Artists put finishing touches on Art.Downtown.

This week there was a flurry of activity all across downtown Grand Rapids as artists scrambled to get their pieces up for Art.Downtown 2012. This one-night only art event is happening from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. tonight.

Studios, galleries, shops and other art venues in the heart of the city are opening their doors free of charge, in the hopes of introducing the public to areas of our city and works of art from over 300 local artists that they may be unfamiliar with.

At WMCAT, the Kendall Painting Club has a selection of portraits, watercolors, landscapes, illustrations and paintings in a surrealist vein on display.

A couple blocks down at the corner of Fulton and Division, the UICA will be kicking off their 35th anniversary celebration with the “Urbanity” exhibition. This show features artwork by 16 artists wrestling with the question, "What does it mean to be a city-dwelling species?"

North on Division at the Kendall Gallery, visitors will experience dangerous furniture and the intricate patterns and ornamentation of metalworks dealing with scale and perception.

Back south on Division, the Heartside Gallery and Studio presents a diverse array of art from the studio's self-taught artists.

Across the street is the SiTE:LAB space in the old Harris Furniture Building: three stories filled with live performance, mixed media, photography and eye-catching interior design.

The Grand Rapids Art Museum is participating in the event again this year by offering $1 admission with an Art.Downtown map, which will be available at venues and from volunteers on the streets, to see their Robert Rauschenberg exhibition. 

These are just a few of the many stops on a night chock full of great artists and venues that Art.Downtown. organizers say will be worth the visit.