In 2009, it brought $449,000, 200,000 visitors and 1,262 artists from 41 states and 14 countries to Grand Rapids.

This year, it promises to be even bigger and better.

ArtPrize 2010 will be the event’s second year, which combines a community festival, art competition and social experiment.

The event, spearheaded by Rick DeVos and curated by the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, will run from Sept. 22 to Oct. 10.

Several Grand Valley State University alumni, faculty and students entered their work in ArtPrize 2009.

Steven Samson, campaign and exhibitions manager for the UICA, said he is pleased Grand Rapids will play host to the event again.

“It’s important to provide an event for people who can come to view art and become involved in seeing different viewpoints and perspectives there are in the world,” Samson said.

One of the changes he said this year would bring is that ArtPrize will only be curating for the UICA since the Old Federal Building will not be a venue to display the art. Plans are underway to display art outside the new UICA building at 2 West Fulton St. SE as well as the main building located at 41 Sheldon Blvd. SE.

About 226 other venues also signed up as sites to display the many art exhibits. GVSU will open its outdoor art and sculpture exhibit center on the Pew Campus for the occasion.

Samson said the ArtPrize committee has more time this year to plan events for ArtPrize and coordinate the programs.

The event will be three days longer this year, which Samson said he expects will lead to an even bigger turnout than last year.

At ArtPrize 2009, 85,000 people visited the UICA in two weeks. Samson said this doubled the number of patrons the UICA typically sees in a year.

Already, Samson said he has received many submissions, including someone from New Zealand interested in the competition.

Interested artists can apply at the ArtPrize Web site, www.artprize.org. The deadline for registration is May 27, and once accepted artists have from June 1 to July 1 to secure a venue for their work. There is a $50 non-refundable fee for all applications.

The proposals are reviewed by a curatorial committee, and if approved they receive an Artist and Venue Hosting Agreement, which secures them a spot in the competition.

Anyone 18 and older is eligible to submit his or her original work.

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