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ArtPrize is an international art competition held annually in Grand Rapids, Michigan, starting in 2009. ArtPrize is unusual both for the large top prize ($200,000, combined with other prizes cumulatively amounting to about $500,000) and for the method of judging entries.
Contents
- Concept
- 2009 competition
- Prizes
- Top 10
- Surprise awards
- 2010 competition
- Participation
- Juried awards
- Categories and winners
- 2011 competition
- 2012 competition
- Juried grand prize winner
- Category winners
- 2013 competition
- Controversy
- 2014 competition
- Public awards
- Public grand prize winner
- Juried grand prize winners
- 2015 competition
- Jurors
- References
Unlike traditional competitions, ArtPrize contestants are judged by the public as well as by a jury of professional artists. The initial ArtPrize, in 2009, was judged only by the public, voting from mobile devices and the ArtPrize web site. In 2010, ArtPrize added categories judged by juries. The current categories are Two-Dimensional, Three-Dimensional, Time-Based, and Installation. In each category, there is a winner based on voting and a winner selected by a jury. In addition, there are juried and voted grand prizes of $200,000.
Artists and venues (exhibition locations) are required to negotiate and coordinate during a process called Connections. Each artist applies to various Venues at which their art-work can be shown. If the artwork is not accepted by any Venue, it is not eligible for a prize. Also, if no artists will be showing at a Venue, that Venue will not be part of ArtPrize.
During the event, the public votes on the artists’ entries using mobile devices and the ArtPrize web page.
Concept
The concept of ArtPrize is that it accepts artists of all backgrounds, and anyone who shows up has a vote to decide the winner. The method of choosing the prize winner has been compared to American Idol. No one on the ArtPrize staff selects a single artist or directs them where to show their work.
Voters must register in person within the three-square-mile ArtPrize district, either at a physical registration location, or using the iPhone or Android application. Once registered, they may use the ArtPrize website, text messaging, or an iPhone or Android application to vote. For text message voting, each artist is assigned two 5-digit codes, one for a "thumbs up" vote and one for a "thumbs down" vote. Both of these codes are posted near every entry, with many artists incorporating them into their entries or promotional materials.
2009 competition
The 2009 exhibition occurred in a 3-square-mile (7.8 km2) area of downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. 1,262 artists or groups of artists displayed works in 159 venues.
Prizes
The 2009 prizes, totaling to $449,000, were:
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)
Surprise awards
Two previously unannounced awards were handed out:
2010 competition
The 2010 event took place from September 22 to October 10. It introduced " Exhibition Centers," local cultural institutions featuring professional curation. Each ArtPrize Exhibition Center is required to host voter registration/activation as well as a retail presence. ArtPrize's goal is to have at least one in each neighborhood.
Participation
ArtPrize 2010 official participation numbers:
Prizes
The 2010 prizes, which were decided by public vote, totaled $449,000, were:
Top 10
On Sept. 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, Mich.
- Svelata - Mia Tavonatti, Santa Ana, Calif.
- Lure/Wave, Grand Rapids - Beili Liu, Austin, Texas
- A Matter Of Time - Paul Baliker, Palm Coast, Fla.
- Vision - David Spriggs, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Helping mom one penny at a time - Wander Martich, Grand Rapids, Mich.
- Dancing With Lions - Bill Secunda, Butler, Pa.
- salt & earth (garden for Patricia) - Young Kim, Winston-Salem, N.C.
- SteamPig - The Steam Pig Experiment Birks, Jensen, Grand Rapids, Mich.
- Elephant Walk - Fredrick Prescott, Santa Fe, N.M.
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
2011 competition
The 2011 event runs from September 21 to October 9. The biggest change to the competition has been 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:
Prizes
The 2011 prizes, which were decided by public vote, totaled $449,000, were:
Top 10
On Sep 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, Calif.
- The Metaphorist Project - Tracy Van Duinen, Chicago, Ill.
- Rain - Lynda Cole, Ann Arbor, Mich.
- President Gerald Ford Visits ArtPrize - Sunti Pichetchaiyakul, Thailand and Mont.
- Rusty: A Sense of Direction/Self Portrait - Ritch Branstrom, Rapid River, Mich.
- Grizzlies on the Ford - Llew “Doc” Tilma, Wayland, Mich.
- The Tempest II - Laura Alexander, Columbus, Ohio
- Ocean Exodus - Paul Baliker, Palm Coast, Fla.
- Under Construction - Robert Shangle, Grand Rapids, Mich.
- Mantis Dreaming" - Bill Secunda, Butler, Pa.
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
2012 competition
The 2012 ArtPrize competition ran from September 19 to October 7. The event featured 1,517 entries displayed in 161 venues across a three-square-mile area of Grand Rapids. 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, which featured of a three-member jury panel.
Participation
ArtPrize 2012 official participation numbers:
Prizes
The 2012 prizes, which were decided by public vote, totaled $360,000, were:
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.
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
Category winners
2013 competition
The 2013 ArtPrize competition ran from September 18 to October 6. The event featured 1,524 entries displayed in 168 venues across a three-square-mile area of downtown Grand Rapids plus the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
Participation
ArtPrize 2013 official participation numbers:
Prizes
The 2013 prizes, which were decided by public vote, totaled $360,000, were:
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.
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
Category winners
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. The event featured 1,536 entries displayed in 174 venues across downtown Grand Rapids plus the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
Participation
ArtPrize 2014 official participation numbers:
Public 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 grand prize winner
Category winners
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
Category winners
2015 competition
The 2015 ArtPrize competition ran from September 23 to October 11. The event featured 1,554 entries displayed in 162 venues across downtown Grand Rapids and the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. About 1100 of the entries are from Michigan artists.
Participation
ArtPrize 2015 official participation numbers:
Public 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 grand prize winner
Category winners
Juried awards
The jury awarded five $12,500 category winners and a $200,000 grand prize winner.
Juried grand prize winner
Category winners
The category winners were:
Jurors
The jurors were: