ArtPrize 2024: New Voting Rules and a Shorter Festival Announced

ArtPrize is one of the most beloved outdoor art festivals in America. Every year our city shuts down for a couple of weeks, and the streets are covered with visitors who come to enjoy the incredible pieces of art throughout the sidewalks and businesses downtown. It's truly a one-of-a-kind festival. Taking place from September 13 through September 28, the event will feature 900 pieces of art spread across 183 venues throughout the city. After having a new team take over last year, we're finally seeing a few changes to this year's festival

One notable change for this year’s ArtPrize is the voting process. In previous years, the competition included a second round of voting, where entries were narrowed down into a finalist category. This year, however, the second round has been eliminated. Instead, the community will have the opportunity to vote on all artists throughout the entire 16-day festival.

Read More: Grand Rapids Makes Bold Stance About AI Art In ArtPrize

The decision to remove the second round of voting was made by the new ArtPrize team, which took over running the event last year. They believe this change will better engage the community with all participating artists, giving each piece of art a chance to be appreciated and voted on until the festival’s conclusion.

Additionally, this year’s festival is slightly shorter than in past years, but the excitement is sure to be just as high. ArtPrize will kick off with an opening celebration at 7 p.m. on September 13, where organizers have teased a special surprise from Canada that will be unveiled during the festivities.

ArtPrize remains a staple of the Grand Rapids arts scene, and these new changes are set to bring a fresh experience for both artists and attendees.