A Grand Rapids Web entrepreneur has unveiled a new venture in the art world.
Rick DeVos has announced ArtPrize, a 16-day event that's an online art competition "American Idol" style.
ArtPrize invites artists of all kinds from all over the world, using all media, to participate in a competition that will award nearly $500,000 to the winners, including $250,000 to the artist who receives the most public votes.
ArtPrize, which will run from Sept. 23 through Oct. 10, will have no formal jury, curator or judge. The public will register to vote and decide who wins the prizes, using mobile devices and the Web.
"It's time to reboot the conversation between artists and the public," DeVos said. "ArtPrize will be a celebration of art, design, and innovation that will bring artists and the public together like never before."
The prize money has been underwritten by the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation.
ArtPrize art works and performances, professional and amateur, will be exhibited at hundreds of venues, all within a three-square mile area in Grand Rapids' downtown riverfront district.
ArtPrize is expected to draw thousands of entries, and art enthusiasts from across the globe are expected to attend.
"This is a bit of an art revolution," said Jeff Speck, former director of design for the National Endowment for the Arts and author of Suburban Nation. "It will be exciting to see a city use its downtown area as an art gallery to share with the world."
For more information about ArtPrize, go to artprize.org.
The new Web site and competition concept comes on the heels of DeVos' other Web ventures -- Spout.com, an Internet community for movie lovers, and thecommon.org, a Web site that matches organizations in need of talent wiht people's skills.
A video of the ArtPrize announcement is at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/event-4-23-09-9am.
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