ArtPrize 2012, Top 25 Short List

ArtPrize 2012 is in full swing, and Round 1 Voting closes this Saturday, September 29th at 11:59pm. The Top 10 finalists will be announced Sunday, 1:00pm, at Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids. Round 2 Voting will then commence, and close on Thursday, October 4th.



I'm very excited to be counted among the public vote's Top 25 at this stage of the competition. My own experience of ArtPrize 2012 has been wonderful so far, and the opportunity to exhibit at the GRAM alongside so many great works has been a true honor. Seeing so many viewers visit and interact with my work up close these last few weeks has touched me on so many levels. There's no greater feeling than seeing others connect with work that you've created from your soul; not to mention, how great it is seeing people and their city, as a whole, immersing and engaging in art and culture on such a grand scale. It's an amazing thing to be part of.

If you haven't already, be sure to check out GRAM's website specifically created for our ArtPrize exhibition Transformation. There, you'll find a great series of one-minute artist movies GRAM has produced, documenting it's exhibiting ArtPrize artists.

View the list of GRAM ArtPrize artists here, click on a name, and hit the "Video" button: http://www.artmuseumgr.org/uploads/assets/artprize/index.html

Also be sure to check out Sojourn included in some recent noteworthy press:

MLive // Joseph Becherer: GRAM's ArtPrize exhibition is 'transformational'

MLive // ArtPrize 2012 public Top 25 short list

Hyperallergic // Slimming Down the Short Lists: A Look at 10 ArtPrize Finalists

ArtPrize 2012

ArtPrize 2012 opens TODAY, September 19th! I am participating in it again for the first time since 2009, and am very happy to announce that  Sojourn has been selected to be displayed at the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM), as part of it's ArtPrize exhibition, Transformation.  

VOTE for Sojourn -- Code: 52168
Text 52168 to 808080 or
Visit artprize.org/andrea-kowch/2012/sojourn

For those not familiar with the competition, it is the world's largest art prize, held in Grand Rapids, Michigan USA, and is open to artists worldwide. The top award, $200,000 is decided by public vote.

Here are the official Rules via ArtPrize.org:

  

The Public Vote

Anyone over the age of 16 can register to vote. Votes are cast on artprize.org, via text message and mobile application.

• Round 1 (Sept. 19 – Sept. 29): 11 days to explore ArtPrize and vote for the entries you think should win.

• Round 2 (Sept. 30 – Oct. 4): 5 days to cast one vote for your favorite of the Top 10 entries.

The Juried Awards

New for ArtPrize 2012, is a $100,000 Juried Grand Prize, on par with the world’s major juried art competitions. ArtPrize also awards five additional $20,000 Juried Awards in the following categories: 2-D, 3-D, Urban Space, Time/Performance and Venue.

The Result

ArtPrize 2012: 162 venues will host 1517 artist entries.
Combining $360,000 awarded by Public Vote and a total of $200,000 in Juried Awards brings a new tension to ArtPrize. Will the juried awards stand apart from the public vote, or will the two cross paths to award a single artist an unprecedented $320,000?

If you plan on attending the event, please view Transformation at the GRAM, located at 101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Sojourn is located on the 2nd Floor Balcony. 

It's a wonderful exhibition, and I had the pleasure of attending the Opening Preview Party on September 13th:

Looking forward to seeing all the other great stuff ArtPrize 2012 has to offer! Be sure to check it out if you are in Michigan!

Visit GRAM's official ArtPrize Profile to see all the other great entries that are showing there as well: artprize.org/grand-rapids-art-museum

ArtPrize 2009

What an event! I'm sure all of you know about the results of its magnitude from the papers and various articles online, and it was absolutely all that! Art is now put back on the map, big time, and that is something many of us have been waiting for. I met so many wonderful people, and received some excellent comments and feedback. The energy, interaction, and conversation -what ArtPrize was all about - drew in a crowd of over 37,000 viewers with over 330,000 votes placed. I was honored to have been one of the 1,262 pioneering artists who contributed to making this cultural experiment such a success, paving the way for a future ArtPrize to be held again.

I had a great time showing alongside artist Cory Vanderzwaag of Grand Rapids, who created a sweet installation piece titled Familiar Analysis involving a table setting he constructed with interactive media features. Our work was a perfect fit together! Check out more on his profile.


On the front window of the gallery. . .


"Apple of My Eye." 30" x 40." acrylic on canvas. sold


Cory Vanderzwaag's interactive installation piece.

A huge thanks again to Amy and Josh of The MuStache Gallery located in Grand Rapids' Heartside area, a budding arts district with galleries, shops, and a music scene. The opportunity to be a part of the event would not have been possible without them!


