If you have not activated your voting status in person at the event, you must do so at a registration site.

REGISTER + ACTIVATE
You can vote as soon as you register and activate

Register now on artprize.org. You must have a unique email address to register. (If you voted last year, you are already registered. You must still activate your voting account in person.)

You must activate your voting account in person at the event. Come to any registration site between September 22-October 6 (final day of voting) and present a valid government ID (driver’s license, state ID or passport). View registration sites

Ready to Vote?

1. Sign in to artprize.org
2. Click into venues you visited and browse their artists
3. Vote!
4. Vote for my entry, if you’d like (hint, hint, hint!)

Great Lakes - Great Ships - Great Concerns by Stacy Niedzwiecki

ArtPrize PDF Venue Map 1:
http://media.mlive.com/grpress/entertainment_impact/other/artprize-1.pdf

ArtPrize Venue Map 2
(the downtown detail inset – which was accidentally omitted in Sunday’s GR Press):
http://media.mlive.com/grpress/entertainment_impact/other/artrprize2.pdf

Find Stacy at Venue #55 – SanChez Bistro!

SanChez Bistro
38 W. Fulton St.

Pre-registration for voting begins today  (September 14) in a few hours.

Why pre-register? It will save time. You will still need to show a government issued ID at a registration location on or after the 23rd to be able to vote, but pre-registration will make that process a lot quicker.

The link below will explain a lot of questions you may have – from voting, pre-registration, rules and where the events are taking place for ArtPrize:

http://blog.artprize.org/2009/09/11/important-things-to-review

To vote online:
Just can search your name or the name of your work and vote right on your profile.

To vote by text message:
Each artist will have a 5 digit code that attendees can type into the body of a text message to either vote up or vote down your work (read more about voting up and down below).

Attendees will send all votes to 878787

My voting codes to include in the message:

vote25571 (vote up)
vote25570 (vote down)

Note that my 5 digit code must have the word “vote” in front of it when it is sent in the text message. Mark these codes down!

Why the up vote and down vote?
During Week 1, you can vote an artist up or down. ArtPrize designed voting this way knowing that an artist with the most votes up may be the most popular, but the artist with the most votes up AND down may be the most talked about, thought about and controversial work in the event.

ArtPrize see both the popular and controversial works as important to the “conversations” generated around ArtPrize.

See instructions for all the different ways to vote.

Before you can vote, you need to show up at one of the voter registration sites—in person—with a government-issued photo ID.

Register on opening night at the ArtPrize Opening Night and Registration Fair at Lyon Square. Or any time after that – at one of the voter registration sites. The registration folks will create your account on artprize.org and email your password to you (or create your own account before you come down to register – and choose your own password). Once you register, you’re ready to begin voting.

Open hours at each location vary, so be sure to check them before heading out to register.

All voting is electronic—online, via text message, mobile browser or via iPhone app.

To vote online, by mobile browser or iPhone app, you’ll need your email address and password.

How to Vote:

Online
Anytime after activating your voter status, sign in to your account on artprize.org, search for an artist, and start voting. It’s easy.

Via text message (SMS)
Register your mobile phone number with us. You can do that online at artprize.org or in person when you register to vote. Once your voter status is activated, you’ll receive a text message with a unique code. Text that code back to 878787 to validate your phone, and then you’re ready to vote “up” or “down” using the voting codes displayed near the artwork.

Look for the artist’s voting numbers displayed near the art work.

Send all votes to 878787
Example of a message sent for a vote up:  vote25571
Example of a message sent for a vote down:  vote25570

(You’ll receive a confirmation of each vote as required by the texting service)

Mobile Browser
Mobile Browser is a simplified version of the Web found on your mobile phone.

Go to m.artprize.org on your mobile browser
Sign in to your artprize.org account
A text box will appear to vote
Type an artist’s voting code (see above) into the box to vote up or down

iPhone app
Download the iPhone app from the iTunes store.
Sign in using your email and password for you artprize.org account
Search artists
Vote (only available on Sept 23, after you register in person at a voter registration site)

Reminder – actual voting will not start until the day ArtPrize opens, which is 6 pm on September 23rd.

Artprize.org states you can “pre-register” on www.artprize.org starting September 14, 2009.

By pre-registering, people can put in all of their voter registration information online ahead of time. That way, you will only have to present your ID to activate your account when you come to downtown Grand Rapids. That will supposedly speed things up. ArtPrize is suggesting visiting a registration site the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 23 (while people are still at work), before the evening ceremonies kick off.

How to Register:

• Attendees will be required to present a valid government issued ID in person at a registration station
  (list of registration sites)
• ID can be drivers license, other state ID or passport
• Pre-register on www.artprize.org (coming Sept 14) – save time activating your voter status at the event
• There will be voter registration stations throughout the city
  September 23-October 7
  (list of registration sites)

Rules:

Week 1 Voting – All Artists

• Voting begins 6:00pm, September 23, 2009
• You can vote on more than one work
• You cannot vote more than once for the same work
• Live results can be viewed online
• Week 1 voting ends 11:59pm, September 30
• Top 10 finalists will be announced evening, October 1

Registration Sites:

Note: All locations have agreed to be open the evening of Wed, Sept 23 – Opening Night

Amway Grand Plaza Hotel
187 Monroe Ave
M-Su: 9a-6p

ArtPrize Headquarters @ Old Federal
155 N. Division
M-Th: 5p-8p, F-Sa: noon-10p, Su: noon-6p

Frederik Meijer Garden & Sculpture Park
1000 East Beltline NE
M: 9a-5p, Tu: 9a-9p, W-Sa: 9a-5p, Su: noon-5p

Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce
111 Pearl NW
M-F: 8:30a-5p, Sa-Su: closed

Grand Rapids Art Museum
101 Monroe Center
M: closed, Tu-Th: 10a-5p, F: 10a-9p, Sa: 10a-5p, Su: noon-5p

Grand Rapids Ballet Co.
341 Ellsworth SW
M-Th: 9a-7p, F: 9a-5p, Sa: 9a-1p, Su: closed

Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
11 Sheldon NE
M: closed, Tu-W: 9:30a-5p, Th: 9:30a-8p, F-Sa: 9:30a-5p, Su: noon-5p

Grand Rapids Community College
Student Community Center off Lyon St
M-F: 8a-5p, Sa-Su: closed

Grand Rapids Symphony
300 Ottawa NW, Suite 100
M-F: 9a-5p, Sa-Su: closed

Grand Rapids Public Museum
272 Pearl NW
M: 9a-5p, Tu: 9a-9p, W-Sa: 9a-5p, Su: noon-5p

GVSU University Bookstore
401 W. Fulton
M-Th: 8a-6p, F: 8a-5p, Sa: 8a-2p, Su: closed

JW Marriott
235 Louis NW
M-Su: 9a-6p

Main Public Library
111 Library NE
M-Th: 9a-9p, F-Sa: 9a-6p, Su: 1p-5p

UICA
41 Sheldon SE
M: noon-8p, Tu-Sa: noon-10p, Su: noon-7p

Not only have I re-connected with a host of school friends (from elementary years through high school), but also former co-workers, folks from my Army Reserve years, family members and even current clients with whom I interact and work on projects with right in “real time”.

So… if you do happen to use Facebook – perhaps you can help a girl out?

ArtPrize has a group page on Facebook.  They are currently taking suggestions for their Artist Chat series, and I’d love the chance to try that. If you can – please offer a nomination for me for an upcoming Chat.

No female artists have been featured yet – so I’d like to see us gals represented too! Nominations are being taken through Monday, August 3rd – 5 pm EST.