Here at Honeybee Homes, we work in real estate. But we also love West Michigan, and all of the great sights, events, and experiences that can be found here.
So while there’s still time to plan for the coming month, we wanted to shine a bright light onto a great event: ArtPrize!
What is ArtPrize? An amazing event where art takes over Downtown Grand Rapids, turning the whole city into an interactive museum. It also offers the largest art award in the country, giving out over $500,000 to the artists.
Why should you make ArtPrize a priority?
1. Radical Openness
In most of the art world, things are pretty tightly controlled. Curators and moderators make entries to larger events difficult. While this works to keep quality high, it can make it tough for even talented artists to get their work shown.
At ArtPrize, anyone over 18 can submit their work, and any venue within the designated Grand Rapids district can host art. This creates a wonderful open world of art, where turning a corner puts you in front of a beautiful sculpture, and walking into a hotel introduces you to a fantastic new artist.
2. Independent Organization
The artists are the core of ArtPrize in Grand Rapids. Artists and venues create profiles on the artprize.org website, and collaborate to create shows and connect with each other.
Because the venues and artists are collaborating, they come up with brilliant presentations. The art seems to flow perfectly with the surroundings, and the bottom-up nature is to thank for it.
3. Public Voting
Half of the awarded grants are chosen by the public. So, you can walk around, enjoy art, and make a huge difference in an artist’s life.
Find your favorites, and vote! It is up to you. Again, this is very rare in the art world, and very exciting.
4. An Amazing Day Out
Whether you’re strolling with a toddler, trying to impress your college girlfriend, or looking for a great date with your spouse, you can enjoy yourself.
ArtPrize isn’t stuffy. You don’t have to be quiet, and you’re not locked in a museum for 4 hours. You can wander in and out of restaurants between shows, stroll down to the Grand River, or just go into a local shop.
Whether you want to check out the local breweries or the Children’s museum, you can incorporate ArtPrize into an amazing day out in Grand Rapids.
5. Change a life (or 5)
The life of an artist isn’t a quick or easy path to fame and fortune. Very often, artists have dedicated thousands of hours of their life to their craft, and seen little to no return for it.
For a few folks, the financial prize will be a huge benefit. It will help them support a career they are passionate about, and as a result they will continue to create amazing works for us to enjoy.
Even for those that don’t win, the opportunity to showcase their work for thousands is an amazing opportunity. Maybe you will notice a piece you fall in love with, and send a Facebook message to the artist. Maybe you’ll post a picture on Instagram, and it’ll get noticed by an art patron.
In addition, you’ll be supporting local businesses and having a great time. A fantastic win-win, if you ask me.