GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.- ArtPrize, the radically open, international art competition, announced 1,511 entries from 56 countries and 45 states will show their work in 162 venues within three-square miles of downtown Grand Rapids, Mich. Artists will now compete for a combination of public votes and juried prizes to secure part of the world’s largest art prize, totaling $560,000. The event begins Sept. 19-Oct. 7, 2012. A complete list of participating artists and venues can all be viewed at www.artprize.org/entries.

Event organizers today closed Connections—the period when artists can officially secure a venue and participate in ArtPrize 2012. Unique to any other art competition in the world, ArtPrize requires artists and venues to self-curate all exhibition spaces, which allows for the event’s epic scale, challenging use of space and dramatic surprises. An open call for entries allowed any place to be a venue and artist who could secure a location to display their art.

“The greatest achievement of ArtPrize is its ability to attract a diverse population of artists and visitors, bring them together in 19 days, and engage in a critical discussion about contemporary art,” said Catherine Creamer, executive director of ArtPrize. “The depth of curation and entries this year is magnificent, and with total prizes split between the public and professional jurors, we expect 2012 to have an even more robust dialog.”

New to artprize.org is a “collections” feature allowing anyone to easily create and share lists of entries. This feature will help visitors plan early and start the conversation weeks, even months before the event begins.

During the event, the ArtPrize organization asks the public to vote on their favorite installations. Voting serves as a function of engagement and ultimately decides the winners. Participants can use mobile devices and the Internet. Ten winners are chosen in two rounds of voting. First place receives $200,000, second $75,000, third $50,000, and fourth through tenth each receive $5,000.

In addition, a panel of professional jurors will distribute $200,000 in prize money to artists at their discretion. Five category jurors will distribute $20,000 each to recognize entries in two-dimensional work, three-dimensional work, music/performance, use of urban space and an outstanding venue. The final $100,000 will be given as a Grand Juried Prize by a panel of three arts professionals.

“The new juried prize structure has provided an additional catalyst for artists,” added Creamer. “The result is viewers will see work from more of the nation and more of the world.”

Canada tops the international artists again at 22 entries, with the United Kingdom close behind at 16. The number of national artists has also increased in 2012. Illinois alone has more than 97 artists traveling to Grand Rapids, while New York’s participating artists total 40. Hundreds more are coming from California, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

To exhibit, artists had to secure space with one of more than 195 ArtPrize venues found within a three-square mile district of downtown Grand Rapids before June 21, 2012. Venues range from city parks to rooftops to museums to restaurants. A complete list of artists and their corresponding venues are available at www.artprize.org/entries.

With the Connections process out of the way, artists are now required to bring their entries to Grand Rapids and the city will prepare to welcome the 1,511 entries. Artist needs often include housing, materials and assistants to see their installations completed.