This year, over 118,000 votes were cast by the public to determine the winners of the Public Vote Awards. Additionally, a panel of six distinguished jurors selected the Juried Awards, ensuring that both popular voice and expert opinion shaped the outcome of this year’s prizes.
Public Vote Award Winners
Public Vote Grand Prize ($100,000): Arras by Mark Lewanski
Venue: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
Lewanski’s intricately woven glass installation captivated audiences with its luminosity and scale, earning the most votes among all 2025 entries.
Category Winners ($10,000)
2D: The Forest by Robert VanderZee – DeVos Place Convention Center
3D: Who’s Adopting Who by Andy Sacksteder – Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
Installation: The Big Joyful Installation by Jax Kalin – Biggby Coffee
Time-Based: Robin Williams: A Living Portrait by Adam Bock – DeVos Place Convention Center
New Media: Aqua Limina by Yiou Wang – Aroma Labs
+Design: Morrigan by Blake Merkel – The Morton (previously G.R. Ford Museum)
Juried Award Winners
Juried Grand Prize ($100,000): Scraps by Second Vibess (Camille Steverson & Kaitlynn Fitzpatrick)
Venue: BioPhilia Gallery
Selected by the 2025 ArtPrize juror panel, Scraps stood out for its innovative use of found materials and layered storytelling—transforming cast-off fabrics into an evocative commentary on memory, sustainability, and shared identity.
Category Winners ($10,000)
2D: Innerland by Tania Scheglova (Synchrodogs) – Hermitage at Diamond
3D: Persist by Cameron Stalheim – Sixth Street Park
Installation: Verdantine Tabernacle by Melissa Webb – BioPhilia
Time-Based: Women’s Work by Renee Dempsey – The Art of Life Studio Gallery NOW
New Media: Moment by Dave Ryan – Western Michigan University- Resonant & Prismatic Galleries
+Design: Manufactured Memory: Ornament, Manufacturing, and the Architecture of Touch by Austin Mitchell & Will Wang (Voldt Lab) – SHINOLA
Juried Visibility Awards ($10,000 each)
The five Visibility Awards shine a spotlight on exceptional work by artists of diverse backgrounds. These awards strive to showcase the broad range of experience and expertise participants bring to enrich our annual event.
TZOMPANTLI Mexico en peligro de extinción by Gennaro Garcia
Sarmik: Beneath The Skin by Binhy
Reporting from the Ghost Cities of the Metaverse: Decentraland by Sub Net
Two Hundred Forty Nine by Richard Dysard II
Operation G.R.A.M.: Grannies Raid an Art Museum by Elijah Haswell
These awards recognize outstanding artists from underrepresented communities, shining a spotlight on voices that might otherwise go unseen.
About ArtPrize
ArtPrize is an open, international art competition that transforms the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, into an open platform for art and dialogue. Artists from around the globe exhibit in public and private spaces, while both expert jurors and the general public decide the winners. For more information and a full list of 2025 award recipients, visit artprize.org.
SOURCE ArtPrize
