American Idol for the Arts: Art Prize
// January 14th, 2010 // Comments // b-scene
At $250,000, Art Prize offers the single largest cash prize for artists. They are based out of Grand Rapids….Michigan. Random? Yes. But it is such a democratic way to show art — any artist emerging or established can submit work and the winner is determined by public vote. We’re all art critics now. In this case “good” art really is in the eye of the beholder. Popular opinion is the vote that counts. American Idol for the arts. I can hear the grand poobahs already – Ah plebian, no historical relevance, derivative, well here’s 2009’s winner. What do you think?
Last year’s winner Ran Ortner’s Open Water No. 24
It works a bit differently than other art contests. Venues in Grand Rapids register to be a hosting site for a piece of art work—they choose what artists they would like to exhibit. The artists register and submit their work online—for a $50 registration fee—and wait to be selected. The more venues there are, the more artists that will be shown. All it costs the artist is $50 and a shipping fee to send work to Michigan. Contest starts September 22nd and goes through October 10th 2010.
Top ten artists receive a prize
Before the invention of the internet (did the world exist before internet??) a prize like this might only apply to artists in the Midwestern part of the United States or might not have happened at all. Sponsored by Rick DeVos, Amway family scion, it most likely would have involved the inevitable curator/museum director/ critic suggested submission and boom the art world machine would have created an immediate barrier. The online web world is tearing those barriers down and now a $250,000 artprize is available for all artists, even if they hadn’t the opportunity to catch Jay Jopling’s attention while at Goldsmith’s. The art world just got a lot more fun. So they can poo poo us online art mavericks but the reality is for $250,000 even a Goldsmith’s graduate will take a chance. Jump on the merry go round because the ride’s just begun….
Last year’s 2nd, 3rd and 4th place winners:
