ArtPrize, the Grand Rapids, Mich. art competition awarding the world’s largest cash prizes for contemporary art, has partnered with a Dallas-based non-profit to launch ArtPrize Dallas.
The inaugural ArtPrize Dallas competition is slated for April 2016 and will run for 19 days.
In similar fashion to the Grand Rapids contest, ArtPrize will take over a 3-mile radius in the heart of downtown Dallas with public installations at participating museums, galleries, bars, restaurants, public spaces and businesses. Upon registering, contestants connect with a host venue to show their work.
More than $500,000 in cash and grants will be awarded in the first edition of ArtPrize Dallas. The public votes to determine half of the prize money, while the other half is decided by a jury of international art mavens.
“ArtPrize Dallas will create a lasting impact on the culture of Dallas by engaging and nurturing future artists and promoting a meaningful discussion of art and its role in society," said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. "Utilizing the same public/private partnership structure that has allowed our city to become a world-class art destination, ArtPrize Dallas will highlight the creativity and innovative spirit that is such a major part of our city today.”
Ariel Saldivar, Executive Director of ArtPrize Dallas and found of the non-profit partner that signed the three-year agreement, said the competition will change the complexion of the Dallas art scene with “an open, inclusive, and welcoming event for everyone.”
“ArtPrize Dallas will support and celebrate artists through prizes, grants, career-building opportunities, sales opportunities, broad exposure, and seed grants, with a special focus on Dallas artists,” Saldivar said.
ArtPrize was founded in 2009 as an independently organized exhibition and open call to local venues and artists from around the world. Its $200,000 grand prizes are the world’s largest for contemporary art, and the contest has given more than $3.1 million in cash prizes in its six years of existence.
According to the organization’s website, ArtPrize 2014 included 1,536 entries representing 51 countries and 42 U.S. states and territories showing at 174 venues throughout downtown Grand Rapids. The contest attracts more than 400,000 visitors annually, and recorded an astounding $22.2 million direct impact on the city of Grand Rapids in 2013.
Nothing at all against Grand Rapids, but we have a feeling Dallas will be a comparatively easy sell for an organization that’s making big waves in the art world.
