Even though more than 1,200 artists will descend on the Grand Rapids for the next two-plus weeks, business owners don't know what kind of economic impact the event will generate. Tourism leaders say it's all good and expect the event to boost the city's visibility on the international art scene.
According to excerpts from the story:
More than 1,200 artists are descending on downtown for ArtPrize, but local officials and businesses are being cautiously optimistic about the economic impact. The Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention and Visitors Bureau is not making projections about how much money the event, billed as the world's largest art competition, may pump into the economy. Ditto for how many visitors it will draw.
The competition kicks off Wednesday and wraps up Oct. 10, two days after $449,000 in prizes are awarded to the artists whose works get the most "thumbs up"; from online voters. "There is nothing but upside to ArtPrize," convention bureau president Doug Small said.
"It fell at a time where, fortunately or unfortunately for us, we do not have a lot of convention business. Any room night derived from it is a bonus and helpful." Small said he believes the event will bring long-term benefits as people associate Grand Rapids with being an international hub for artists.
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