Visitor FAQS

2025 Events Schedule
2025 Artist Entries
2025 Venues

WHAT IS ARTPRIZE?

ArtPrize is an international art competition and cultural event held annually in Grand Rapids, MI. Downtown Grand Rapids Businesses open their doors to artworks from all over the world, curating a city wide gallery space. Viewing ArtPrize entries is free and open to the public. ArtPrize also hosts signature events, and programming for all ages to enjoy. 

ArtPrize is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by corporate, foundation, governmental, and individual donations. 

WHEN IS ARTPRIZE?

September 18 - October 4 2025.

WHAT IS THE ARTPRIZE CLUBHOUSE?

The ArtPrize ClubHouse is the central hub for visitors, artists, venue managers, and volunteers. Inside, you'll find:

• Concierge staff ready to help guide you through your ArtPrize experience

• Official ArtPrize merchandise

• Beverages and refreshments

• Art workshops

Located: 40 Pearl St NW, Grand Rapids, 49503

Hours: September 18–October 4, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily

NEED HELP DURING THE EVENT?

Visit our ClubHouse, info kiosks, or find an ArtPrize volunteer in red.

• ArtPrize Information Kiosks - Located at:

  • Center City ClubHouse Concierge - 40 Pearl St NW

  • North District Kiosk - 555 Monroe

  • East District Kiosk - 1009 Hermitage St SE 

  • South District Kiosk - 130 Fulton St W

  • West District Kiosk - 303 Pearl St NW

    
    The ArtPrize Support team 

• Email: support@artprize.org

• Phone Number: 616-699-5379
  
  

ACCESSIBILITY
ArtPrize strives to connect visitors of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to the world of art. We believe the most captivating conversations happen when our audience reflects the true diversity of our community. If there's something we're missing, we look to you to point it out as we move forward and plan future events. Please contact support@artprize.org.

VENUES
View venue amenities on the ArtPrize website/venue map when viewing information about each location. This includes self-identified amenities such as handicap parking, accessible/public bathrooms and wheelchair accessibility.

FREE WHEELCHAIR LOAN PROGRAM
Wheelchairs are available at the ArtPrize Clubhouse located at 40 Pearl NW. Visitors will need to provide an ID and credit card information when checking out the wheelchair, all of which will be returned upon checking back in.



LOST OR FOUND ITEM?

Visit the Concierge at the ArtPrize ClubHouse, or fill out this Lost item form.

WHERE ARE THE VENUES?

The venues are broken up into 5 ArtPrize districts. Center City - North - East - South - West.

*Downloadable/printable district maps coming soon.

WHAT ARE THE VENUE HOURS?

Venue hours can be found on the venue profile pages. Required hours (venues may be open longer, check the venue profile for their hours of operation):

• Monday - Thursday: 5-8 p.m.

• Friday and Saturday: 12-8 p.m.

• Sunday: 12-6 p.m.

HOW DO I FIND SPECIFIC ARTISTS OR ENTRIES?

• Use the ArtPrize website or app (Flockx)

• Search by artist name, entry title, or voting code

• Scan the QR code on the artist’s label

PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO:

Photography and video are generally allowed. Some venues or artworks may have restrictions. Look for posted signs before filming or photographing. For media requests, reach out to media@artprize.org. 

ARE PETS ALLOWED AT THE ARTPRIZE VENUES?

Pets are not allowed inside most ArtPrize venues, with the exception of service animals. Outdoor venues and spaces may have different policies, so check with the specific location before visiting.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO VOTE FOR AN ENTRY?

Voting is your way to help shape the competition! Every vote counts toward determining which entries move forward in the competition and, ultimately, which artists take home the prizes.

WHEN DOES PUBLIC VOTING BEGIN AND END IN 2025?

Friday, September 19th at 12:00pm (noon) until Thursday, October 2nd, 2025, 10:00PM.

HOW DO VISITORS VOTE FOR AN ENTRY?

Your first vote must be in the ArtPrize boundaries. After that, you can vote from any location.

