ArtPrize 2023: What you need to know
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — ArtPrize 2023, the 18-day art competition, kicks off Thursday.
It will open with the ArtPrize Opening Party from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday at Ah-Nab-Awen Park with games, food trucks, art installations and fireworks.
This year’s event has been revamped, with the city of Grand Rapids, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and the Kendall College of Art and Design taking over from the public-private partnership that dissolved in 2022.
Here’s what you need to know about ArtPrize 2023:
HOW TO VOTE
If you want to vote for your favorite piece, you need a mobile device.
First, you will need to register. You must be within the ArtPrize district boundaries from Sept. 14 to Sept. 28 and scan a QR code found on an artist’s entry label to start the registration process. You can also visit https://experience.artprize.org to register.
You can register as early as Sept. 7. However, votes will not be counted until ArtPrize starts at 5 p.m. on Sept. 14.
To vote for your favorite art pieces, you will need to scan the QR code or enter the 5-digit Artist ID.
The first round of voting ends at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 21. Then, on Sept. 22, the top five entries from each category will be announced at 5 p.m. and the second round of voting for the top 25 finalists opens at 8 p.m.
Round 2 voting ends at 11:50 p.m. Sept. 28, and the winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at Rosa Parks Circle.
PRIZES
Artists taking part in this year’s ArtPrize will compete for the public vote prizes, with $125,000 awarded to first place, $50,000 to second and $25,000 to third.
The juror competition will feature a five-member committee that will award artists in the following categories: 2D, 3D, installation, time-based and digital. The winner of each category will win $20,000 and ArtPrize will recognize a second artist from each category with a $5,000 runner-up prize.
There will also be the Visibility Awards, which recognize contemporary artists from underrepresented communities. These awards include the Vanguard Award for Black artists, the Originators Award for Indigenous artists, Horizontes Award for Latino artists, Crossroads Award for Asian artists and the Prism Award for queer artists. Each award is $15,000.
ARTPRIZE.ORG
For this year’s event, ArtPrize has launched a new website designed to be more user-friendly, so you can easily find everything ArtPrize.
The website includes the official event calendar, venue map and artist and venue profiles. You can also find education, support, volunteer and voting information.
ARTPRIZE CLUBHOUSE
The ArtPrize Clubhouse is the hub of this year’s event and is located at 2 Fulton Street W. It will be open daily from Sept. 14 to Oct. 1 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The Clubhouse will host presentations, daily programming and panel discussions throughout the event. It will also feature the Education & Volunteer Hub, Artist Lounge, Haworth DesignLab Showcase @ArtPrize, Vignette Set, The Theatre and Club Seen Gallery.
ARTPRIZE OASIS
The ArtPrize Oasis, located at 555 Monroe Avenue NW, is described as “a temporary but transformative urban expanse along the Grand River offering guests a place to regroup and recharge.” It will feature games, seating, art installations and events throughout ArtPrize.
There will also be a section for artists called the Artist Oasis, where they can relax and network.
