GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Get ready, Grand Rapids.

The city will soon be awash in public art as ArtPrize, the "radically open international art competition decided by public vote and expert jury," prepares for its official launch on Sept. 19.

For 19 days, residents and visitors alike will have an opportunity to explore those works -- more than 1,200 entries found everywhere from museums and public parks to restaurants and hotel lobbies -- and partake in the debate at the heart of the competition: What constitutes good art?

It's a discussion with big stakes.

Five hundred thousand dollars in prizes are up for grabs.

The public can vote on their favorite piece, through a smartphone app or desktop computer, and the entry with the most votes wins a $200,000 prize. A Jurors' Grand Prize of $200,000 is also part of the competition.

Here's a look at what you need to know about this year's ArtPrize, which marks the event's 10-year anniversary.

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Nic Antaya | MLive

When is ArtPrize?

ArtPrize officially launches on Sept. 19 and wraps up Oct. 7. The event is proceeded by a preview week, which kicked off Wednesday, Sept. 12.

During preview week, several venues will be providing an early look at their exhibits. That includes events at Grand Rapids Art Museum, Lantern Coffee Bar, David D. Hunting YMCA, Corridor Coffee, Studio D2D Event Center and Water Colors Aquarium Gallery.

To see preview week events, click here.

Here are the important dates to remember for ArtPrize 10:

Sept. 12-18 - Preview week

Sept. 19 - Opening day

Sept. 24 - Juried award finalists announced

Sept. 29 - Round one voting closes

Sept. 30 - Public vote finalists announced

Oct. 4 - Round two voting closes

Oct. 5 - ArtPrize awards ceremony

Oct. 7 - Closing day

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Cory Morse | MLive.com

Where do I find the art?

If you're in Grand Rapids, you won't have to look hard to find an exhibit -- there's more than 1,200 entries at 166 venues across the downtown area, both inside and outdoors.

That includes places like Ah-Nab-Awen Park. There, visitors will find entries such as "The World Beneath the City," an entry created by the Milan, Italy-based collective Cracking Art, that showcases six, giant red crocodiles emerging from the Grand River.

Or there's Calder Plaza, where attendees will find the exhibit "Stream." It features a series of convex mirrors, arranged in a stream formation, set adjacent to Calder Plaza's La Grande Vitesse sculpture.

In between there are restaurants, coffee shops, museums, hotel lobbies and more.

Entries are scattered throughout five zones in the downtown area.

They include the city's Lower West Side; the Monroe North neighborhood along Monroe Avenue north of Int. 196; the Heartside Neighborhood south of the Van Andel Arena and along South Division Avenue; the Hillside neighborhood along Fulton Street and north to Spectrum Health's downtown campus; and the Center City District, which is clustered around Rosa Parks Circle, Monroe Center and Vandenberg Plaza.

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Nic Antaya | MLive.com

How are the winners chosen?

ArtPrize puts the public in the driving seat.

By using a smartphone app, or a desktop computer, residents can cast a vote for the entry they believe should be awarded the public vote grand prize of $200,000.

There's also a panel of professionals, comprised of artists and museum curators, who will pick the $200,000 jurors' grand prize. They will also dole out an additional $50,000 in award money for several categories recognizing specific types of entries, such as best two- and three-dimensional works.

ArtPrize features two rounds of public voting. The first, which ends on Sept. 29, whittles the field down to 40 finalists -- 20 decided by public vote and 20 decided by the jurors.

The second round of voting closes on Oct. 4. The winners of both the public and juried prizes will be awarded the next day.

Here's how to vote with the ArtPriz app

Here's how to vote on a computer

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Joel Bissell | MLive.com

ArtPrize on Screen

While ArtPrize abounds with paintings, sculptures and other interactive exhibits, visitors can also catch more than a dozen films.

ArtPrize on Screen features 12, narrative, documentary and short films.

The films, which are free and open to the public, run from Sept. 19-22 and will be screened at 41 Sheldon Blvd. SE. Seating is limited, and tickets can be reserved beforehand.

Here's the lineup:

Sept. 19: "Kusama Infinity" (feature) / "Voyager" (short) The screening starts at 7 p.m.

Sept. 20: "Love, Gilda" (feature) / "You Too" (short) The screenings start at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Sept. 21: At 7 p.m., "Long Time Coming: A 1995 Baseball Story" (feature) / "Starry Skies" (short). At 9 p.m., "Relaxer" (feature)/ "Visas" (short)

Sept 22: At 6:30 p.m., "Bisbee 17" (feature) / "Some Angels Fight" (short). At 9:30 p.m., "White Rabbit" (feature) / "One Short" (short)

To find out more about the films and ArtPrize on Screen, click here.

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Zach Gibson | MLive.com

Activities for kids

ArtPrize is geared towards visitors of all ages, and there's plenty of exhibits and activities to keep children entertained and engaged.

There are hands-on activities incorporating science, technology, engineering, art and math. There's an ArtPrize-themed scavenger hunt. And there's even an event, in partnership with John Ball Zoo, that promises to bring "fun animal visitors" to Rosa Parks Circle.

One of the biggest draws will likely be STEAM Lab at Rosa Parks Circle.

STEAM Lab will feature activities designed to spark visitors curiosity and "encourage students of all ages to ask questions and challenge themselves -- flexing their design and creative thinking skills," said Becca Guyette, ArtPrize's director of learning and engagement.

STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and math.

On Sept. 22, the exhibit will feature "The Air Zoo" and First Robotics, where "visitors will be able to design robots; try engineering with giant blocks; explore the chemistry of paint, ink and other art materials; and create 3D object(s) using SketchUp," according to ArtPrize.

STEAM Lab is sponsored by Switch, a Las Vegas-based company that operates large-scale data centers in the United States, including one at the former Steelcase pyramid building at 4200 60th St. SE in Kentwood.

For a full list of family activities, click here.

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MLive file photo

Do you need to know where to park? MLive/The Grand Rapids Press has you covered with its guide to everything parking.

Check it out here.

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Looking back at the 2017 public-vote winner

This MLive video shows the unique qualities of the ArtPrize 2017 winner of the public vote.

Battle Creek graphic designer Richard Schlatter created a 12-foot-tall portrait of Abraham Lincoln with pennies. About 24,500 pennies were used in the artwork that bears Lincoln's image.

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Cory Morse | MLive.com

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