The 10th international ArtPrize competition is kicking off its run in West Michigan. The event starts Wednesday and goes through Oct. 7. It features the work of more than 1,400 artists at more than 160 venues vying for $500,000 in cash prizes. ArtPrize officially opens with the midday "ArtPrize 10 Opening Whistle" event in Grand Rapids where a steam-powered train whistle sounds. Winners are announced Oct. 5 after public voting.
Following this year, organizers plan to hold ArtPrize every other year instead of annually. Following ArtPrize 10, a new event is planned every other year starting in 2019. It's a citywide public art project put together by an artist or group of artists called "Project 1" its first year, "Project 2" in 2021 and so on. ArtPrize returns in 2020.
