ArtPrize, Grand Rapids’ growing international art competition that takes over the city every autumn, is back for its eighth year. Also returning is the new and improved ArtPrize app, developed by Atomic Object in partnership with the ArtPrize team (for both Android and iOS).
With so many ways to use the app to interact with the city and the artwork, I asked five insiders from the Atomic and ArtPrize teams to share their favorite features of this year’s app—from registering to vote to finding a bathroom when you need one. Here’s what they said, along with directions for how to use each feature.
Job Vranish, Atomic Object Software Developer
Favorite Feature: Downtown In-App Registration
“I think one of the most convenient features of the ArtPrize app is the ability to register for voting just on your phone, if you’re downtown.”
How to Use It
To register, make sure you’re in the vicinity of downtown Grand Rapids. After installing the app, go to the “Voting” screen, and press the register button. Follow the instructions on the screen, and the app will send you a text message with a code. You can enter that code in the app to finish registering to vote.
Janenell Woods, ArtPrize Communications Manager
Favorite Feature: Discover View
“My favorite part of the ArtPrize mobile app this year is the Discover View. It’s a really great resource for visitors whether they’re already downtown, or whether they’re planning their visit ahead of time to check in, see what’s the latest news, see what’s happening near them, and to have the greatest ArtPrize experience that they can.”
How to Use It
Once you sign into the app, the first page you’ll open up is the Discover View. A bunch of icons will appear at the top or bottom of the mobile app, depending on whether you’re using iOS or Android. You can scroll through the long list of events, happenings, and news tidbits about ArtPrize in these tiles. Once you see something you want to explore further, tap on it, and it’ll take you out to more information.
Chris Farber, Atomic Object Software Developer
Favorite Feature: Map of Venues
“My favorite way to use the app is to look at the map of venues so that I can see which entries are near me, and when I can see them.”
How to Use It
Once you sign into the app, click on the Venues icon. From there, you can see where you are. You can scroll though the list of venues to see their open hours and how many entries they have. You can even filter venues by tapping the word “Filter” to see which venues are currently open, which have public restrooms, or which have free public parking.
Jeff Wheeler, ArtPrize Technology Viceroy
Favorite Feature: Events
“I think my favorite feature is the Events portion of the app. Events are a critical part of the ArtPrize experience, and you can use it to see what’s going on today, tomorrow, or when you’re planning on attending.”
How to Use It
After downloading the app, click on the Events tile. Then select the day you’re interested in. The map will populate with events that are going on around you, and it will let you know when they’re scheduled. If you tap on an event, you can add it to your calendar and share the event with friends.
Todd Herring, ArtPrize Director of Creative & Communications
Favorite Feature: Voting Made Easy
“My favorite thing about the ArtPrize app is just how easy it is to vote for your favorite art. There are a couple ways to do it. We try to put your ability to vote really close to whatever action you might be in.”
How to Use It
Say you went to ArtPrize and saw some art you liked, and you remember the venue where you saw it, but not the artist’s name. To vote for that entry, you can use the Venue view. Just click on the venue to pull up its profile and find the entry you liked. Then, tap on the vote icon to place your vote. Alternately, you can tap the “thumbs up” icon when you’re on any page in the app. From there, you can enter the five-digit code for the entry (posted at each entry’s display). Then press submit to vote for that entry.
Find Your Favorite Feature
Download the free ArtPrize app for Android and iOS to find your favorite feature. Let us know what it is in the comments!