ArtPrize’s public-vote race reached its midpoint Saturday night at John Ball Zoo, where organizers revealed the current top 30 entries. The 5:30-to-7:30 p.m. celebration paired live painting at animal exhibits with a progress report on the citywide competition.
At the Sept. 26 event, attendees could explore the zoo grounds, see animal-inspired paintings and vote for their favorites, according to MLive.com. Tickets to the gathering cost $10; general admission to the broader citywide exhibition is free.
This marks ArtPrize's 16th year, and the 2026 edition has drawn the largest number of artist entries since 2018, per the same report. The competition runs from Sept. 18 through Oct. 3, spreading more than 1,000 works across 159 venues throughout Grand Rapids — everywhere from downtown hotels to a symphony church campus.
What the Midpoint Standings Include
Coleman Brook Sr., ArtPrize’s deputy director, said the works named at the zoo had reached the top of the public vote, MLive reported. Among those entries were Scott Gelander’s 2D work American Bison at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and Von Ether’s 2D piece Gazelle at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.
The current list also includes Justin Shull’s Moonshot at The B.O.B., Ella Aimee Webber’s Seven Deadly Sins at DeVos Place Convention Center and Steve Anderson’s 3D work Archangel St. Michael at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. Installation entries include Tom Gifford’s Echoes of Empire at McKay Tower and Daniel Muellerleile’s 26-foot-tall Michigan Poem Lighthouse Sculpture at the Ford museum.
Other formats represented among the frontrunners include new media and time-based works: Wendi Gwartney’s Phenomena: Rendered at Cūra Gallery inside Silva, and Enflame by Mason Hayes and Kacey Samiee at Cornerstone Church’s Heritage Hill campus. The entries span ArtPrize categories from design and installation to new media.
Voting Window Closes Ahead of Awards Night
The competition remains ongoing, and all entries are still eligible as public voting continues through Oct. 2 at 10 p.m. Winners will be announced Oct. 3 at an awards celebration at Acrisure Amphitheater.
How the Public Vote Works
The zoo’s Top 30 announcement is a midpoint snapshot, not the final public-vote result. According to ArtPrize, an individual may vote once per entry per day; public votes determine a $100,000 grand prize and $10,000 winners in each of six entry categories, alongside a separate juried award process.
Following the awards presentation, organizers plan a fashion show by RC Caylan Atelier featuring the Grand Rapids Symphony and Opera Grand Rapids, along with choreographed dance. The fashion show aims to break the Guinness World Record for the largest attended fashion show, according to the MLive report.
Beyond the awards spectacle, ArtPrize also plans to purchase the winning zoo artwork from the halftime showcase and donate it to a local charity. General admission tickets to the broader ArtPrize exhibition remain free and available at acrisureamphitheater.com, giving Grand Rapids residents five more days to wander the city's galleries, hotel lobbies and museum halls before the final vote closes.
