GRAM on the Green to kick off this Friday

This Friday begins the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM)’s weekly summer outdoor event GRAM on the Green, providing the community with a variety of family friendly activities such as giant game sets on the Peter M. Wedge Plaza and musical performances on the museum terrace. The event is scheduled to run from July 6 to August 17, and is a way for people to gather and enjoy all types of art while being surrounded by the beauty of downtown on nice evenings.

“Grand Rapids is my hometown,” says Kerri VanderHoff Marketing and Public Relations Director for GRAM. “I remember a less vital time in its downtown history and it is always so amazing to me to walk out a little down Monroe Center, turn around and take in the big picture of the beautiful park and art museum with so many people engaged with all the diverse activities, hanging out, relaxing with friends and family, enjoying their downtown cultural center on beautiful Michigan summer evenings.”

"The Friday night program [that runs all year at the GRAM] is the perfect place to invite those artists from the community to present and collaborate with GRAM, to be inspired by GRAM’s art and architecture and to in return inspire GRAM guests with their artistic visions. Music, dance, poetry, theatre, fashion, photography, film, literature, jewelry design and many others have all collaborated in thoughtful and unique ways with GRAM during Friday Nights,” says Vanderhoff.  

Each week GRAM on the Green presents a different genre of live music ranging from progressive bluegrass to gospel to a jazz organ trio. This week, a four-member Celtic and world beat band named An Dro will be kicking off the summer music schedule. The group will provide listeners with melodies from around the world using fiddles, harps, mandolins, guitars and an assortment of percussion instruments. An Dro will perform from 6:15 to 8:30 p.m.

During a break in the music at 7 p.m., a night conversation will take place where members of the community can speak in a casual setting. The theme for the conversations are focused around the exhibition at the art museum, Cities in Transition, and will begin with a presentation by Nate Phelps on urban cycling. In the following weeks there will also be drop in discussions on film, writing and dance.

“We want to continue to be a community convener and a catalyst for creative thinking, for awareness to grow that GRAM is welcoming, inclusive and dynamic- a place that is active and participatory and far from a passive experience.That art inspires art and collaboration is key,” says VanderHoff.