ArtPrize has launched an Apple iPhone application to help visitors and locals navigate the sprawling event.

The application features a searchable list of the more than 1,200 artists involved, tools for voting on favorite (or not-so-favorite) pieces of art, a venue map and social media utilities.

The free application became available for iPhone owners about 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The app is a collaboration between Pomegranate Studios, a Grand Rapids agency that is the force behind ArtPrize, and Atomic Object, a software developer. The most useful tool: Users can tap on an artist's name, get a sample of their artwork, see the name and address of the venue where they're showing and a map to the venue.

Karlin Fox and Micah Alles, software "craftsmen" at Atomic Object, mostly develop iPhone apps for clients who want to sell them.

Making a free app was a first for them, Fox said. It took about six weeks, which is pretty fast, he said..

"And making an iPhone app for a community event is a pretty unique thing," Fox said.

A first-time event spearheaded by Rick DeVos, ArtPrize will turn Grand Rapids into an experiment in interactive art. Participating artists from across the world will showcase their work to the voting public for a shot at about $500,000 in prize money.

The event begins Sept. 23 and runs through Oct. 10 at venues across the city. Voter pre-registration starts Sept. 14.