Mother, Son Dial Up A Big Win At Grand Rapids ArtPrize

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — The grand prize winner of ArtPrize is an old phone booth on a pedestrian bridge in Grand Rapids.

Not just any phone booth. "Before You Go" allows people to listen to advice about life recorded by more than 100 local residents and others.

The mother-son team of Monica Pritchard and Christian Reichle won the $50,000 prize Friday.

"I've just had a passion for telling peoples' stories in terms of business, and I've been sharing that with my son," said Pritchard, who works as an executive sales coach. "Christian helped me make it come alive."

She said she and her son didn't enter the competition to win it.

"You pour your heart into something, and you don't know how it's going to go," Reichle said. "To have the reception that we had, and then to win, is huge."

ArtPrize ends Sunday, but people still can experience "Before You Go." The phone line where the messages are recorded can be accessed by calling 1-(888)-665-2036.

For 18 days, a variety of art was displayed in parks, museums, galleries, vacant buildings, and other venues.

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