World's Most-Attended Arts Festival Expands Experiential Activations With National Sponsors

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- ArtPrize, the independently organized international art competition recognized as the world's largest art contest, today announced key sponsor collaborations that will amplify festival programs for over 500,000 visitors at the ninth annual event. ArtPrize takes place over 19 days each fall in Grand Rapids, Michigan and awards more than $500,000 in prizes annually — including two $200,000 prizes, one awarded by smartphone-enabled public vote, the other by expert jury. ArtPrize Nine is slated to take place from September 20-October 8, 2017.

The Honda West Michigan Dealers will host the third edition of the Honda Design & Drive Contest at ArtPrize Nine. Six artists will compete for a 24-month lease on a new 2017 Honda Civic, each developing an original design that will be applied to a vinyl-wrapped Honda vehicle for outdoor display in the heart of the ArtPrize district.

ArtPrize visitors will explore the Honda vehicles, interact with the six artists while they apply their art to the vehicles, and ultimately vote for their favorite via the West Michigan Honda Dealers Facebook page. The activation and contest not only displays Honda vehicles in a whimsical, artful way, but also integrates the key ingredient of what makes ArtPrize unique — the public gets to decide who wins.

"The Design & Drive Contest is a program designed to tap into the unique format and programming of ArtPrize," said Brad Siegers, President of the West Michigan Honda Dealers. "It was important that this activation amplify and build on the democratic platform that makes the art event so unique, and in turn, create meaningful and lasting brand engagement and awareness with visitors and artists. We hope to bring an authentic live element that truly illustrates the Honda philosophy to bring imaginative ideas to life."

Last year's Design & Drive Contest winner, Heather Richardson from Safety Harbor, Florida, traveled with her winning Honda vehicle to Art Basel Miami in December following ArtPrize in 2016. Honda is also the Official Vehicle of ArtPrize and provides branded fleet vehicles that transport guest jurors, speakers, sponsors and special guests in comfort and style around the city.

Additional national sponsor collaborations taking place at ArtPrize Nine include: LIFEWTR™ ArtPrize After Dark Experience; Pantone Shipping Container Mural Program; KPMG as the Official Auditor of the ArtPrize Public Vote; BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Artisan Series Cocktail Mixer. Learn more on the ArtPrize blog.

ArtPrize will return to downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan from September 20-October 8, 2017. Learn more about the event via the ArtPrize mobile app, free for iOS and Android devices, and online at artprize.org.

SOURCE ArtPrize

Related Links

http://artprize.org