FAQ

ArtPrize is an annual international art competition and cultural event held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It's also a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We fundraise year round to cover our entire operating budget, including the over $600,000 awarded in prizes and distributed in grants to artists, curators, and educators.

The largest source of contributions is corporate giving, followed by foundations, individuals, and government grants.

ArtPrize is held every year in the fall.

This year, ArtPrize will be held over 18 days from Thursday, September 18th (ArtPrize Eve) to Saturday, October 4, 2025.

ArtPrize 2025 is presented in partnership with the City of Grand Rapids, Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., and Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University.

However, the ArtPrize team as an entity is organized under a Steering Committee and supported by the community in its efforts.

ArtPrize offers over $600,000 in grants and awards to artist participants.

Awards are determined by both a public voting and juried award process. Public votes select both a grand prize award winner and category winners in each of the six entry categories. Juried awards are selected by a panel of experts in each of the six entry categories:

2D – Entries that exist primarily on a flat plane. Painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, and most textiles are examples of 2D work. 

3D – Entries that occupy space and are intended to be viewed from multiple angles. Sculptures that are not site-specific (see the installation category for site-specific sculptures) belong in the 3D category. 

Time-Based – Entries that are durational and change over time. The viewer has to spend some time with the work to fully view it. This includes performance, video and film, dance, music, and interactive work. 

Installation – Entries that are dependent on the site in which they are installed. The location is not a neutral ground and is an important element of the work. Installation is different from 3D in that changing the location of the piece would dramatically change the work. 

New Media – Entries that are created using a wide range of emerging digital art technologies. This can include but is not limited to animation, VR/AR, projection mapping, visual data analysis and display, video games, and generative art practices (as tools to produce and display artworks). Note: ArtPrize only recognizes humans as artists and designers eligible to receive prizes (but acknowledges that humans need creative tools).

Design – Entries that are physical expressions of purpose with the intent to impact the way life is experienced. +Design entries may belong to any of design disciplines including fashion design, furniture design, automotive design, architecture, urban design, industrial design, etc.

A variety of grants are offered to artists (and venues) who are intended to bring a dynamic and diverse range of art and design to ArtPrize. These grants are highly competitive and look to support talented local, regional, and international artists and designers of all disciplines.

For more information about grants awards, visit the link below.

Anyone 13 years or older and present at the event (at least once!) can vote in ArtPrize.

Your first vote must be cast within the ArtPrize District via the ArtPrize mobile webapp or at the dedicated on-site voting location.

Vote by scanning the QR code associated with each entry or by manually entering the five-digit code (by searching and selecting the entry code within the voting webapp).

Our friends at Flockx, our voting webapp partner, have made it easy to find and vote for your favorite artworks. More details about voting coming soon!

Regarding ArtPrize voting rules and location:

As the voting rules state, the first vote for an entry (any entry) must be cast within the ArtPrize Boundaries (ArtPrize Districts). After that, voting is allowed from any location, for any entry. An individual user is able to to vote once per entry, per day.

Based upon feedback received from visitors, artists and other guests last year, we aimed to make the voter experience as user-friendly as possible this year - meaning we strive to accommodate those with a wide-range of technological skills, ability and access. This is why we have chosen to remove the need for a user to set their location when voting. This is with the intent to avoid blocking people from voting if they have trouble enabling their location on their phone and are still within the ArtPrize boundaries.

Using backend functionality and analysis, we are able to check the user's first vote location to ensure that they are following the voting rules. (Please note this data is anonymized, and does not allow continuous tracking of a user's location).

While technically people can cast their first vote outside of the ArtPrize boundaries, those votes will not be counted as they are not compliant with the voting rules for ArtPrize.They will be filtered out of final vote counts. Only valid votes will be recognized. 

Should you need more assistance with the voting process, please visit the friendly faces at the Concierge in the ArtPrize ClubHouse for help.

We're so glad you asked! ArtPrize is what it is today thanks to its community of supporters. For the past fifteen years, we've worked with incredible folks from all walks of life. There are many ways to join us in supporting artists and ensuring ArtPrize remains a platform for the community to celebrate. Learn more by visiting our Support page.

ArtPrize is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We fundraise year-round to cover our entire operating budget, including the prizes awarded and the dollars distributed in grants to artists, curators, and educators. The largest source of contributions is corporate giving, followed by foundations, individuals, and government grants.

Artists register by signing up on our website, creating your profile, and submitting their entry. Registration must be completed online; there is no paper application.

Artist registration for 2025 is open.

The nature of public art is that it must withstand all elements, which includes human activity. ArtPrize works closely with the police department to protect art and artists work. If you see vandalism, please report on this form.

ArtPrize is remarkably open and collaborative by design. Any space within the ArtPrize district that registers during the venue registration period and meets approval requirements is eligible to host one or more ArtPrize artists and organize its own show.

Collectively, these independently organized art shows comprise one of the world's largest art competitions, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors from all around the world.

Venue Registration for 2025 is open.