Matthew Shlian of Ann Arbor looks at his piece, "Misfold," while installing it Sept. 13 at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts in Grand Rapids. The 21 artists on display at the UICA join about 1,300 artists exhibiting work in Grand Rapids to participate in the first annual ArtPrize art competition.

Adam Bird | AP

Almost 40 artists from Washtenaw County are participating in the ArtPrize open art competition that opens on Wednesday. An all-inclusive endeavor, ArtPrize invited all artists anywhere to submit their works and all businesses and individuals within downtown Grand Rapids (where the exhibitions are being held) to offer their space as a viewing venue.

Visitors can weigh in on their 10 favorite pieces by voting at the ArtPrize web site, via text message, or using an iPhone application. Voting is open to attendees 16 years or older who register in person at ArtPrize exhibitions. For complete details, visit the voting and voting instructions sections at the ArtPrize web site. Admission and voting are free. These votes determine which artists will walk away with the competition's ten cash prizes, which total almost $500,000, including a top award of $250,000.

"The point of ArtPrize is the conversation," competition creator Rick DeVos, 27, told the Associated Press. "That's why it's a public vote ... to give a reason for people to talk to each other about what they like, what they don't like, why you should like this, why you shouldn't like that."

The response from artists and venue officials has been remarkable, he said. "When we announced this in April, we figured, kind of internally, that if we had 300 artists that matched with venues, that would be success for the first year," DeVos said. "We're at 1,262 — so about four times that — and it kind of blows us away, but it's really cool and I think speaks to the hospitality of the community."

Furnishing the prize money is the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation. The winners are announced on Oct. 8, giving visitors a chance to see the winning works. Admission to the exhibits, as well as voting, is free.

ARTPRIZE QUICK FACTS Where: Art venues are within a three-square-mile area of downtown Grand Rapids. When: Sept. 23 through Oct. 10; winners to be announced Oct. 8 Countries Represented: 24 Venues Registered: 159 Total Prize Money: $449,000 First-Place Prize: $250,000 Second Place Prize: $100,000 Third Place Prize: $50,000 Fourth through 10th place: $7,000

Washtenaw County artists who have been matched up with locations, and their contributions to ArtPrize, compiled from the ArtPrize web site. Details on each artwork's location can be found by clicking each link:

• Emir Alibasic, Ann Arbor - "Unsteady Ground" oil painting • Scott Allen, Ann Arbor - "Regatta" acrylic on canvas • Dianne Austin, Ann Arbor - "The Great Puff" mixed media • Shonda Bottke, Ann Arbor - "Sid, The Restless Octopus" mosaic • John Braman, Ypsilanti - "Perseverance" steel and concrete • Rick De Troyer, Chelsea - "Spirit of Chelsea 2184" found metal • David Fischer, Ann Arbor - "5 heads" glass/mixed media • Michael Flynn, Ann Arbor - ferrofluid Magnetoscope interactive exhibit • Anthony Frudakis, Saline - "Andromeda" bronze • Aaron Griffith, Chelsea - untitled 2D mixed media • Kristin Hermanson, Ann Arbor - "Urban Apollo" oil painting • Matt Kelsey, Ann Arbor - "Sculpture" steel • Heidi Kraepel, Chelsea - "History of a Land" mixed media • Heidi Kumao, Ann Arbor - "Correspondence" video sculpture • Ashley Lieber, Ann Arbor - "Circular System III (Oasis in a Desert)" 3D • Tad McKillop, Ann Arbor - "Loss" hydrocal • Josh McVety, Ann Arbor - "Prototype 1" bronze sculpture • Anne Mondro, Ann Arbor - "Vulnerable Series: Touch" large format digital print • Nawal & Karim Motawi (Motawi Tileworks), Ann Arbor - ceramic tile quilt mural • Kirsten Neelands & Stephen B. Proctor, Ann Arbor - "March in the Sacristy" 3D gouache • Madalina Nicola, Ann Arbor - "Happiness" acrylic painting • Washington Osler, Ypsilanti - "'It's All About Love' And ... (What Does it All Mean?)" 2D/3D &bull Margaret Parker, Ann Arbor - "Escape/Return Escape/Regresso" 3D • Mary Potts, Ypsilanti - "Lost" photography • Denise Rohde, Ann Arbor - "The Son in Our Daily Lives" digital photography • Jeff Salter, Ann Arbor - "Celebration" wood sculpture • Jaye Schlesinger, Ann Arbor - "White Freight Elevator Door Series" pastel drawing • John Schwarz, Chelsea - "Soft Tailed Goose" found object assemblage • Matthew Shlian, Ann Arbor - "misfold" paper sculpture • Mike Sivak, Ann Arbor - "Viaticum" mixed media • Joshua Ray Smith, Ann Arbor - "Winter Solstice Waiting" steel and stainless steel • Leslie Sobel, Milan - "Sleeping Bear Aerial" encaustic, digital print and mixed media on panel • Patrick Thompson, Ann Arbor - "Time And Tide" 3-D oil painting • Mark Tucker, Ann Arbor - "FestiFools" 3D/sound/Internet • Cathy VanVoorhis, Dexter - oil on canvas • Margaret Wyngaard, Ann Arbor - "Illuminated beauty" cut paper

Preview the local artists' ArtPrize contributions: (Note: No photos available for works by Shonda Bottke, Aaron Griffith and Cindy VanVoorhis.)

ArtPrize boundaries and venues:
View ArtPrize in a larger map

The Associated Press contributed to this story.