Who will become the 2018 MI Great Artist? It’s up to you to decide! A total of 209 Michigan artists have submitted their artwork to this year’s online competition, and your votes will determine who w

Who will become the 2018 MI Great Artist? It’s up to you to decide! A total of 209 Michigan artists have submitted their artwork to this year’s online competition, and your votes will determine who will advance to the next stage. Visit MIGreatArtist.com to view this year’s amazing entries and cast your vote for your favorite up-and-coming artists. Public voting begins August 23 and ends September 5. Votes can be submitted once every 24 hours. A sample of the artwork created by MI Great Artist contestants Public votes play an even more crucial role in 2018 compared to previous years. The artist who receives the most votes will be named the first-ever People’s Choice winner and will be automatically counted as one of 2018’s five finalists. The remaining four finalists will be chosen by a panel of expert judges, who will make their selection from the 30 artists who get the most votes during the open voting period. The top 30 artists will be posted to the MI Great Artist website on September 7. An exhibition of the five finalists will be held at Southfield’s Park West Gallery on October 23, where the winner will be announced. The family and friends of Michigan artists gathered at Park West Gallery to learn who won the 2017 MI Great Artist contest. The grand-prize winner will receive a $1,500 cash prize along with a host of other prizes, including professional framing for their submitted art by Park West Gallery and a solo exhibition at Park West Gallery. The remaining finalists all receive a $375 cash prize and other rewards. The People’s Choice winner will receive a $750 cash prize along with framing of their submitted artwork by Park West Gallery, a scholarship to attend one of Oakland County’s Business Basics workshops, and a one-hour consultation with a business development representative. The competition—which closed its annual submission period on August 17—is open to artists ages 18 and older of who live, work, or go to school in the counties of Genesee, Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Shiawassee, St. Clair, and Wayne. Each artist was allowed to submit up to five works of art. Park West Gallery Founder and CEO Albert Scaglione (far left) and Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson (far right) with the 2017 MI Great Artist finalists. From left: Margret Grace McDermott, Thomas Tunney, Meredith Lea Bailey, Michael Bollerud, and Jennifer M. Whaley. Park West Gallery Founder and CEO Albert Scaglione and Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson began the MI Great Artist competition in 2012 as a quality-of-life event that showcases the immense artistic talent residing in Southeast Michigan. “There are so many world-class artists right here in Michigan, and every year this contest introduces exciting new talent to art lovers everywhere,” says Scaglione. Visit MIGreatArtist.com for more information about the competition, including a full list of prizes. The post It’s Time to Vote for Your Favorite 2018 MI Great Artists appeared first on Park West Gallery.