The American Idol of Art comes to GR this fall

It's the American Idol of art. This fall, Grand Rapids plays host to Art Prize, an art contest that puts the job of judging the art work of both emerging and established artists into the hands of the general public.

Visit one of the hundred plus venues that are each hosting a selection of the artists in the competition and cast your vote. ArtPrize is giving back this kind of democracy to the art world in a bold mood that reboots the conversation about art.

Whether you're itching to to be the Simon for the competition and drop some knowledge on the artist's canvases, or simply dole out Paula-esque compliments to every artist( regardless of talent), you've got the opportunity to make your opinion count.

After the voting, which continues throughout the contest's run( September 23- October 10), the top 10 entries will receive prizes. The grand prize winner gets the whopping sum of $250 thousand dollars-- the largest sum awarded for an art contest in the world.

The venues hosting artists dot the cityscape, but you can see 15 of these world class artists right within the walls of the UICA, each showcasing one work of art.

For a full list of venues and artists, visit the ArtPrize website.