Art Prize, The Beginning



Bright and early Wednesday Sept. 19, 2012, soundcheck



I graduated from Grand Valley State University in the spring of 2010, just about 6 months after the first Art Prize and Art Prize's founder Rick DeVos (the young one) was our guest speaker. He talked about going with your ideas, taking a hold of your dreams and making them happen. During his humorous, inspirational speech he talked about his Art Prize day dreams. He talked about how, when he told some people they encouraged his plans and some people thought he was crazy; he thought HE was crazy for going through with it. Little did he know that Art Prize would be some what of a Big Bang of business to the Grand Rapids area. In the first year of Art Prize several restaurants RAN OUT of food and drink for customers...it was an unprecedented amount of business. Along with events by Rob Bliss, such as the paper airplane thing downtown GR is pulling 30,000+ people into the area in a single night.  Art Prize has since gained national and international acclaim...this year it was mentioned in GQ Magazine.

 If you have never been to GR or just never made it to art prize this is the time to GO!! For the opening night tonight there will be plenty of events and music and food vendors :))It should be a TON of fun! Which is why I'm in such a pouty mood about having to work...womp womp.