Calvin College Honors ArtPrize Founder

Rick DeVos, founder of ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Mich., and an alumnus of Calvin College, was the recipient this week of Calvin's 2011 Horizon Award.

Calvin's young alumni business group, "MBA@Calvin," which stands for "Meeting Business Alumni," bestowed the honor on DeVos at an "Imagination and Innovation" gathering at the college's Prince Conference Center.

The award recognizes outstanding young Calvin alumni business professionals who make significant contributions to their field. It also recognizes the impact of faith on their work.

After graduating from Calvin with a degree in communications, DeVos began a career in innovation.

In 2009, he created ArtPrize, a public art event, that has had an impact on the local art scene and the art world worldwide. ArtPrize began this week and includes entries from many artists who are members of the Christian Reformed Church.

The event has also encouraged city planners in their work to build collaborations between urban business, the arts and government.

Asked about ArtPrize, DeVos said he wanted "to do something totally different with as few rules as possible and not simply be another version of some previously thought-of public event . . . The goal is engagement with a totally open platform."

DeVos's work and interests go beyond ArtPrize, and many of them reflect the "agent of renewal" theme that is associated with Calvin College.

DeVos has been instrumental in encouraging new business start-ups, including thecommon.org, which assists churches and other non-profit groups in the recruitment and management of volunteers.

For more info, contact Mike Van Denend at 616-526-6142.