Rise from the Rust: Art and Economic Development

Grand Rapids, Michigan — an urban town — is becoming the envy of American metropolises. Forbes magazine just cited it as one of 15 cities to watch. ArtPrize is likely a significant factor in the rise of this emerald city in the heart of America’s rust belt. The five-year-old event is shaping the mini-metropolis’ economy and the global dialog about art.

ArtPrize began as an experiment of visionary entrepreneur Rick DeVos. As a third-generation entrepreneur and Grand Rapidian, DeVos knows something about vision and cared deeply about his home town. In 2009 he devised an event to crown the largest prize awarded in art in Grand Rapids. The novelty of the idea went beyond the size of the prize and the non-art-mecca location of small-town-America. The award was open to any artist from across the globe. Any venue or public space within the boundaries of downtown Grand Rapids could serve as a gallery. Finally, and likely most risque, the award was to be decided by popular vote of the people physically present in downtown Grand Rapids during the event.

The event proposes some interesting questions:

What happens when anyone can identify themselves as an artist?

What happens when any venue can be declared a gallery?

What happens when anyone can be a critic?

The answer is twofold: economic impact in a post industrial city and rich dialog!

The event was an economic force in it’s first year! It was obvious to the restaurants in the heart of the event, many ran out of food to serve during the first weekend of the two week extravaganza! In post event reports, the second competition had economic impact of over $7 million. Data for 2012 event has not yet been published but 2011 saw $15.4 million of economic activity and brought over 300,000 visitors to the urban town!

With an additional “Christmas” type retail season in the early fall, the event has attracted many new restaurants, bars, and boutiques to the downtown area. One of the more interesting additions was a “pop-up” storefront for Wolverine, an international shoe brand with offices in Grand Rapids. The brand opened up a store in downtown for what was anticipated to be a short-term during ArtPrize 2011, but in the end has held onto the spot. The success of the “pop up store” inspired the brand to open up their first store in New York City.

Beyond the economic success, the event has created conversation. ArtPrize is devoted to Art! The previous four events have attracted over 5,000 creative installations and hundreds of thousands of visitors. New thoughts are certainly formed and voiced with the presence of new minds in the town; add art, good or bad, and conversation abounds.

ArtPrize is a jackpot! ArtPrize awards $200,000 to an artist for a single work. To put that in perspective, Baltimore’s own Sondheim prize and Baker’s artist awards are $25,000. Even the prestigious Turner Art Prize awarded annually by the Tate in London is only 40,000 pounds ($62,300) and the Guggenheim’s Hugo Boss award is $100,000. ArtPrize is a large boost for the “starving” artist.

The ArtPrize is awarded democratically. The popular vote of the prize suggest that anyone has the opportunity to express their thoughts on art. This has attracted more “attention” than any other element of the prize. For quite some time the art establishment has been a tight community with prolific educational or economic hurdles as barriers. ArtPrize is leveling the playing field. By allowing the vote of anyone in the community to count, art is now something anyone can talk about. The metropolitan socialite, the hipster, the farmer and the homeless man can all voice a statement. In 2012, ArtPrize added a $100,000 juried award, suggesting a desire to be serious about the art but still placing the emphasis on accessibility of art to the general population. It will be interesting to see if ArtPrize ever awards both prizes to the same work.

ArtPrize is creating change. A small city in west central Michigan is on the minds of city planners, events organizers and the global art community. The interesting thing about ArtPrize is that it does not have to be confined to a geographic area. Many elements of the concept could be exported and the future may hold a global movement of democratically awarded art prizes that foster the economy and expand thought.