Voting is easy:
1. Find an entry you want to vote for by scanning the QR code on the artist label to get started.
2. Register or login on our voting webapp (If you registered an account last year, you can use that same account to login.)
3. Click 'Cast Your Vote'. on the entry page.
4. Return every 24 hours to vote again and show your support!

You can also find entries to vote for by searching all artist entries on the voting webapp. Search by unique five digit vote code, entry name or artist name.

WHO IS FLOCKX?

Flockx is our voting webapp partner. To vote for an ArtPrize entry, visitors and users need to register with the Flockx platform with an email address.

HOW MANY ENTRIES CAN I VOTE FOR?

Once registered, you can vote for as many entries as you like, but only once per entry per day. After a full 24 hours, you can vote for the same entries again.

VOTING WITHOUT A MOBILE DEVICE:

-Register at the ClubHouse or an Info Kiosk to receive a physical ballot.
-Use a printable ballot from our website to keep track of entries, bring the ballot to a Kiosk or the ClubHouse.
-After that, vote from anywhere on your device or desktop computer. You will need to know the email and password to login to the voting app. 

Click here for 2025 Official Voting Rules

FOR MORE HELP/INFORMATION ABOUT VOTING:
View our detailed voting support page, including a walk through video, here.

A NOTE ABOUT VOTING AND LOCATION:

As the voting rules state, the first vote for an entry (any entry) must be cast within the ArtPrize Boundaries. After that, voting is allowed from any location, for any entry. An individual user is able to to vote once per entry, per day.

Based upon feedback received from visitors, artists and other guests, we aim to make the voter experience as user-friendly as possible - meaning we strive to accommodate those with a wide-range of technological skills, ability and access. This is why we have chosen to remove the need for a user to set their location when voting. This is with the intent to avoid blocking people from voting if they have trouble enabling their location on their phone and are still within the ArtPrize boundaries.

Using backend geolocation checks, we are able to ensure vote validity and that users are following the voting rules. (Please note this data is anonymized, and does not allow continuous tracking of a user's location).

While technically people can cast their first vote outside of the ArtPrize boundaries, those votes ARE NOT COUNTED, as they are not compliant with the voting rules for ArtPrize.They will be filtered out of final vote counts. Only valid votes will be recognized. 

SIGNATURE EVENTS

Opening Ceremony – Sept 19, beer garden and workshop at 4:30 p.m.: Kick off ArtPrize 2025 at Rosa Parks Circle with live music, vibrant brass bands, costumed performers, and interactive art starting at 6:30 PM. Enjoy the beer garden (open at 4:30 PM during our Lantern Workshop) with craft brews and refreshing drinks for guests 21+. As night falls, join the ArtPrize Parade, a lively, music-filled procession leading to fireworks on the river, marking the official start of eighteen days of art and inspiration.

Halftime Celebration – Sept 26, Gates open at 6 p.m.: Halfway through ArtPrize, we celebrate big at Sixth Street Park with live music, food trucks, and the exciting reveal of the Top 20 entries in each district. This year’s headliner is country-R&B artist Tiera Kennedy, joined by Jake Kershaw and The Bootstrap Boys. Voting stays open after the reveal—so keep supporting your favorites!

Awards Ceremony – Oct 3, 6-10 p.m. Join us for the grand finale of ArtPrize. This is where we reveal the winners of this year’s prizes, celebrating the incredible talent, creativity, and dedication of participating artists. The evening is filled with excitement, community spirit, and a shared love of art as we honor both public-voted and juried award recipients. Local venues will be hosting viewing parties!

It’s more than just an announcement—it’s a celebration of the sixteen days of creativity that brought our city to life. Expect music, energy, and memorable moments as we close another unforgettable ArtPrize season.

Click here for a full calendar of programming happening during ArtPrize.

ARE THERE OTHER LIVE EVENTS, PERFORMANCES, OR WORKSHOPS?

Yes! ArtPrize features a variety of live events, performances, and hands-on workshops throughout the event. These take place at venues, in outdoor areas, and community spaces across the city. 

