GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A total of 1,554 artists representing 44 countries and 40 U.S. states will submit 1,453 entries for the eighth edition of ArtPrize, organizers of the art competition announced Monday, June 27.

Last year, ArtPrize Seven welcomed 1,554 entries submitted by 1,649 artists from 42 U.S. states and 48 countries.

ArtPrize, which will hand out $500,000 in publicly voted and juried awards, announced the artists and venues for this year's competition, which will occur between Sept. 21 and Oct. 9 at 171 venues in a three-square-mile area.

Among U.S.-based entries, Midwestern states outside of Michigan with the most participating artists include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota, according to ArtPrize officials. Leading states outside of the Midwest include New York, California, Texas, Florida and Colorado.

Besides downtown's central business district, the venues will include locations in Heritage Hill, the Heartside Neighborhood, the Rumsey Street Project along Grandville Avenue SW, businesses along Leonard Street NW, and Coit Arts Academy on the Belknap Lookout. Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park also will serve as a venue for 10 artists.

"For the 2016 event, venues have been building more focused and tightly curated exhibitions -- including historically populous venues, as well as four city sites that are now part of the new Featured Public Projects granting program," according to an ArtPrize news release.

"After eight years of the Artist and Venue connections process, venues are refining the ways they select entries and curate their exhibitions," said Kevin Buist, ArtPrize Director of Exhibitions.

"While this is making the ArtPrize landscape more competitive for artists, it is evidence of a deeper understanding of contemporary art and the curatorial process. Ultimately this improves the visitor experience."

Artists' entries will appear under one of four categories: 2-D; 3-D; Time-based and Installation. Artists and their venues were determined online at artprize.org or organized their own shows through a collaborative curatorial process.

A complete list of participating artists and venues can be found at artprize.org/entries.

For the third consecutive year, ArtPrize announced 25 registered artists will be awarded $2,000 "Artist Seed Grants" by the Frey Foundation. Members of the ArtPrize Art Advisory Council reviewed the applications and awarded the grants to "ambitious entries" from artists who demonstrated both financial need and artistic merit.

ArtPrize also announced the launch of a $10,000 "CrowdRise Matching Grant Challenge" for artists, a crowdfunding campaign made possible by the Michigan Lottery.

Jim Harger covers business for Mlive Media Group. Email him at jharger@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook or Google+.