Sneak peek of ArtPrize fashion, tech

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Various tweaks are changing the face of ArtPrize, the world's largest art competition.

Most notably, the way people share and view their favorites online and on the ArtPrize app.

"We have a feature called 'collections' this year," ArtPrize Marketing Director Todd Herring said. "What that does is allow the user to put certain entries into a collection that they name. It can be a collection of peices that they love, it can be a collection of pieces that they don't love so much. Then they can share it on Facebook and Twitter."

This feature has been added to help people share which pieces are important to them via social media, Herring said.

Art critics are also getting a much more critical role in the competition. In years past, public votes would dictate the "favorites." This year, everyone will watch juror votes come in alongside the public's top votes.

The jury prizes are worth $200,000.

Also, voters will no longer be able to continuously track votes from the moment the competition begins.

"This year, you actually won't see [the votes] until the first Monday of the event," said Herring. "We're going to release a short list of the jurors top 25 pieces and then also the top 25 from the public vote."

Also different this year is the way ArtPrize reveals its merchandise line.

The organization teamed up with Spotlight 616 to give 12 competing designers an opportunity to shine. The designers were allowed to pick $100-worth of past year's ArtPrize retail merchandise and recreate their own version.  

They'll take the stage at Monte's on Bridge Street Wednesday night to show their work and also compete in a live styling challenge.

"I think one of the things that is really great about this event is just getting people to think about art in a different way," ArtPrize event producer Noddea Skidmore said. "Why shouldn't we look at fashion design as art as well?"

ArtPrize 2012 merchandise will be available for the first and only time before September at Monte's on Wednesday night. Proceeds will go to ArtPrize and Fashion Has Heart.

24 Hour News 8 also caught up with an artist spending his last days of summer vacation on his ArtPrize instillation.

In town from Maryland, Stephen Hendee was hard at work in the old Grand Rapids Public Museum Tuesday. Hosted by Site:Lab, he and 17 other artists are installing exhibits there -- not simply entries.

His post-apocalyptic theme showcases textiles and artifacts from a future dark age.

For more information on ArtPrize 2012, check out the woodtv.com ArtPrize section.

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Online:

ArtPrize.org