Dynamic Variation:

You Can Take Your Kids on a Field Trip to the John Ball Zoo

Grand Rapids area attractions like Grand Rapids Public Museum and Grand Rapids Art Museum acknowledged the changes to at-home learning and have created field trip experiences for individual families, as an alternative to a traditional whole-class field trip. To change up their usual virtual school…

Read More

Local World of Winter Artist: Two Eagles Marcus

Two Eagles Marcus is a Rockford-based Indigenous Native American artist from the Red Willow Tribe of Taos Pueblo in New Mexico. He also happens to be someone I’ve had the pleasure of knowing for many years. His work, “Infinity Mountains” is on display at Calder Plaza as part of the annual World of…

Read More

Local World of Winter Artist: Chris Dudley

The World of Winter (WOW) Festival has returned to downtown Grand Rapids, bringing art, color, and—frankly—fun in the height of winter. Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. is the organization behind the festival, and I’ve noticed DGRI’s focus on highlighting local artists, especially women and BIPOC…

Read More

Local World of Winter Artist: Mandy Cano Villalobos

Since it started in 2018, the World of Winter Festival (WOW) has invited all of us to rethink how we “do winter” here in Grand Rapids by filling the downtown with brightly colored artwork to enjoy during the day and night. Grand Rapids-based artist Mandy Cano Villalobos's work is part of the…

Read More

Revisiting ArtPrize With These 5 Works of Art

When ArtPrize launched in 2009, I was skeptical. I’d never heard of anything like it (because there isn’t anything quite like it) and couldn’t conceive of the entire concept. Nonetheless, I picked up a map, planned a route, and headed downtown to check it out. Amazed isn’t an exaggeration of how I…

Read More

Iconic Public Art Spots in Downtown Grand Rapids

The art scene is an integral part of Grand Rapids and locals know there are pieces of outdoor art that everyone can enjoy. Whether it’s your first visit, or you live nearby, here are suggestions for “must-see” outdoor art and art-related experiences. Each of the following ten works of art have an…

Read More

The 49507 Project Mural Tour

The 49507 Project is a liberated public arts project unlike anything that I’ve seen in West Michigan. The Diatribe, a Grand Rapids based nonprofit, partnered with local businesses and artists to raise awareness about redlining and disinvestment in the Southside neighborhoods, and they did so in a…

Read More

The 49507 Project: Public Art in the Southside Neighborhood

Over the early fall of 2021, seven murals created by seven local BIPOC artists came to life in Grand Rapids’ Southside neighborhood. The driving force behind them? The Diatribe Inc., a local non-profit organization whose leadership is intentionally BIPOC and LGBTQ+ and whose mission is to use…

Read More

Your Fall Kid-Friendly Weekend Itinerary

As the hot humid air gives way to crisp cool mornings, Grand Rapids is ready for its glorious transition to all things fall… and so am I. Not only do the colors of the trees change, but so do the types of events and activities the Grand Rapids area has to offer. If you’ve been wondering what there…

Read More