Art Prize 2013: Grand Rapids, Michigan

If you are looking for a family vacation that is easy on the budget and one that is educational in a sense that it inspires creativity, look no further than Grand Rapids' Annual Art Prize festival. It lasts approximately two and a half weeks and is held at the beginning of Fall.

Grand Rapids is truly growing into a major art capital of the world. Art Prize allows for artists of all kinds to display their talents to an audience of not only locals, but for a growing number of tourists as well. It is such an extraordinary event that truly shines light upon the city's ability to support and rely on one another to create a solid community foundation. Art, not only lines the street side, but you can find Art Prize venues within the local businesses (coffee shops, restaurants, clothing boutiques, banks, museums, etc...) Art displays are found on the bridges, half submerged in the Grand River, on the sides and rooftops of buildings, and even hanging high above the streets between the buildings! Everywhere you walk, you will effortlessly find art to view. In order to truly capture all the art and creativity, it is essential that you spend an entire weekend or longer walking through the city. It is the perfect time of year to capture the beauty of nature's changing fall colors and artists' long kept secrets. (To learn more about this event, please visit artprize.org. There is an exciting voting aspect to all the art exhibits, along with the possibility of sales by the individual artists.)

Here is only a fragment of my two hour experience downtown Grand Rapids today.

"Silkwaves in the Grand" Art Prize 2013

Ladder suspended in the air between buildings on Monroe Center 2013

Puppet Show on Monroe Center at Art Prize 2013