First Prize

One might be forgiven for thinking that Grand Rapids is an unlikely site for an event that gives out the world’s largest art prize, but the city has a creative spirit that rivals that of much bigger places. Rick DeVos—founder of the aptly named ArtPrize—shares his top local art spots.

 

What is the best public sculpture in town? “Alexander Calder’s 1969 La Grande Vitesse (shown above) is Grand Rapids’ signature piece. It sits outside City Hall and is beautiful. It’s important historically because it was the first federally funded piece of civic art in the US by the National Endowment for the Arts.”

What’s Grand Rapids’ best-kept art secret? “The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts is Michigan’s largest contemporary arts center. It [just moved] to a new location so it is more visible and hopefully not a secret anymore.”

What’s the best bet for families? “The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is a fantastic spot for families. You can hit a lot of art there, it’s got great on-site parking, and it’s open year-round. The Grand Rapids Art Museum is another good one.”

Have you purchased any art from the ArtPrize artists? “My folks have. They purchased the winner of the inaugural ArtPrize, Ran Ortner’s work, and put it at their Reserve wine bar. It was one of those ‘wow’ pieces.”

Why should someone come to Grand Rapids during ArtPrize? “The city is transformed into a massive gallery district with art popping up in completely unexpected places, like in a restaurant or on a bridge. You can’t go anywhere and not talk about what you’ve seen or what you need to see. It’s a giant city-wide party.”

Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts
2 Fulton St W; 616-454-7000; uica.org

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
1000 E Beltline Ave NE; 888-957-1580; meijergardens.org

Grand Rapids Art Museum
101 Monroe Center; 616-831-1000; artmuseumgr.org

Reserve
201 Monroe Ave NW; 616-855-9463; reservegr.com

 

What is ArtPrize?

This three-year-old worldwide competition is described as "part arts festival, part social experiment, part civic project." Artists are responsible for securing a venue—from an office building to a restaurant to in (yes, in) the Grand River—to display their creation. ArtPrize is the only art competition in which the public decides who wins (via internet and mobile devices) the grand prize of $250,000, with $474,000 total awarded. In 2010, more than 1,713 artists from 44 states and 21 coun tries participated, with 465,538 votes cast. Sept. 21 to Oct. 9; artprize.org