The end of September can often be associated with one thing for the city of Grand Rapids—ArtPrize! If you haven’t heard of it yet, let me give you the inside scoop.  

ArtPrize is the biggest art competition in the nation! What makes this enormous art competition special is the interactive nature of the exhibit. Artists from all over can place their artwork all over the city of Grand Rapids and any building that hosts it (which is most places). If this is an art competition, how does someone win? Well, the short answer is YOU! This is where the interactive aspect of ArtPrize comes in. Viewers can download an app where they can vote for their favorite artists and pieces. 

For those looking to check out the artwork leisurely, that’s no problem. You can walk around the city at your own pace and visit whichever pieces you’d like! Don’t worry, there’s a tour map you can follow to guarantee you see it all. Those longing for more structure and don’t want to miss out on any of the artwork, ArtPrize offers family tours that take you around the city to explore every masterpiece around. 

To get more specific information about ArtPrize and how you can get involved, read here. 

We couldn’t inform you about ArtPrize and not take matters into our own hands—our team members at Hello West Michigan and partners at The Right Place had to see for ourselves! Here are some of our favorites that we think are ArtPrize 2021 must-sees: