Comcast Announces Technology Sponsorship for ArtPrize

SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast today announced that it will be the official technology sponsor for ArtPrize, the world's largest art competition open to any artist who can find space in Grand Rapids. The citywide exhibit, which is open to the public and free of charge, begins September 22 and ends on October 10, with members of the public selecting the winning art through online voting.

Using Comcast's new High-Speed 2go mobile Internet technology, Comcast will provide ArtPrize visitors the opportunity to vote for their favorite art at five convenient kiosk locations and three roving mobile voting stations within the three square-mile radius of the event.  Cash prizes totaling $449,000 will be awarded to the winners of ArtPrize.

"We're grateful to have Comcast join ArtPrize this year," said ArtPrize Executive Director, Bill Holsinger-Robinson. "So many visitors in 2009 were excited to vote right away, but needed the convenience of a voting station. Comcast brings that convenience to 2010 and helps raise the technical capacity of our community that much more."

Voting stations can be found at the following ArtPrize neighborhood sites:

Center City – 146 Monroe Center (outside of BIGGBY Coffee)

Heartside – Van Andel Arena - 130 West Fulton

Hillside – Grand Rapids Civic Theater – 30 Division Avenue North

Monroe North – LaFontsee Galleries/Underground Studio – 80 Monroe Avenue NW

Westside – Bridgewater Place – 333 Bridge Street NW

"As the official technology sponsor for ArtPrize this year, this event provides Comcast a great venue to showcase the power of our broadband network and demonstrate our newest product for Grand Rapids customers, Comcast's High-Speed 2go mobile technology," said Tom Coughlin, Senior Vice President for Comcast in Michigan.  "We are proud to help power ArtPrize with our high-speed internet service, giving visitors another convenient way to vote for their favorite artist."

Comcast will also provide connectivity to the HUB located in the Old Federal Building at 155 North Division Avenue in the center of downtown Grand Rapids. The HUB will act as a central resource center where visitors can relax and talk.  It will have free access to computers powered by Comcast for voter registration, voting and trained technical support.  

High-Speed 2go is Comcast's new 4G/3G mobile Internet service that provides blazing fast web connectivity on the fastest wireless network, providing consumers Internet how they want it, where they want it.  The world-class services Comcast is known for in the home are beginning to be extended to where consumers work, live and play. High-speed mobile Internet connectivity is one of the first products consumers want as a natural extension of Comcast's high-speed Internet in the home or the workplace. Comcast High-Speed 2go will officially launch in Grand Rapids later this year.  

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is one of the nation's leading providers of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 23.2 million video customers, 16.4 million high-speed Internet customers, and 8.1 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, 11 regional sports networks operated by Comcast Sports Group and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net).  Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, which owns two professional sports teams, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, and a large, multipurpose arena in Philadelphia, the Wells Fargo Center, and, through Global Spectrum, manages other facilities for sporting events, concerts and other events.

Comcast's Michigan Region serves more than one million customers statewide and employs approximately 4,000 people. Comcast has three major call centers located in the state and houses its Michigan Region headquarters in Southfield.

About ArtPrize

ArtPrize is a radically open competition. Registered artists and venues match with one another at artprize.org and the public votes for the winners using mobile devices and the Web. ArtPrize 2010 has 1,713 artists from all over the world participating in the unprecedented competition that awards $449,000 to the prize winners. More than 334,000 votes were cast during the 18-day event last year. For more information, log onto www.artprize.org.

SOURCE Comcast Cable