I remember the first year I went to ArtPrize. I thought it was so cool! ArtPrize, for those of you who don't know, is an event in downtown Grand Rapids where people can view entries of artists' works displayed throughout all of Grand Rapids. There's no limits on mediums, either. Entries can range from watercolor to dance, or from woodcuts to metal scrap pieces. Sizes can be as small as a portrait to as big as a building (sometimes it is the building). I found it really awesome to walk around finding interesting pieces to look at, some of which are interactive.
I love the idea that people explore the city, find creative pieces at every corner, and come together to ooh and ahh over artwork. People bond over something they find as they explore downtown and walk, taking their time to go through downtown. This is so utterly different from usual, when downtown usually means business: people hurrying to get from point A to point B. In their defense, usually there are no sights to behold. You have your typical corporate buildings, sidewalks, and traffic.
I suppose some people consider downtown to be "scary" and "uninviting." However, during ArtPrize, with so many people walking around and discussing art, the atmosphere becomes friendly, much like one giant park.
Back at home, we have a museum called the Broad (in Downtown LA), where people line up for blocks. It's free for the public to share. I love my own downtown, with its mix of different cultures every few blocks. However, I have to admit that ArtPrize does something to Grand Rapid's downtown, creating an environment that I haven't seen anywhere else. Instead of just simply putting a museum in downtown (which they also have), they make the "museum" all of downtown
I have faith that every downtown can try this; having a month-long public appreciation for art, for all to participate and enjoy. It gives artists a place to get their works shown, and downtown an interesting and creative place to tour. It could alter the stigma of downtowns being "a harsh environment." Who knows? We'll have to wait for 2017.
