GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — It’s that time of the year again. Thursday marks the first official day of ArtPrize.

The three-week-long event brings artists in from across the country to Grand Rapids. For two years, AllArtWorks, a viewing studio on the southwest side of town, has partnered with ArtPrize to help sell the creators’ work.

“Our really deep feel about this whole thing is making Grand Rapids art city of the USA,” said Tyler Loftis, CEO & Founder of AllArtWorks.

It’s no secret that hundreds of thousands of people come to Grand Rapids each year to see the work made by dozens of artists from across the country and sometimes even different parts of the world.

But what about those coming to buy it? That’s where AllArtWorks comes in.

“We take care of the entire thing for them,” said Loftis. “We deal with the buyer, we deal with questions, we pick up the piece when it sells, we handle shipping … But at the heart and soul of it, it’s for making the artist feel as comfortable as possible, so they can enjoy this whole experience.”

Walking into the AllArtWorks studio, you’ll see a map of Grand Rapids. Next to it are pictures of almost every piece of artwork in the event and the location buyers can find it.

“When you go to the number and the color, it’ll give you an easy way to find out where their showing their piece,” explained Loftis. “For us, it’s fun because the artists can kind of come in and see the world and community that they’re a part of.”

But for those looking to bring home a piece of ArtPrize, it gets even easier.

“There will be QR codes next to each piece, it’s part of the sale,” said Loftis. “And you can scan that, it’ll bring you right to the artist’s page, which will have all the information … We’ve used QR codes in previous years, but this year, I think it’s going to be the easiest.”

Chris Protas, Artist Relations Manager at AllArtWorks is showcasing his work in the show this year. He said it’s been interesting meeting other fellow artists who are also showcasing their work.

“You just see how much effort and investment … emotional, capital … whatever it is, that people put into this,” he said. “It’s a real special thing.”