Local Life

Local restaurants enjoy demands of ArtPrize

Submitted 10-03-2012 under LOCAL LIFE

Smells of pasta fill the air. Paintings of Italy adorn the brick walls. There are people everywhere, sitting at tables covered with white cloth, wine glasses, and food. A bowl of linguini pasta and fresh steaming clams passes by me. I ask the name...

West Michigan Indie Podcast: Episode #13- Valentiger

Submitted 10-02-2012 under LOCAL LIFE

In this episode Icicles' keyboardist, Joleen Rumsey, and I drank some beers at Billy's Lounge with Brent Shirey, Scott Rider, and Bill Kahler of Valentiger. Podcast includes excerpts of their tracks: Oh, To Know!; Another Cool Move; Why I...

ArtPrize Artist Profile: Susan Leigh Picking Radiates "In the Now"

Submitted 10-01-2012 under LOCAL LIFE

Susan Leigh-Picking’s smile ushers in her presence, radiating her persona and character as she avows in her introduction, “Music is an international language, it’s a universal connector to all humans no matter what language you...

La Leche League of Grand Rapids remembers longtime leader

Submitted 09-29-2012 under LOCAL LIFE

They gathered to remember. Dozens of women of various ages, ethnicities and styles of attire—from a platinum blond in a leather jacket and jeans to a woman in plain Amish dress with a white headcovering—along with a smattering of...

What do you see: tension and tangle bring peace at the GRAM

Submitted 09-28-2012 under LOCAL LIFE

Black chair, black squares of homemade paper tacked to the wall. And in between, an army of black strings hang, connecting them before landing in a tangle on the floor. What caught my eye in Andrew Hawkes' "It's not my fault,"...

The human body in all its beauty and strangeness at Frederik Meijer Gardens

Submitted 09-28-2012 under LOCAL LIFE

For those who are looking for a reason to venture off the beaten path beyond the hub of ArtPrize exhibits in downtown Grand Rapids, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park has a collection of 26 works available. This is the second year in a row...

Let's Kiln U

Submitted 09-28-2012 under LOCAL LIFE

Near the Adobe on Fulton artist Todd Wozniak is building a kiln. Having made many kilns before, his entry for ArtPrize 2012 is a performance piece: construction of the kiln is part of the piece. Firing will start by the weekend. Wozniak chose...

ArtPrize Artist Profile: Looking back in time with Robert Watkins

Submitted 09-28-2012 under LOCAL LIFE

Since the year 2009, autumn in Grand Rapids has boomed with an extravaganza showcasing the arts: the colorful, exciting rendezvous termed ArtPrize. In many ways, ArtPrize has become a movement, displaying the uniqueness and individuality the city...

ArtPrize Artist Profile: Henkel's 8-foot tall 'Rainman' stands at 50 Monroe

Submitted 09-28-2012 under LOCAL LIFE

Just across the street from the Van Andel Arena and slightly down from the many ArtPrize entries displayed at The Bob is a 750 pound, eight foot tall bronze sculpture of a man standing in a perpetual rain in front of the 50 Monroe building. The...

West Michigan Indie Podcast: Episode #12: Skee-Town Stylee

Submitted 09-27-2012 under LOCAL LIFE

In this episode, Matt Cenci and I hung out with Skee-Town Stylee’s Bret Kerr and Denny Spira; along with Carlos Mosqueda from Mux Rec. We talked about the Muskegan music scene and marijuana. Podcast includes excerpts from tracks: Simply...

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