Grand Rapids, MI day 2: ArtPrize!

Titled: 'A Second Chance At Life'

On Monday, October 1st, we decided to try our luck at seeing the ArtPrize sculptures. We headed downtown and after much searching, finally found a parking spot a few blocks from the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum. Walking back to the museum, we saw the giant colorful fishing lure and the penguins in the fountain we had seen yesterday. But nearby, we also spied a big angry Tyrannosaurus rex lurking next to the building in search of snacks. Or, at least that's what he looked like to us. Apparently the artist's intent with this piece was to convey the second chance at life, depicted by the white bone 'growing' out of the fossilized darker bones of his feet. The artist's statement indicated that the work symbolizes the enduring desire for humanity to conquer the inevitable obstacles we face.

'The Nanny'

Did someone lose a button? Must have been
quite a pair of pants.

Near him we found a docile hedgehog pushing a pig, a bear and a skunk in a stroller. Hmm. Adorable, but we questioned the larger meaning. Perhaps they would become lunch for the T-Rex?

At the other end of the Presidential Museum, we found a ridiculously huge red button, so naturally we took some pictures with it, though we again failed to see any larger meaning in it other than the silliness it brought out in us. Nice.

Sculpture commissioned by the federal government
in 1977...for break time?

With our trusty ArtPrize guide in hand, we began a 3 mile hike around the downtown buildings and through a few of them in search of the contestants' entries. We tried to go on, but our empty bellies commanded we find lunch. Fast. We located the Parsley Mediterranean Grille, a Lebanese place offering delicious food with outstanding service. We ordered vegetarian wraps, a side order of hummus and a piece of baklava to share for dessert. Yum. Our stomachs tamed, we continued wandering through the large office buildings of Grand Rapids, along with thousands of our closest friends, in search of more art.

La Grande Vitesse yarn-bombed for ArtPrize

Near the Gerald Ford Federal Building and the Kent County Courthouse, we saw the city's icon, La Grande Vitesse, a huge red-orange shape made of steel whose name means 'great swiftness' in reference to the river that cuts through the heart of Grand Rapids. This sculpture, at 4 stories tall and weighing 42 tons, was dedicated to the city in 1969 by its artist, Alexander Calder. Since then it has become a signature art piece for the city, showing up on the banners, brochures and tourist information promoting the area. For ArtPrize, La Grande Vitesse had been yarn-bombed, meaning it was covered in colorful yarn ropes stretching to orange pails on the plaza. The artist intended for the audience to notice the different shadow patterns cast by the yarn ropes on the pavement as the sun moved across the sky.

'Life Streaming': a metal salmon mobile

We saw literally scores of art pieces scattered around Grand Rapids, though several stuck in our minds. One was the sculpture of a man swinging from a rope suspended between the tops of two buildings. Another was a tent-like structure of stiffened felt in red, black, white and silver cut paperdoll-style into elaborate shapes and strung up to the ceiling of the Art Institute. Yet another was a set of metal fishies 'swimming' upstream in the river, twisting with the action of levers, pulleys and gears with the movement of the water.

Pretty reflection of an old building
in a mirrored new one

Our feet tired and our art appreciation capped at maximum, we strolled back to the car for some Goodwill hunting. It turns out that Grand Rapids is a mecca of Goodwills...lucky for us. Stuffing our new purchases into the already bulging trunk of the car, we returned to the RV for another of Ken's awesome meals before retiring for the evening.

What a fun day!