ArtPrize Blog
June 1st, 2010
***Connections are open, artists must secure a venue on artprize.org by July 1 to compete in ArtPrize 2010***
Artists and venues have now entered the time we refer to as “matching” or “connections,” when they formally commit to each other for the 2010 event. It’s when artprize.org, essentially, becomes a dating website.
So, how does it work?
WE LIKE SURPRISES
The process of connections is what makes ArtPrize fundamentally different from any other event. We like surprises, and that’s what we get when the event is handed over to artists and venues to organize themselves. ArtPrize, the organization, has no curator or jury to pick artists for the event.
Each venue independently chooses which artists to show from the website. Some venues will be run by highly qualified curators in the art world, others by amateur enthusiasts. The huge variety in venues–and decisions made by venues–is what makes ArtPrize so radically open and unpredictable.
Venues have been browsing artists on artrpize.org since April 19 (when artist registration opened). Many artists have contacted venues to informally discuss their options. From today until July 1, they can make their agreement official on artprize.org. As they do, you will see the list of artists slowly grow as the program for ArtPrize 2010 is built real-time. Read More »
May 27th, 2010
Old Federal Building. Photo courtesy of Rich Evenhouse.
ArtPrize 2010 is just around the corner and we’re five days out from opening up the ability for venues and artists to connect on the website and secure each other. It goes without saying that both venues and artists have been eagerly waiting to officially finalize their plans, and we want to help the process along as much as possible. In that spirit, each day leading up to June 1, we will highlight an ArtPrize neighborhood and the venues that fall within its boundaries. Today we’re showing off the Center City Neighborhood.
As a refresher, we suggest you take a look at how “matching” works here.
Please note, artists, you do not have to wait until June 1 to reach an informal agreement with a venue, but that agreement can only be finalized on artprize.org after June 1.
The Center City neighborhood was the hub for a lot of foot traffic in 2009 and is the most central part of downtown. Four of the Top Ten finalists came from this neighborhood. This year it boasts 64 venues, many of them returning and many new, and promises to be a very busy part of town come September.
Artists, say hello to the Center City Neighborhood.
Download the Center City Venue List
May 18th, 2010
***ARTIST REGISTRATION EXTENDED TO JUNE 17, 2010***
Press release follows:
ARTPRIZE EXTENDS 2010 ARTIST REGISTRATION
With More Competition, Venues Ask for More Time to Build Exhibitions
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – May 18, 2010 – While more than 1,000 artists have already begun their registration process to enroll in ArtPrize 2010, several of the more than 220 venues have reported that increased competition for artists has already begun for the 2010 event, and asked ArtPrize organizers to extend the artist registration deadline. ArtPrize officially announced that the artist registration date will be extended from May 27 to the new deadline of June 17, 2010. The matching period between the artist and venue will remain the same as published between June 1 and July 1, 2010.
“There is a huge demand for art this year,” said Bill Holsinger-Robinson, ArtPrize, Executive Director. “We’ve heard that many artists have informal agreements with venues already in place.” ArtPrize has gone from 159 to more than 220 venues. Many of the venues from 2009 have plans to increase the artists they’ll show.
“We showed maybe six or seven artists last year,” says Linda Lafontsee of Lafontsee Galleries, “We plan to fill the gallery with up to 40 artists this year.”
In addition, ArtPrize is seeing a number of curators who have been engaged by venues, such as the Blue Bridge and the Monroe Promenade. These curators bring their own network of artists that they would like more time communicating with.
“There is real competition for art happening, which is great for artists, but stressful for venues,” said Holsinger-Robinson. “The artists and venues want the opportunity to put on an even better show, they need a bit more time to help these new relationships take hold.”
- The new deadline for artist registration is June 17, 2010
- Artists have three weeks left to register
- The matching period will still begin on artprize.org June 1
- The matching period will still end Thursday, July 1
- Between June 17 (end of registration) and July 1 (end of matching) is two weeks for artists and venues to wrap up their agreements and secure each other on artprize.org
August 12th, 2009
The 900th artist to secure a venue is Jean Sanders, a printmaking professor at Pennsylvania State College. You can see Jean’s work during the event at The Riverview Center.
There are less than four days until artist/venue matching ends.
***11:59pm SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, IS THE DEADLINE FOR ARTIST/VENUE MATCHING***
For anyone wondering what happens on Sunday–when the dust settles–to an artist without a venue or a venue that didn’t secure an artist, well… Read More »
August 12th, 2009
In the ramp up for ArtPrize, Grand Rapids Fire and Police will answer questions at a workshop called “L.O.C.A.L.”–Licensing, Operation, Capacity, Alcohol and Liability. (How do they always get their acronyms to spell something?)
This event is open to the public. It is not an ArtPrize event, but the local authorities hope that venues and others planning events around ArtPrize will come and have all of their questions answered.
