1. For Grand Valley State University students that live downtown, make sure to plan a few extra minutes to your commute starting Thursday, Sept. 25. ArtPrize kicks off on the evening of Sept. 24, and GVSU veterans know that once the event begins, sidewalks are mere suggestions for ArtPrize goers. It’s going to take a bit longer to get anywhere downtown, so make sure to account for that in your travels.

2. ArtPrize has far too much art to be able to see it all in just one visit. Make sure to check out the ArtPrize website, www.artprize.org, and browse the art entries. It’s helpful to plan out what locations you want to see before you go so that you can make sure you won’t miss anything you are hoping to find.

3. Charge your smartphone before you go. As soon as you get within the boundaries of ArtPrize, you can register on the ArtPrize app, which is free to download, so that you can vote for your favorite art entries. Each piece of art has a numerical code that is posted next to the artwork, so make sure you have enough battery life on your phone to last through your entire day of voting for your favorite art.

4. Bring a water bottle. If you’re going to explore much of ArtPrize, you’re going to do a fair bit of walking. The forecast for the opening weekend of the event is looking to be in the high 60s and low 70s, so it shouldn’t be too warm, but it’s still important to keep hydrated. Plus, it’ll save you a few bucks and a fair amount of time standing in line if you bring your own drink.

5. Don’t smoke in the large crowds or around the pieces of art. Not everyone wants to smell your cigarette smoke while they’re enjoying quality time with their families and the art. It’s rude, and you’ll get quite a few dirty looks.

6. Go into restaurants in the designated ArtPrize area. Even if it doesn’t seem like much, most businesses have at least a couple of ArtPrize entries in them.

7. Keep your eyes open. The great thing about ArtPrize is that the entire city turns into art. Look up, look down and look in the parking garages. ArtPrize challenges people to think about what is and isn’t art, so look in unexpected places for some of the coolest entries out there.

8. Follow the path that’s on the sidewalks. If you’re looking to see as much art as possible, follow the spray painted marks on the sidewalk. ArtPrize organizers plan out a path for visitor to follow, so check those out.

9. Some of the coolest art is time sensitive, so it is to your advantage to consult the schedule of events on the ArtPrize website.

10. Founder’s Brewing Co. has released a beer specifically for Artprize called Mosaic Promise. The profits from the beer are going to ArtPrize, which gives art and beer lovers just one more reason to finish off their busy, art-filled day with a unique Michigan beer.