GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- A Michigan-based technology platform called Opnr has announced a partnership with Grand Action 2.0 pertaining to the grand opening of the Acrisure Amphitheater on May 16.
Grand Action Executive Director Kara Wood told WOOD Radio in a telephone interview the partnership will help meet their civic vision for the venue.
"The partnership is combining Grand Action's vision for the opening at the venue," she said. "With Opnr's data-powered artist-discovery tool.
"And Andrea Wallace's company specializes in this area, so we're looking forward to tapping into West Michigan's arts and culture scene to identify the top talent that would perform at the open house."
The artist lineup will feature everything from full bands and acoustic sets to deejays and singer/songwriters.
Here are more details from a news release:
Opnr, the Michigan-based, nationwide music and events technology platform, today announced a partnership with Grand Action 2.0 to lead a community-driven artist sourcing process for the free public grand opening of the Acrisure Amphitheater in downtown Grand Rapids on Saturday, May 16.
The partnership will combine Grand Action 2.0’s civic vision for the venue with Opnr’s data-powered artist discovery tools and deep connections to local and underground music scenes to create a lineup that is local, diverse and reflective of West Michigan’s arts and culture.
As part of the collaboration, Opnr has launched a public call for artists inviting musicians and performers from across West Michigan to submit their information for consideration to perform at the amphitheater’s public open house.
“This amphitheater is a community asset, and its opening will reflect that,” said Kara Wood, executive director of Grand Action 2.0. “By partnering with Opnr and opening the process to local artists, we’re creating an inclusive and authentic way to showcase the incredibly diverse talent and creativity that exist in West Michigan.”
“We believe the first sound people hear in a new civic space should come from the people who live here,” said Andrea Wallace, CEO of Opnr. “Our job is to help institutions find the local scenes that data alone can’t see — from established regional acts to the underground artists who are shaping culture on the ground.”
The artist lineup will be designed to highlight the amphitheater’s flexibility, featuring a range of performance formats—from full bands and acoustic sets to DJs and singer/songwriters—so residents and future users can see how the space can support many types of events.
Local artists interested in performing can submit starting January 21 at www.opnrmusic.com. Grand Action 2.0 will announce more details about the May 16 Acrisure Amphitheater community open house at a later date.
About Opnr
Opnr is a Michigan-based, nationwide music and events technology platform that helps venues, civic organizations, and cultural producers discover, book, and activate local artists. By combining fan data, artist networks and open calls for participation, Opnr surfaces both established and underground talent—making it easier to build lineups that are local, diverse and audience-driven in every community.
About Grand Action 2.0
Grand Action 2.0 is a not-for-profit economic development organization. Its primary mission is to: identify downtown and adjacent neighborhood building and transformational capital-intensive projects, galvanize public opinion and support, leverage public/private investments and formulate and implement funding strategies including securing private sector funding in support of request for primary public sector funding.