ArtPrize returns to annual format
ArtPrize will be back in 2022—along with its original every-year schedule, it announced Tuesday.
Next year’s return of the Grand Rapids-based international art competition marks the first time ArtPrize has taken place in consecutive years since switching to a biannual schedule in 2018. In 2020, the competition was postponed a year because of the pandemic.
“We can’t thank you enough for your patience and support as we navigated through a successful return of ArtPrize 2021 after a three-year hiatus,” ArtPrize said in a Tuesday statement. “We look forward with anticipation into the New Year and the opportunity to work with our community to create the best ArtPrize yet.”
Dates for ArtPrize’s three-week run in 2022 are still forthcoming, as well as its dates for artist and venue registration.
ArtPrize said it hopes next year’s event “will inspire hope and excitement in Grand Rapids and beyond, bringing us together in new ways, celebrating artists and art lovers, and fostering a sense of openness and healing.”
Last year, the competition shifted away from public voting as one of its main formats for awarding artists—a first since its launch in 2009. The piece with the most “visitor engagements,” as tracked through ArtPrize’s digital platform, took away this year’s $50,000 grand prize. Juried awards continued as in previous years.
Updates on ArtPrize’s 2022 event, including its artist grant program and prize format, will be available through its website.
City of Grand Rapids accepting new Neighborhood Match Fund entries
Starting Wednesday, Grand Rapids residents and community-based organizations may apply for city grants for projects helping to improve their neighborhoods in the new year.
Part of the City of Grand Rapids’ Neighborhood Match Fund (NMF), the grants will range from $500 to $5,000 and be awarded to projects focusing on COVID-19 resident resiliency and recovery, equity and engagement, or increasing the overall quality of life in neighborhoods.
Residents have through Dec. 31 to submit their proposals and ideas for projects, with accepted projects to take place between March 1 and Aug. 31, 2022. According to the city’s website, NMF projects must be led by a Grand Rapidian who is from the community that will be impacted by the project.
“Since the program began in 2017, we have helped fund 145 resident-lead projects totaling over $500,000,” said Stacy Stout, Director of the city’s Office of Equity and Engagement. “Talent lives here, and this investment has made a positive impact in the lives of so many of our neighbors.”
Project entries will receive an initial review by the NMF Project Coordinator and city’s Equity and Engagement office, followed by final approval from a diverse community-led team, according to the City of Grand Rapids.
Residents may apply for an NMF grant and find more details about the process on the city’s website.
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