GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — After COVID concerns pushed ArtPrize off the calendar this year, city leaders say a new event called The Bridge GR is trying to fill the gap.
It will run from Aug. 28 through Oct. 3 and will include more than 30 art, culture and music programs. It will feature local artists, musicians, dancers, chefs and cultural groups. There will also be community conversations about racial equity.The new month-long celebration will run from Aug. 28 through Oct. 3 and will include more than 30 art, culture and music programs. It will feature local artists, musicians, dancers, chefs and cultural groups. There will also be community conversations about racial equity.
City officials say The Bridge GR is the product of a partnership between the city, Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc., the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce and Experience Grand Rapids. The Downtown Development Authorityredirectedfunds earmarked for ArtPrize — some $50,000 — to support The Bridge GR.
Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington said in a statement, “This exciting community celebration serves to bridge the gap between our current reality and our brighter future. Many in our community are suffering because of the pandemic, and our national conversation has been weighted with important issues of racial and economic justice. By giving our community this platform, we hope not only to celebrate who we are, but to build conversations that promote resiliency, healing, shared understanding and progress in Grand Rapids.”
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