GRAND RAPIDS, MI.- Officials of ArtPrize, a radically open art competition giving away the world’s largest art prize, have announced the 2011 registration dates for venues and artists and special dates for submitting art to be installed in the Grand River. ArtPrize 2011 will run from Sept. 21 through Oct. 9.

“The artist and venue registration process was developed during the last two years based on feedback provided from artists, venues, city hall and ArtPrize visitors,” said Rick DeVos, ArtPrize founder.

Key dates for ArtPrize 2011 include:

Venue Registration
Open: Monday, March 14, 2011
Close: Thursday April 14 (5 p.m. EDT)

Artist Registration
Open: Monday, April 18
Close: Thursday, June 16 (5 p.m. EDT)

Artist/Venue Matching
Open: Tuesday, May 31
Close: Thursday, June 30 (5 p.m. EDT)

“A lot of the most memorable work in the event is created for a specific space,” said ArtPrize Executive Director Bill Holsinger-Robinson. “Artists will know all the available venues as they register.” Holsinger-Robinson cautions artists, “The vast majority of artists who did not secure a venue in 2010 were the ones who signed up at the last minute. Register early.”

Any art proposed for installation in the Grand River, which runs through the heart of the three square-mile ArtPrize district, must be submitted to the city of Grand Rapids and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) according to the following schedule:

Pre-application filed with the City: Monday, March 28

Application filed with the DNRE: Friday, April 8
(The DNRE will process the application using the following steps)

1. Public notice period begins: Friday, April 22
2. Public notice period ends: Friday, May 13
3. Public hearing, if requested: Friday, June 10
4. Required time for comments: Monday, June 20

Permit Decision: Wednesday, June 29

“This process allows the City to review proposed work to ensure that there is artistic quality and structural integrity to the proposed installations,” said José Reyna, fiscal services manager for the city of Grand Rapids. “The DNRE application will review the proposed installations in the context of environmental, structural and navigability impact on the river.”

As in 2010, ArtPrize will partner with institutions such as the Grand Rapids Art Museum, the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts and others to form large neighborhood destinations where visitors can launch into surrounding venues. These Exhibition Centers will be professionally managed and bring a minimum of 25 installations to one site and serve as a launch pad into the surrounding neighborhoods. Each will offer voter registration, an ArtPrize gift shop and an ArtPrize shuttle stop. Exact locations of the Exhibition Centers are still being determined.

ArtPrize has invited thousands of artists worldwide to register for ArtPrize 2011, which will award the world’s largest cash prize for art totaling $484,000. Prizes include: First place $250,000, second place $100,000, third place $50,000, fourth through tenth places $7,000 each, and five juried awards at $7,000 each.

In ArtPrize 2010, Chris LaPorte of Grand Rapids, Mich. captured the top prize of $250,000 for his work Cavalry, American Officers, 1921. In ArtPrize 2009, Ran Ortner of Brooklyn, N.Y. captured the top prize of $250,000 for his work Open Water No. 24.