CAN I BUY ARTPRIZE MERCHANDISE?

Yes, official ArtPrize merchandise is available at the ArtPrize ClubHouse, select venue locations, and online through the merchandise store.

WHERE CAN I BUY ART?

Many ArtPrize entries are for sale. Check the artist’s profile on the ArtPrize app or website for availability and pricing. Artists are encouraged to place information by their works if they are going to be selling their pieces and managing their sales.

Additionally, if an artist chooses to sell their work through our sales partner AllArtWorks, they will have a QR code on their entry label that will take you to their sales profile. 

Finally, the Merchants and Makers ArtPrize Market is taking place all three Saturdays of ArtPrize this year. Saturday, September 20th, 27th, and October 4th, 2025 from 10 am - 6 pm. This will be located on Monroe Center St SW.

IS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AVAILABLE?

Yes! Mobile GR and The Rapid provide little to no-cost rides year-round. There are also bike and scooter rentals, ride share, and more. Find more information on these services below:

The DASH + DASH Lots

The Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) offers you an easy and affordable way to get around. DASH buses are free and arrive at stops every 15 minutes, circulating through the West, North, South, and Center City districts. The DASH operates 2 park-and-ride lots. 

• Click here for The DASH Map

• DASH Lot Area 8: 325 Winter Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504

• DASH Lot Area 9: 250 Seward Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504

These lots are equipped with accessible parking spots and accept various payment options. Parking rates vary, with daily rates ranging from $2-$3 and event flat rates at $6.

The Rapid

The Rapid offers extensive options for navigating the greater Grand Rapids area. For the system map, click here. Otherwise, you can view each line that will assist you in navigating to all of the ArtPrize venues.

• Route 11 to the North District

• Route 5  and Route 6 to the East District

• Silver Line to the South District

Transit Phone App

Visitors are encouraged to use the Transit App to see nearby transportation. Routes for The Rapid and The DASH, walking, and even UBER can be found on this application. Click here to download the app on your smartphone. 

IS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ACCESSIBLE? 

The Rapid and The DASH ensure that all passengers can safely use their services. Find more information here. 

WHERE DO I PARK?

Downtown Parking Lots + Ramps 

Click here for the interactive map of parking lots and ramps. For the printable version of this map, utilize the Downtown Grand Rapids Parking PDF. 

Street Parking 

Downtown Grand Rapids has ample street parking options. To park on the street with ease, download the MOTU parking application for the city. Click here for a full overview of the Motu app.

Accessible Parking Options

Grand Rapids does have accessible parking spaces throughout the city. Click here for an interactive map of parking spaces throughout the city. This platform offers a filter option in the top right corner of the screen, and has the option for Disability parking. 

For more details on parking around town, visit the City of Grand Rapids Parking page. Additional self parking lots are available at convenient locations across the city through Ellis Parking. You can find a map of their parking locations here.

Hotels

There are a variety of hotels located throughout the Grand Rapids area. The following are offering special ArtPrize rates.

Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown
310 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Discount: 20% off Best Flexible Rate
Book here

Holiday Inn Express & Suites - Grand Rapids Airport North
5405 28th St. Ct. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Discount: Mon–Fri: 25% off Best Flexible Rate, Sat–Sun: 20% off Best Flexible Rate
Book here

WHERE CAN I EAT DURING ARTPRIZE?

Grand Rapids offers a wide variety of restaurants, cafés, and food trucks throughout the ArtPrize area. Many venues are located near dining options, and some even have food and beverage service on site.

ARE RESTROOMS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT VENUES?

Yes. Most ArtPrize venues have public restrooms available during their open hours. Restroom locations may vary, so check with venue staff when you arrive.

ARE THERE FAMILY-FRIENDLY OR PET-FRIENDLY LOCATIONS?

Many ArtPrize venues are family-friendly, offering activities or spaces suitable for all ages. Pet-friendly areas are generally outdoors; most indoor venues allow only service animals. Check individual venue profiles for details.