ArtPrize Blog
April 21st, 2010
Nicole Caruth is a freelance writer and curator living in New York and frequent contributor to the Art21 blog. ArtPrize hired Nicole to chronicle the 2009 event. Nicole’s thoughts and opinions are her own and in no way represent an endorsement or objection from ArtPrize toward an individual artist or venue.
When I last contributed to this blog, the ten finalists of the first ArtPrize competition had just been announced. I left Grand Rapids almost certain that a painting could never speak to voting crowds as loudly as the table on chairs on the Blue Bridge or a seven-foot moose made out of nails. But here I find myself six months later looking at painted ocean waves in the studio of grand prize winner, and fellow Brooklyn resident, Ran Ortner. His three-panel painting, Open Water No. 24, now has a temporary home at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, where attendance has reportedly risen fifty percent since the piece went on view. Crowds to hear Ortner speak there in January were double normal capacity, too. It seems that Ortner has become something of a celebrity in Grand Rapids and beyond. While stardom and a whopping $250,000 of course have their benefits, it is clear that Ortner’s artwork is still what drives him. In New York, where art stars seem to pop up and disappear over night, losing their way in the limelight, Ortner’s unwavering thirty-year devotion to painting is as refreshing as the ocean itself. Below, the artist discusses the impact of ArtPrize on his life and work and why, after all these years and his latest success, he still thinks of himself as an “emerging” artist.
Ran Ortner and assistant in studio. Photo courtesy of Ran Ortner.Nicole J. Caruth: So, enquiring minds want to know, how has the ArtPrize award impacted your life?
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April 19th, 2010
Artist registration began today for ArtPrize 2010. With over 200 venues to choose from, there should be room for a lot this year.
UPDATE: ARTPRIZE EXTENDED ARTIST REGISTRATION, READ HERE
ARTISTS HAVE UNTIL 5:00PM EDT THURSDAY, JUNE 17, TO REGISTER
For those of you who recall 2009, ArtPrize will not publicly display registered artists until they secure a venue. Since the matching period when artists and venues secure each other will not begin until June 1, that means the general public will not see any artists until then. Only venues will be able to see the full list of registered artists. We do this for simplicity, so the public is not confused between artists that will be in the invent, and those that will not. It’s also more discreet for artists that never secure a venue.
Artists, be sure you know…
ArtPrize ends venue registration before artist registration begins, so that artists have a complete picture of where they can work. Feel free to contact venues over the next six weeks–many of you already have–to discuss what the venue is looking for and what you have planned.
Starting June 1st, you can officially secure a venue through artprize.org.
As you may know, there are the Exhibition Centers that will be large spaces curated by regional institutions. You can expect competition for those spaces to be intense. However, do not forget the lessons of Young Kim from 2009: a hidden but well-executed piece can capture public attention and become instantly popular. ArtPrize will be brainstorming ways for some “treasure hunters” that emerged in 2009 to get buzz growing earlier about significant pieces.
For now, get registered and have fun thinking up what you’ll bring.
April 13th, 2010
Venue registration ends 5:00PM, Thursday, April 15 (tax day). If there’s a venue you want on the list for 2010, register now!
IMPORTANT: For venues that register at the last minute, ArtPrize plans to conduct inspections before Tuesday, April 20. Inspection is necessary for final approval to be a 2010 venue.
With two days left for venues in downtown Grand Rapids to register for ArtPrize 2010, registration is trending comparable to where it was at in 2009. However, there are signs that the approach of many venues will be different.
The trend we hear from 2010 venues is they’ll be more organized and host more artists. Consequently, some venues from 2009 with capacity for only one or two artists have fallen off for 2010. However, a substantial number of new, small venues are taking advantage of their proximity to exhibition centers, and clustering to create walkable art hops in their neighborhood. Also, several venues will bring in professional curators to raise the quality of their show.
Artist Registration Opens Monday
After venue registration closes there will be a long weekend, so ArtPrize can wrap up venue inspections and approvals, then artist registration opens. Many artists want time to identify a few venues and plan a piece for a specific type of space. Having a fixed list of venues to choose from as they consider registering from April 19 to May 27 helps that process.
Although venues can expect to hear from artists soon–if they haven’t already–a venue and artist cannot officially “match” on the website until June 1. That way, all participating artists are registered. Venues can feel comfortable that they know all artists available for the event as they build their shows and complete Hosting Agreements from June 1 to July 1.
If you’re an artist and there’s a specific venue you want to work with in 2010 that is NOT on the current list, contact that venue owner immediately. At 5PM EDT on Thursday, registration closes to all venues.