Amy and Josh of The MuStache Gallery in Grand Rapids.

Some of the many viewers who came by opening night.

A great time had by all. I made 4 trips out in the course of the two weeks, and still was not able to see everything. Visit my Flickr album to see more of what I was able to catch, as well as mlive.com/artprize, and the ArtPrize Blog, to read reviews and all news about the event. Shore Magazine recently featured it as their cover story. Read all about it here. Thank you ArtPrize founder Rick DeVos and all involved, for encouraging art appreciation among the general public and for recognizing and putting such a high price on the value of what we artists do.

"ArtPrize" Update for Voters/Attendees

A quick update on "ArtPrize" and the voting procedure. Voters may now pre-register online at www.artprize.org. You still will have to show ID in person at the event to be eligible, however, this will save you time when you get there. Below are the rules. Additional information regarding voter registration stations at the event, etc., can be found at www.artprize.org/vote. Hope to see everyone there! The first week of voting, September 23-30, is the one that determines the top ten, so please plan on visiting and voting during that week! The final round (second week, October 1-7) can be done online. Feel free to also spread the word wherever you hang out online as well, by posting my "ArtPrize" badge above. Thank you all for your support!

Voting rules
Anyone who registers in person at the ArtPrize event can vote. You cannot vote without registering at the event.

• Attendees will be required to present a valid government issued ID in person at a registration station
• ID can be drivers license, other state ID or passport
• Pre-register and save time activating your voter status at the event
• There will be voter registration stations throughout the city September 23-October 7

Week 1 voting - All artists

• Voting begins 6:00pm, September 23, 2009
• You can vote on more than one work
• You cannot vote more than once for the same work
• Live results can be viewed online
• Week 1 voting ends 11:59pm, September 30
• Top 10 finalists will be announced evening, October 1

Week 2 voting - Top 10, ONE vote

• Voting begins after announcement of the Top 10, October 1
• You have only ONE vote during Week 2
• You may only vote among the Top 10
• You may change your vote until voting ends
• Results are concealed during Week 2
• Week 2 voting ends 11:59pm, October 7
• Winners will be announced at a gala event October 8

ArtPrize - World's Largest Art Competition

I am happy to announce that I have been accepted to show in ArtPrize, the world's largest art prize, to be held in Michigan's own Grand Rapids this month. I am very excited! Thank you to Stache Gallery, who has chosen to represent me in this global competition as my hosting venue. I was also given the opportunity to display additional work alongside my ArtPrize entry, so come on out and see my little show within the show!

For those who have not read about it in the papers or online in one form or another, this radical competition, part art competition, part social experiment, and labeled by some as the "American Idol" of the art world, is one huge event you do not want to miss! The winner is determined by public vote. To vote, you must be present in person at the event in Grand Rapids, which runs from September 23 - October 10, 2009. Voters must also be registered with the event to be eligible to vote. Beginning September 14, 2009, voters may pre-register online at http://www.artprize.org/. Voting at the event will be entirely electronic (via cell-phone or internet) and results will be available for live viewing online during the duration of the event. There will be two rounds of voting over the course of the two weeks. The first round determines the top ten finalists, and the final round determines the prize winners. Please visit www.artprize.org/vote for all registration and voting information.

Out of nearly 2,000 applicants from over 20 different countries, approximately 1,200 artists have been chosen to show in this event, spanning a three-square-mile radius of the city. Painting, sculpture, installation, and performance art are just a few of the many mediums that will be showcased. Grand Rapids will be the art hub of the world for these two weeks. Go, Michigan!

So come on out, be a part of a unique cultural experience, and vote for yours truly! :) I'm only revealing a tiny portion of the painting I did for this event (seen above) - you will have to come out to see the real thing!

Please visit http://www.artprize.org/ for more information, and check out my official ArtPrize profile HERE.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ArtPrize

ArtPrize is a radically open competition. Open to any artist in the world who can find space. Open to anybody in the city who wants to create a venue. Open to a vote from anyone who attends.

We are living in a time of great change. New ideas, fresh inspiration will move us forward.There are enough art competitions where the winners are decided by a jury of experts. That's not the competition we are creating. We're looking for a giant conversation to happen between artists and the public. That is why we developed a radically open framework for this event, which gives power to everyone's opinion.When everyone's opinion counts, everyone is included in the conversation. ArtPrize exists to reboot the conversation between artists and audiences on a grand scale.

This is the prize breakdown of the largest art competition in the world:
1st place: $250,000
2nd: $100,000
3rd: $50,000
4th: $7,000
5th: $7,000
6th: $7,000
7th: $7,000
8th: $7,000
9th: $7,000
10th: $7,000