The seminar is being held Tuesday, August 18, from 9:00am-noon at the Calvin College Gezon Auditorium, 3201 Burton SE, Grand Rapids, MI.
Seating is limited to 300 people, you must register by RSVP. Email LOCAL@grcity.us or call (616) 456-3900 for more information.
Download the announcement
August 10th, 2009
I know it’s getting a little redundant, but here’s a reminder that this Saturday is the last day artists and venues can secure each other.
By 11:59pm this Saturday night, all artists and venues who have reached an agreement must have completed the final step (both parties click the Secure artist/Secure venue buttons so our system knows you’ve reached an agreement).
WHAT’S NEXT?
ARTISTS
Any artist who has not secured a venue by 11:59pm Saturday, August 15, will not be eligible to compete in ArtPrize. Artists can still show work at the event, but that work will not be available for voting or listed in any ArtPrize materials. Venue hosts are not obligated in any way to reach agreements after Aug 15.
The Artist registration fee will not be refunded. Read why.
VENUES
Any venue that has not secured at least one artist by 11:59pm Saturday, August 15, will not be listed in any of the ArtPrize materials and will not be considered an ArtPrize venue. A venue must have ArtPrize registered artists exhibit in it to be an ArtPrize venue.
Be sure you know the final step. If you don’t complete the final step, you may wake up Sunday morning wondering why there are no artists listed under your venue, even though you signed Hosting Agreements.
The Venue registration fee will not be refunded to venues without artists. Read why.
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THE FINAL STEP Read More »
August 1st, 2009
There are two weeks left for registered artists to secure a venue. Midnight, August 15 is the deadline.
Now that registration is over, venues can only secure a registered artist. There are two weeks for venues and registered artists to negotiate and sign a Hosting Agreement. However, signing the Hosting Agreement is NOT the final step. ArtPrize still needs to know you reached an agreement.
Know the Final Step!
How ArtPrize knows an artist and venue have completed the Hosting Agreement:
1. Artist/Venue sign the Hosting Agreement
2. Venue clicks “Secure artist” on artprize.org
3. Artist clicks “Secure venue” on artprize.org
FINISHED
July 30th, 2009
Tomorrow, July 31 at midnight is the deadline for Artists and Venues to complete registration, including payment.
After tomorrow there are two weeks for venues to secure registered artists. Deadline: August 15. (What happens to artists that don’t finish registration? See the bottom of this post.)
ARTISTS
Complete registration by paying your registration fee and uploading a proposed work on the website. (The work itself does not need to be complete until the event starts.) Finish registration here.
VENUES
Keep in mind, that after the registration fee is paid, a venue still has to be physically inspected and approved. Any venue that registers in the next 24 hours should plan on securing a very manageable number of artists. The time to send and receive Hosting Agreements after being approved will be very short. Be sure you know the Final Step (see below). Register here.
Know the Final Step!
You have two weeks (until August 15) to complete Hosting Agreements. Having a Hosting Agreement signed by both artist and venue is NOT the final step. ArtPrize still needs to know you reached an agreement. How you let us know is:
1. Artist/Venue sign the Hosting Agreement
2. Venue clicks “Secure artist” on artprize.org
3. Artist clicks “Secure venue” on artprize.org
FINISHED
What happens to all artists that have not finished registration?
Artists who began the registration process, but did not pay the fee by July 31, will still keep their online account. However, they will not be able to edit that account, nor secure a venue. Artists that have completed their profile and paid by July 31 can still edit their profile while they search for a venue. Artists that secure a venue by August 15 can continue to tweak their profile, while those that do not have a venue cannot.
When registration opens for ArtPrize 2010, those artist accounts that have been on “lockdown” because they either never finished 2009 registration, or never secured a venue, will be open to edit again.
July 22nd, 2009
Considering over 50 artists have secured venues in the two days since we hit 200, the following message is clearly not for everyone. For a few venues and artists out there who do not know…
THE FINAL STEP
Artists & Venues have until midnight, August 15, to complete the offline/online process of securing space
OFFLINE
Artist & Venue complete and sign a Hosting Agreement
ONLINE
Venue clicks “Secure artist” on artprize.org
Artist clicks “Secure venue” on artprize.org
FINISHED
Artist will appear on the artist list as “Connected”
July 20th, 2009
Many artists are in The Waiting Game, wondering when and if they’ll hear back from a venue. So, the question on most of their minds is, “What are venues doing right now?”
I’ve been asking the same thing, in more precise questions, to venues over the last week. In short, many of them are inundated with requests. More than a few report they spend 10-20 hours a week working on ArtPrize. A good portion are just getting ramped up and feel overwhelmed by the amount of artist requests, much less the prospect of diving into over 1,600 artists available on the website. We have volunteers waiting in the wings to help them if they need it. Read More »
