about every type of building you can imagine has some type of art on display during Art Prize. Can you see it all in one day — heck no. You would be hard pressed to see it all in one week, but please don’t let that stop you from checking it out. They have a HUB, where you can go to get maps, help with the app if you’re not tech savvy, and the overall down-​low on the hot spots. If you’re limited on time just pick one of the larger venues. You can vote as many times as you would like, once you have registered. Hint, you cannot fully register until you are in the Grand Rapids area, which keeps voting fair and legit.
About half way through the event the top 20 pieces are announced, and voting continues but for those top 20 pieces only. After that, you can only vote for one in each category. I like to go the day before and the day of the top 20 being announced. So you can get in on the general voting and the top 20 voting!
If you live any where close to Grand Rapids, do yourself a favor and go check out Art Prize. You will be amazed at the wonderful creativity on display!

Such a great way to explore the grand Rapids area. So much to see. Whether you’re on a date or just hanging with the family there is something for everyone to see. I really enjoy going out to eat at an art prize venue and getting that unexpected boost of seeing some amazing pieces of art.

ArtPrize! So cool. Basically downtown Grand Rapids is turned into a gigantic art museum for a few weeks in the fall. Pretty much everywhere you go, there is art in front of you or right around the corner. Some of the installations are housed inside museums, colleges, libraries or churches. Other things are right out in the streets. And more can be found in coffeehouses, breweries, and even abandoned houses around town. The art ranges homemade craftiness to amazing installations worthy of a major art museum. Grab a map from someone in an «ask me» vest and get exploring. Or get the app.
A lot can be seen on foot, but a bike might be a fun way to get around too! There is sooooo much to see — don’t expect to do it all in one day.
This year is the seventh ArtPrize. Hope it continues for a long time to come.

ArtPrize is awesome!
You are super crazy if you don’t go and take it in! It runs for several weeks in the fall and covers many venues, indoor and outdoor, throughout downtown Grand Rapids. So many different art mediums displayed, their is sure to be something to knock your socks off. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because I have gone for the last 3 years and still get confused about what is where and the android app was pitiful. We missed several things that we wanted to see. Next year we will do an overnight because there are entries that look best at night and we want to have time to see it all… and eat at some of the great spots downtown!

I recently moved back to Michigan from out of state and my sisters invited me to attend Art Prize with them since they’ve enjoyed it so much in past years. My tastes in art are very limited, but I went anyways not really anticipating to enjoy the experience and was pleasantly surprised. Yep, there was very little of the art that I personally would like to own, but there were tons of exhibits that although not being something I’d ever want to own were interesting and got me thinking about not only the completed art, but also wondering about how many hours the artist had put into their creations and what their inspiration was when it was created. I would guess that last sentence probably describes a couple of the goals of the creators of Art Prize and if so then they succeeded in what they wanted to achieve. I only explored a few of the venues downtown in the general area of the Gerald Ford museum so I know I only saw a small fraction of what was available and look forward to returning in coming years to spend considerably more time exploring and learning. I’d heard from several people that this years Art Prize was not as impressive as other years events. If that’s the case I look forward to really being wowed in coming years since I thought this years was such an enjoyable experience. Check it out and I’m sure you will enjoy it too!