Art Prize: A Non-Profit Competition

Art Prize is a non-profit competition that does wonders for the Grand Rapids, MI area. I chose this article because I desired to write about something I cared about that not only was a relatively new business venture but also something that fosters creativity for future business and allows established businesses and communities to thrive. Entrepreneurship deals with failure, success, innovation, inventing, business, etc. and nobody accompanies all of these qualities better than artist. Art Prize, since its inception in 2009 has had 1.9 Million visitors from around the world come of the city of Grand Rapids and has given on $4.1 Million in prizes to competitors. The articles give an overall view of art prize and the way it has changed the Grand
Rapids and art community. The non-profit has provided revenue, visibility, and jobs to art community while allowing the community to engage with the artist. It has also given business in the area a platform to create revenue, like restaurants, city parking systems, hotels, shops, etc.
Curate, icon, and docent are the main words that the original Mlive article mentions are key to Art Prize. Curate, making a collection and taking care to preserve art and venues for art, became important since these art pieces were in open spaces and local businesses where the public surrounded to gaze at. In recent years, a sort of mentorship between young and seasoned curators has taken effect. Some of the artist have come and placed pieces in Grand Rapids that have been deemed iconic and are still talked about and remembered today from past years. Pieces that have been deemed iconic spoke to the public and started discussions that needed to be had. One of an Entrepreneurs goal is to not only gain visibility and traffic, but to be talked about and touch people so they keep returning. Docents have given the public an opportunity to learn about the art that comes from around the world instead of just staring at it.