Starts on September 20th along with ArtPrize
What is X the ArtPrize? It’s a treasure hunt worth 1 million dollars. It includes $100,000 in cash and $900,000 in art collectibles. I’ve hidden this treasure in Kent County, Michigan. The clues can be found in the book you are holding in your hands—X the ArtPrize: Clue Book to Finding Treasure Worth 1 million dollars.
As a kid, I used to love playing the game of hide-and-seek. It was exciting and captivating. As I grew older, my adventures became riskier. I enjoyed fearsome stunts like jumping from heights, burying myself alive, climbing large structures, and hanging upside down. These gave me an adrenalin rush and thrill beyond imagination.
The idea of this treasure hunt came when ArtPrize banned me for life for making and displaying the World’s Longest Painting.
You would think that a record-breaking painting would be good for ArtPrize, that it would bring more art enthusiasts and spectators to the art show. So why would the people running ArtPrize say, “No”? Other artists have stated that ArtPrize is “nothing but a huge scam.” They think the voting system is fake and the winner is preselected. Projects like the World’s Longest Painting are derailed from the contest because they create suspicion in the public’s eye regarding the validity of the declared winners. According to the ArtPrize website, “everything goes,” but in reality, owner Rick Devos controls the contest including:
· Artists’ rights
· Artistic freedom
· Censorship
· Voting system
· Media
· Winners
I realize that some of my fans might not like my direct attacks on ArtPrize, but I can only speak the truth, and if I don’t, I’m not doing justice to myself and others.
About the treasure hunt
This treasure hunt is my parting gift to the people of Michigan, in particular the people of Grand Rapids. It was in Grand Rapids that I won the Guinness World Record for the World’s Longest Painting. This painting is worth over $700,000. I am giving $100,000 to the people as a parting gift. Why? Because they have been very supportive of me and my art, and I am grateful.
In July 2017, I did The Detroit Treasure Hunt—my first art treasure hunt. I gave away $1,000,000 worth of art treasures to the people of Detroit. I had a great response; thousands of people went out to discover the hidden art treasure. However, the Detroit Treasure Hunt was not designed to be difficult and, therefore, lacked real challenge. Therefore, I have designed X the ArtPrize to be more difficult than the Detroit Treasure Hunt. X the ArtPrize involves a multilayered code, and it’s really exhilarating, a challenge for thrill seekers and treasure hunters alike.This treasure hunt is my parting gift to the people of Michigan, in particular the people of Grand Rapids. It was in Grand Rapids that I won the Guinness World Record for the World’s Longest Painting. This painting is worth over $700,000. I am giving $100,000 to the people as a parting gift. Why? Because they have been very supportive of me and my art, and I am grateful.
Freedom in art
Without the freedom to create, my soul would freeze, my imagination would come to a halt, and I would feel as if I didn’t exist. I would feel like a machine that takes instruction from others to produce in mass quantities that which already exists. If I don’t have freedom, I’m not going to invent or discover new ways of doing things, and I’m not going to have any impact on the arts and culture, on our economy, on health and wellbeing, or on society and education. And if that’s the case, I might as well surrender and not ask for artistic freedom. But fortunately, I will always seek and find artistic freedom, one way or another.
Supposedly, ArtPrize is an art contest in Grand Rapids where “everything goes.” This sounds like complete freedom, yet in my experience, this isn’t true. They banned me for making the World’s Longest Painting. Apparently, they didn’t want my artwork displayed in the contest. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have banned me for life.
Without the freedom to create, my soul would freeze, my imagination would come to a halt, and I would feel as if I didn’t exist. I would feel like a machine that takes instruction from others to produce in mass quantities that which already exists. If I don’t have freedom, I’m not going to invent or discover new ways of doing things, and I’m not going to have any impact on the arts and culture, on our economy, on health and wellbeing, or on society and education. And if that’s the case, I might as well surrender and not ask for artistic freedom. But fortunately, I will always seek and find artistic freedom, one way or another.
Supposedly, ArtPrize is an art contest in Grand Rapids where “everything goes.” This sounds like complete freedom, yet in my experience, this isn’t true. They banned me for making the World’s Longest Painting. Apparently, they didn’t want my artwork displayed in the contest. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have banned me for life.
Why am I doing this treasure hunt?
I created and am offering X the ArtPrize to promote artistic freedom, encourage other artists, motivate the arts community, and expose the ethical limitations of ArtPrize. And finally, it is my parting gift to the people of Grand Rapids.
www.XtheArtPrize.com
