GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — ArtPrize announced that "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston will present awards during the competition's 2026 concluding show. The actor is also expected to serve as a youth mentor, officials announced.
ArtPrize announced that Dos Hombres, the agae spirits brand co-founded by Cranston and Aaron Paul as an official sponsor of ArtPrize 2026.
In a press release the art experience shared that Dos Hombres will be featured at participating locations across the city, extending the ArtPrize experience beyond installations and performances and into the restaurants, bars and gathering places that become part of the event each year
“Experiencing art, in any form, brings joy and balance to our lives. It challenges us, connects us, and invites us to see the world from different perspectives. So it’s essential to support it,” said Cranston. “To witness Grand Rapids transform by that kind of creative energy with ArtPrize is something to be proud of, and I’m really looking forward to attending.”
Cranston is also scheduled to host a private seminar with area high school and college students on acting, storytelling and the creative process.
The announcement comes as new Executive Director Tyler Loftis takes over one of Grand Rapids' biggest events of the calendar year.
ArtPrize doesn’t live within the walls of one venue. It takes over Grand Rapids, and the restaurants, bars, businesses and public spaces throughout the city all become part of the experience,” said Tyler Loftis, Executive Director of ArtPrize. “Dos Hombres shares our respect for craft and for the people behind the work. We’re excited to have the brand become part of the citywide ArtPrize experience and to welcome Bryan to Grand Rapids to celebrate this year’s artists alongside us.”
ArtPrize kicks off Sept. 18 and runs through Oct. 3, with more than 1,000 entries.
Organizers and Cranston will announce the winners at the closing ceremony, which will be held inside Acrisure Amphitheater.
ArtPrize, which began in 2009, has new features this year, including themed weekends focused on dance, music, visual arts and fashion.
"ArtPrize has always been a platform for the arts," said Loftis. "We're expanding that inclusivity by partnering with some of the incredible institutions that are here year-round, that help make Grand Rapids the special place that it is."
The 22-day event has more planned for the nearly 1 million visitors expected to come to Grand Rapids.
Featured 2026 partnerships include:
● Grand Rapids Ballet will curate performances at Rosa Parks Circle on September 12, helping kick off ArtPrize's revived preview week. Free to attend.
● Grand Rapids Opera will take the stage at Rosa Parks Circle on September 19, bringing live opera into the heart of downtown during the competition. Free to attend.
● In partnership with The Downtown Market, ArtPrize will host an interactive children's visual arts experience, Doodle Street, on September 26, designed to inspire young artists and families. Free to attend.
● John Ball Zoo will host ArtPrize's Halftime Party the evening of September 26, featuring animals, live painting, and a current snapshot of the competition's standings. Attendees will need to pay the zoo's admission fee.
● ArtPrize is partnering with the Southtown Corridor Improvement District on SouthPrize, an ArtPrize-adjacent competition in Grand Rapids' Third Ward, extending the celebration of creativity into one of the city's vibrant neighborhoods. Free to attend.
● ArtPrize is collaborating with RC Caylan Atelier on a fashion show to coincide with the ArtPrize Awards Celebration at Acrisure Ampitheater on October 3, highlighting fashion as an evolving form of artistic expression. Free to attend.
Cranston is best known for his time on AMC's "Breaking Bad," where he played Walter White, a chemistry teacher turned meth cook.
He's also known for his work in films, where he played two roles whose characters are based in Michigan.
Cranston stars in "Why Him?" as a father from Grand Rapids who travels to California to meet his daughter's boyfriend during the holidays. The movie depicts several local Grand Rapids landmarks.
More recently, in 2022, Cranston starred in "Jerry & Marge Go Large," based on a true story of a couple from Evart who found a flaw in a lottery game and used those winnings to help build up their hometown.
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