LMich
04-24-2009, 06:53 AM
Sounds interesting and promising, particularly for a region so often and for so long stereotyped as bland and ultra-conservative.
NnBlnRpu-EU
http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/news_impact/2009/04/large_rick-devos.jpg
Rex Larsen | The Grand Rapids PressRick DeVos talks about his plans for ArtPrize, an International arts competition he is bringing to Grand Rapids.
http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/news_impact/2009/04/large_Art-Prize-453.jpg
Lori Niedenfuer Cool | The Grand Rapids PressRick DeVos, standing at right in Lyon Square, unveils details of the $500,000 ArtPrize contest that he says will turn Grand Rapids into a gallery.
Rick DeVos unveiling $500,000 ArtPrize contest to turn Grand Rapids into a gallery (http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/04/rick_devos_unveiling_500000_ar.html)
by Chris Knape | The Grand Rapids Press
Thursday April 23, 2009, 8:00 AM
GRAND RAPIDS -- Artists from around the world are expected to descend on Grand Rapids this fall to compete for votes and the world's largest prize for art during a two-week event announced by Amway heir Rick DeVos this morning.
The nearly $500,000 ArtPrize competition is designed to draw worldwide attention to Grand Rapids through its integration of technology, a diverse group of venues and the creations of hundreds of competitors working in virtually any medium.
Saying the comparison to "American Idol" is "inevitable," DeVos said prizes will be awarded based on public votes cast via text messages, the Web and special applications developed for devices such as the iPhone.
DeVos said he sees the democratic and technological aspects of the event as a way to "reboot the conversation between artists and the public."
The competition begins Sept. 23. Ten top vote recipients will be chosen after the first week to compete in a second round of public voting for the $250,000, $100,000 and $50,000 first, second and third place prizes to be awarded Oct. 8. Each finalist will receive at least $7,000.
The announcement ended more than a week of speculation that began when DeVos sent invitations to an event this morning where he planned to announce "a major initiative that will affect Grand Rapids for years to come."
A webcast of the public announcement of ArtPrize was available at the Internet broadcasting site Ustream.tv starting at 9 a.m.
The event draws on DeVos' experience with his company, Spout.com, an Internet community for film buffs, and thecommon.org, a Web site that matches the abilities of people in communities with organizations in need.
"A lot of my ideas are around using technology to connect people to each other or to art in new and interesting ways," said DeVos, 27, grandson of Amway co-founder Rich DeVos and son of former Amway chief executive and Michigan gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos. "Thinking about that, thinking about events, thinking about an overall love of art, I started to come up with questions like, 'What if we took a completely different approach to having an event in Grand Rapids?'
"What if the city itself was a gallery?"
DeVos said travels to international gatherings such as the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, helped him formulate ArtPrize.
The Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation has made a multi-year commitment to provide the prize money. Sponsorships are being sought for venues, artists and other facets of the event.
"Our family sees ArtPrize as a new and innovative way to engage and support the arts for the future," Betsy DeVos said in a statement. "Dick and I share our son's vision for encouraging everyone to explore the arts in a truly democratic way."
To avoid ballot-stuffing and other manipulations common with Internet voting, voters will need to register at ArtPrize venues to ensure they don't vote more than once during each component of the contest.
DeVos said how people react to the competition will be part of what makes ArtPrize a unique and engaging experience.
Hundreds of venues are expected to be part of the event, ranging from corporate lobbies and empty buildings to public parks.
NnBlnRpu-EU
http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/news_impact/2009/04/large_rick-devos.jpg
Rex Larsen | The Grand Rapids PressRick DeVos talks about his plans for ArtPrize, an International arts competition he is bringing to Grand Rapids.
http://blog.mlive.com/grpress/news_impact/2009/04/large_Art-Prize-453.jpg
Lori Niedenfuer Cool | The Grand Rapids PressRick DeVos, standing at right in Lyon Square, unveils details of the $500,000 ArtPrize contest that he says will turn Grand Rapids into a gallery.
Rick DeVos unveiling $500,000 ArtPrize contest to turn Grand Rapids into a gallery (http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2009/04/rick_devos_unveiling_500000_ar.html)
by Chris Knape | The Grand Rapids Press
Thursday April 23, 2009, 8:00 AM
GRAND RAPIDS -- Artists from around the world are expected to descend on Grand Rapids this fall to compete for votes and the world's largest prize for art during a two-week event announced by Amway heir Rick DeVos this morning.
The nearly $500,000 ArtPrize competition is designed to draw worldwide attention to Grand Rapids through its integration of technology, a diverse group of venues and the creations of hundreds of competitors working in virtually any medium.
Saying the comparison to "American Idol" is "inevitable," DeVos said prizes will be awarded based on public votes cast via text messages, the Web and special applications developed for devices such as the iPhone.
DeVos said he sees the democratic and technological aspects of the event as a way to "reboot the conversation between artists and the public."
The competition begins Sept. 23. Ten top vote recipients will be chosen after the first week to compete in a second round of public voting for the $250,000, $100,000 and $50,000 first, second and third place prizes to be awarded Oct. 8. Each finalist will receive at least $7,000.
The announcement ended more than a week of speculation that began when DeVos sent invitations to an event this morning where he planned to announce "a major initiative that will affect Grand Rapids for years to come."
A webcast of the public announcement of ArtPrize was available at the Internet broadcasting site Ustream.tv starting at 9 a.m.
The event draws on DeVos' experience with his company, Spout.com, an Internet community for film buffs, and thecommon.org, a Web site that matches the abilities of people in communities with organizations in need.
"A lot of my ideas are around using technology to connect people to each other or to art in new and interesting ways," said DeVos, 27, grandson of Amway co-founder Rich DeVos and son of former Amway chief executive and Michigan gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos. "Thinking about that, thinking about events, thinking about an overall love of art, I started to come up with questions like, 'What if we took a completely different approach to having an event in Grand Rapids?'
"What if the city itself was a gallery?"
DeVos said travels to international gatherings such as the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, helped him formulate ArtPrize.
The Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation has made a multi-year commitment to provide the prize money. Sponsorships are being sought for venues, artists and other facets of the event.
"Our family sees ArtPrize as a new and innovative way to engage and support the arts for the future," Betsy DeVos said in a statement. "Dick and I share our son's vision for encouraging everyone to explore the arts in a truly democratic way."
To avoid ballot-stuffing and other manipulations common with Internet voting, voters will need to register at ArtPrize venues to ensure they don't vote more than once during each component of the contest.
DeVos said how people react to the competition will be part of what makes ArtPrize a unique and engaging experience.
Hundreds of venues are expected to be part of the event, ranging from corporate lobbies and empty buildings to public parks.
