If the hundreds of art exhibits scattered across Grand Rapids as part of ArtPrize 2010 weren’t enough to draw your interest, the free concert in Rosa Parks Circle Saturday night offered even more entertainment.

Sponsored by Citadel Broadcasting’s 105.3 and Dave and Carol Van Andel, the show featured Natasha Bedingfield, David Archuleta, Hot Chelle Rae and Ryan Star. The performances brought in an estimated 15,000 people.

Grand Valley State University senior Shanda DeWitt attended the concert with her roommate after hearing about it on the radio.

“We were looking for something fun to do, and it was a change from a normal Saturday night for us,” DeWitt said. “I thought it was a really great idea. There were a ton of people out and that made it more exciting.”

DeWitt said the crowd seemed excited to have fun at the concert and enjoy the artists they may not otherwise get to see. She added the concert and ArtPrize were beneficial for Grand Rapids.

“I think first and foremost, it brings people downtown and raises exposure to everything that’s out there, and that people may not have been aware of,” DeWitt said. “It also brings a sense of community to the area, while promoting things that are unique and different.”

While the concert was free, analysts predict the show will prove to be yet another factor contributing to the economic boost for Grand Rapids caused by ArtPrize.

In building off of the success of last year’s ArtPrize competition, which drew in around $7 million in extra economic activity for the Grand Rapids area, Grand Valley State University professors have begun to gauge the impact of this year’s competition, which looks to be bigger than last year.

Working in conjunction with Experience Grand Rapids and the Downtown Development Authority, GVSU professors Paul Sicillian, economics department, and Seohee Chang, hospitality and tourism department, have begun to gather information on this year’s competition, which includes the number of local attendees and the number of visitors. This data will be used to tally the final estimate of the competition’s impact on the local economy.

The number of downtown visitors drawn by the competition factors heavily into the final tally. The Grand Rapids Art Museum, for example, reported it has seen more than 40,000 visitors since the competition started. The museum had its highest daily visitor count on Saturday at 14,000 people.

Preliminary data already suggests that this year’s competition will have a bigger impact on the local economy than last year’s. According to the ArtPrize website, more than 30,000 people had registered to vote and more than 220,000 votes had been cast by last Tuesday. Hotels and restaurants also reported an increase in sales compared to the same time last year.

This year’s study is expected to generate a more accurate reflection of ArtPrize’s impact as it will include survey information from the competition’s attendees. Last year, surveys were not taken.

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