Art, Culture & History in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids hosts the annual ArtPrize competition, the planet’s most attended public art event. It’s home to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, one of the world’s 100 most visited art museums. USA Today named it 1 of the 10 Best American Cities to See Amazing Art.
And CNN noted the city’s “vibrant arts scene” in its ranking of Grand Rapids as 1 of the 10 Best American Towns to Visit:
“This city is one of crafters, designers, innovators and artists. Grand Rapids exudes a creative energy that extends from the art and flower beds at the Meijer Gardens to downtown parks and from industrial design to breweries.”
It’s true, you’ll see art everywhere you look in Grand Rapids – which makes it an ideal getaway for seekers of inspiration, enlightenment, entertainment and eye candy.
Grand Rapids named one of the 10 best cities where you can see amazing art.
Much of the art in and around Grand Rapids is free and accessible to all. From La Grande Vitesse, the bright-red, 42-ton, 43-ft. tall Alexander Calder Sculpture that has come to symbolize the city’s creative spirit, to dazzling outdoor murals, painted ticket booths, “Rad Women” electrical boxes and bronze statues of local community legends, there are hundreds of dazzling art pieces on public display around town.
Downtown Grand Rapids is compact enough that you can walk virtually anywhere in 10 minutes – but it’s filled with so many sculptures that we’ve created two self-guided walking tours (east and west) to cover them all.
ArtPrize fills downtown Grand Rapids with 1,000 or so additional works of art from international artists each fall, and it’s all free to see. Visitor votes determine the $100,000 grand prize winner. Some of these creations remain in Grand Rapids as permanent installations.
World of Winter, America’s largest winter festival, delights visitors of all ages with large-scale interactive art pieces and intricate ice sculptures situated around downtown GR for public viewing, every January-March.
The Grand Rapids Art Museum offers free admission on Tuesdays and Thursday evenings, giving everyone the opportunity to tour the Museum’s vast permanent collection as well as visiting art exhibitions. The Art Museum also participates in Attraction Pass GR, which offers greatly reduced admission to top local attractions.
3rd Thursdays is a monthly event that showcases 25+ downtown art galleries and other businesses offering exclusive art exhibitions, special events and sales.
Discover different areas of the city through our many works of art, sculptures and murals.
Art has been an integral part of the culture of Grand Rapids since the First Peoples settled along downtown’s Grand River. Hundreds of artifacts representing Native American decorative arts, clothing, weapons and tools are displayed in the Grand Rapids Public Museum, which also invites visitors to explore the city’s past as “America’s Furniture City,” renowned for crafting fine wood furniture.
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives both incorporate art as a means of deepening our understanding of historic eras and contemporary times.
John Ball Zoo hosts outdoor exhibits showcasing art and culture each year in addition to caring for 2,000+ animals. Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park explores global cultures through horticultural displays – including a Michigan Farm Garden, Japanese Garden and English Garden – and sculptures by international masters of the form.
Cultural festivals and celebrations throughout the year highlight the art, food, music, dance and creative traditions of diverse communities.
Grand Rapids also hosts a number of annual festivals beyond ArtPrize and World of Winter, showcasing all manner of art:
- Rapid Art Movement (January), which invites visitors to ride a downtown bus transformed through drawings, sculpture, poetry and performance
- LaughFest (March), a 10-day, community-wide celebration of the art of comedy
- Festival of Faith and Writing (April), with workshops and well-known guest speakers
- Heritage Hill Home Tours (May), honoring the art of historic preservation
- Pleasant Peninsula Mural Festival (July), which raises environmental awareness through fabulous outdoor murals
- Upheaval Festival (July), Breakaway Festival (August) and other music festivals that celebrate the art of live performance
- Return to the River (August), a riverfront festival featuring stunning art installations and interactive art activities
- Fallasburg Arts Festival (September), a nearly 60-year tradition that fills a Lowell park with 100 fine arts and fine craft vendors every year
- Grand Rapids Film Festival (September), focusing on unique independent cinema
- ENLIGHTEN (late Nov - early Jan), a captivating blend of art, light and nature at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
Downtown's Kendall College of Art & Design is a nationally prominent school offering a broad range of creative degrees, including product design, digital art and design, interior design, fashion studies, and more. Stop by to see student art, displayed throughout Kendall's public spaces. Non-professional artists can learn tips and techniques at Grand Rapids Art Museum, Art of Life, Brush Studio, The Mud Room, Pottery Lane and Wine & Canvas.
The Business of Art
Grand Rapids is the center of the office furniture industry, which marries design and commerce. Local companies including Steelcase, Haworth and Herman Miller shape the future of the global workplace.
