First round of online voting for the annual ArtPrize competition ends Saturday

WXYZ - The first round of online voting ends at midnight Saturday for the annual ArtPrize organization in Grand Rapids.

The event is an open call to artists around the world to showcase their work and the public decides the winner by voting for their favorite works online.

During ArtPrize 2010 more than 400,000 people visited ArtPrize and more than 46,000 people registered to vote, casting 465,538 votes during the 15 days.

The ArtPrize organization opened online voter registration to the public. Visitors are encouraged to go online at www.artprize.org to register for a voting account. Once registered, accounts must be activated in-person, which begins Sept. 17 at The Hub at 41 Sheldon, or at any eight ArtPrize Exhibition Centers on Sept. 21, including Diocese of Grand Rapids’ Cathedral Square, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Grand Valley State University Pew Campus, Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts and the Women’s City Club.

Voting runs through 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 28.

Voters can vote up or down for any of the 1,582 artists. One vote per person is allowed for each work of art. Voting results will continually be posted online at artprize.org. The Top 10 finalists will be announced Sept. 29; 6:00 p.m. at Rosa Parks Circle, in downtown Grand Rapids.

Voting during week two begins after the Top 10 announcement. Voters can cast only one vote for one of the 10 finalists. Votes can be changed until the close of voting on October 5 at 11:59 p.m. In week two, voting results will not be posted online. The winners will be announced on October 6.

ArtPrize is a radically open, international art competition. Registered artists and venues match with one another at artprize.org and the public votes for the winners using mobile devices and the Web. ArtPrize 2011 will include 1,582 artists from around the world participating in the unprecedented competition that awards $474,000 to the prize winners. Since its inception, individuals of all backgrounds have cast more than 799,000 votes for public art.

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