18-day Art Competition almost over, $250,000 top Prize at Stake

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - A $250,000 top prize is at stake as a new, 18-day art competition in Grand Rapids starts winding down.

Ten finalists from Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, New York, Alabama and Pennsylvania are in the running to win the first ArtPrize event, which runs through Saturday.

The winner will be announced Thursday evening.

A total of $449,000 in prize money is up for grabs. The second-place finisher will receive $100,000 and $50,000 will go to third place. The remaining seven finalists will each get $7,000.

The top ten entries were announced a week ago after being chosen "American Idol" style by the voting public from among 1,262 works big and small on display throughout the city's downtown.

The second round of voting ended Wednesday night.  Voters made their picks through the ArtPrize Web site or by sending text messages from mobile devices.

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