Grand Rapids' ArtPrize: Why Couldn't Detroit Have Thought Of That?

Now in its fourth year, ArtPrize invites artists from around the world to create a work of art that is placed in any of numerous public indoor and outdoor venues, mostly in the downtown area, John Gallagher reports in the Free Press.

The public votes on its favorites, and the winner receives a top prize of $200,000. A second judging by a professional jury results in a $100,000 prize.

From the beginning, ArtPrize proved a huge economic boon for restaurants, hotels and many other businesses in Grand Rapids.

"They're our three busiest weeks of the year," Garry Boyd, manager of HopCat and two related eateries, told Gallagher. "We plan way ahead for this stuff."