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ArtPrize Case Study
2 weeks. 1,700 artists. 250,000 visitors.
ArtPrize started, as most worthwhile things do, with a big idea.
Grand Rapids entrepreneur Rick DeVos announced in April 2009 his intention to launch a new "social experiment." He wanted to give away the world's richest art prize - and he wanted the winner to be decided by popular vote.
What's more, he wanted artists from around the world to enter the competition by displaying their work on the streets and in the buildings of downtown Grand Rapids.
And he wanted it all to happen just six months down the road.
A Community Response
DeVos' vision required a massive community effort. Permits had to be secured, hotel rooms had to be blocked, restaurants had to be alerted, excitement had to be generated, transportation had to be made ready, and an army of volunteers had to be recruited and trained.
The city and its residents pulled together to make it happen. In a very big way. That first year, 1,262 artists from 41 states and 14 countries displayed their work in 159 downtown venues. More than 200,000 people visited the event and more than 330,000 votes were cast.
ArtPrize got even larger in 2010: 1,713 artists; 192 venues; 250,000 visitors; and more than 465,000 votes cast. The 2011 event is shaping up to be bigger yet.
A One-Stop Resource
Think of ArtPrize as a grand-scale version of what Experience Grand Rapids can do for your event. We'll coordinate any community resources needed to carry out your big meeting idea. We'll work out the logistics on our end. We'll ease your workload however we can.
And we'll do it all for no charge.
Because attendee counts are the only big numbers we want you to rack up.
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Top 10 Reasons to Meet in Grand Rapids
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Hot Art.
An expansive public art program has helped make Grand Rapids an international arts destination. We host ArtPrize, the world’s richest art competition. This huge undertaking proves Grand Rapids can deliver a world-class experience – for 250,000 ArtPrize visitors or for your group. More
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Hot Eats.
Grand Rapids was a forerunner of the farm-to-table dining movement – and our restaurants continue to serve up an astonishing variety of fresh, local, sustainable and always creative dishes. More
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Big-City Excitement
Downtown Grand Rapids offers more than 90 restaurants, nightclubs, museums and entertainment venues within a five-minute walk of five hotels (and more than 1,400 rooms). More
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Backcountry Adventure
Golf, fishing, swimming, boating, biking, hiking, running, skiing, ice skating, atv-ing … it’s all here, and it’s all close by. Like, 10 minutes from downtown close by. More
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Titanic Exhibitions
Area museums present some of the nation’s most sought-after touring exhibits, from “Diana – A Celebration” to “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition,” debuting at the Grand Rapids Public Museum in February 2013. More
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Family Fun
There’s plenty for the family to do while mom or dad is in meetings – from a morning at the zoo to an afternoon at the ballpark to a week at camp! More
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Coast with the Most
Grand Rapids is just 30 minutes away from Lake Michigan and a spectacular coastline that must be seen to be believed. Condé Nast Traveler called it one of the world’s Top 25 shorelines. Not the United States, not North America, THE WORLD! More
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A Place to See Before You Die
Patricia Schultz, author of, "1,000 Places to See Before You Die,” includes Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in her list of 30 Must-See Museums – alongside such celebrated institutions as The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, & The Museum of… More
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Travel Ease
It’s easy to get here: Two major interstate highways converge downtown, and the local airport – just 10 minutes from downtown - offers 140+ daily flights. More
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Community Pride
You’ll see it in clean streets, smiling faces and an ever-ready eagerness to pitch in and help out with anything you need. That makes a huge difference in the attendee experience! More
