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A Legacy of Public Art: 1892 to 2010

Thursday, October 14, 2010

7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

303 Pearl Street NW
Grand Rapids MI 49503

 


A look back at displays of local public art

 

Think ArtPrize is a unique event? It is indeed. But it's not the first time a multitude of public art has been displayed in Grand Rapids.

 

Gina Bivins, president of the Grand Rapids Historical Society, will present an extensive slide show of pictures representing public art displayed in the past when the Grand Rapid Historical Society presents "A Legacy of Public Art: 1872 to 2010" on Thursday, Oct. 14.

 

Find out whether you can recognize local publicly displayed art in the past. Among them is the sculpted face adorning the entranceway of St. James Catholic Church on Bridge Street NW. Built in 1872, this Westside landmark features perhaps the city's earliest known public art.

 

Another art piece is one of the city's best known sculptures: the 1925 bronze statue of John Ball located at the John Ball Zoo. Others include the mid-1970s Festival of the Arts exhibits including Lorrie's Button located in the Ah-Nab-Awen Park.   Recent creations in 2006 are the delightful bronze statutes by Tom Otterness in a show titled "The Gardens to the Grand" featuring figurines in the downtown area and the Frederik Meijer Gardens.  

 

The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 14 at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, 303 Pearl Street NW. It is free and open to the public. Parking is free, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 
Event Type: Arts-Entertainment  Lectures 



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