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Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a destination for art lovers
This creative capital includes one of the world’s best sculpture parks
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
You don’t have to be an art aficionado to love Grand Rapids, Michigan — but once you’re there, you might well become one. On a recent trip, my husband and I were dazzled by the city’s array of artistic offerings, which include one of the world’s best sculpture parks. A fortunate combination of private philanthropy, public support and citizen enthusiasm has made Grand Rapids a creative hub.
The city’s crown jewel is the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, which blends art and nature on 158 acres of indoor and outdoor gardens. The park, which opened in 1995, displays more than 200 works by sculptors who include Auguste Rodin, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Louise Bourgeois and Mark di Suvero, each displayed in landscaping that complements the art.
If you go
Where: Grand Rapids, Michigan, is located about six hours drive from Eastern Iowa
Where to stay:
Amway Grand Plaza, 187 Monroe NW, Grand Rapids, Mich.; amwaygrand.com/; (616) 774-2000. The Amway is a historic downtown hotel that has hosted visiting dignitaries for more than a century.
CityFlats Hotel, 83 Monroe Center St. NW, Grand Rapids, Migh.; (616) 608-1720; CityFlats is a green-friendly boutique hotel with LEED Gold certification.
For more information: visit ExperienceGR.com or call (616) 258-7388
We first explored the park on a narrated tram tour, which gave us a helpful overview, and then set out on foot to have a more leisurely look at the gardens and works of art. One of the highlights was seeing “The American Horse,” a sculpture by Nina Akamu that was inspired by the famed artist Leonardo da Vinci.
Around 1489 Leonardo received a commission from the Duke of Milan to construct a monument in honor of the duke’s deceased father, one that would show him mounted on a horse. The artist soon lost interest in sculpting the human figure and instead focused on the horse. He made detailed anatomical studies of horses, studied Roman equestrian statues and took time off to invent a method to improve the cleaning of stables. After 17 years he was still fine-tuning the design, including trying to figure out how to cast such a huge statue in metal. Then the money dried up, and like many of Leonardo’s designs, the horse would exist only in a notebook.
In 1996, Frederik Meijer (who along with his wife Lena was the primary donor for the park) commissioned Nina Akamu to create an equestrian statue inspired by the Leonardo project. She pored over his designs, researched the types of horses that lived in Italy at the time, and studied Renaissance techniques. In the end, two horses were created, one for the Michigan sculpture garden and one for the city of Milan. The 24-foot horses were cast in 52 pieces and welded together in seven main sections. Today the two statues are the largest bronze equestrian statues in the world.
We spent six hours at the park and didn’t come close to seeing everything. Its seamless blending of art and nature includes a children’s garden with a scale model of the Great Lakes that’s a magnet for young kids and indoor conservatories filled with tropical, desert and carnivorous plants. Another highlight is an exquisite Japanese garden that has works of art set amid traditional Japanese elements such as waterfalls, bridges and a teahouse.
The park, which is open year-round, offers a full schedule of events and special exhibits. “In addition to our regular collection, there’s always something new here, from concerts in our 2,000-seat outdoor amphitheater and exhibits by visiting artists to storytelling in our children’s garden,” said John VanderHaagen, director of communications for the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.
After leaving the park, we set out to explore other artistic offerings in Grand Rapids, which with 200,000 residents is Michigan’s second-largest city. We were pleased to see how its downtown functions as a giant outdoor gallery for murals, sculptures and other art installations.
Installed in 1969, Alexander Calder’s 43-foot-tall, cherry red “La Grande Vitesse” has become a symbol of the city. Other public art landmarks include the Pop Art-style “Lorrie’s Button” by Hy Zelkowitz and “Ecliptic,” an oval amphitheater designed by Maya Lin. We also enjoyed the street murals that adorn many of the buildings, from Abdoulaye Conde’s African-themed “Raining Wisdom” to “Seeking a Pleasant Peninsula” by Maddison Chaffer, which showcases Michigan’s ecology.
More art awaited us at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, which features works from the 17th century to the present. A few blocks away, the Grand Rapids Public Museum gave us an overview of the city’s history that included an exhibit on the cultural and artistic traditions of the Anishinabek, Michigan’s Indigenous people.
During our stay we learned about the biggest annual event on the city’s creative calendar: ArtPrize, an internationally renowned competition that invites artists to display their work in venues around the city, from breweries and storefronts to parks and museums. Since it began in 2009, it’s become the world’s most attended art event, with hundreds of thousands of visitors. People can cast votes for their favorite pieces, with some of the works kept for permanent display after the competition ends.
This year’s ArtPrize was Sept. 13 to 28 and showcased the work of nearly 1,000 artists from 42 states and 53 countries displayed in more than 170 venues.
And while it doesn’t relate directly to the city’s passion for art, we enjoyed visiting the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. The museum gives an absorbing account of the 38th president’s upbringing in Grand Rapids, his congressional career, and his tumultuous years as leader of the nation after Richard Nixon’s resignation.
Our touring included sampling the city’s vibrant food and beverage scene. We especially enjoyed the Downtown Market, a bustling hub for local artisans and foodies, and The Littlebird, a cafe specializing in made-from-scratch breakfast and brunch dishes. Another favorite was Jersey Junction, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor established in 1963 by Doris Van Allsburg, mother of “The Polar Express” author Chris Van Allsburg. In honor of the book, a model train runs along the ceiling of the shop.
We also learned why Grand Rapids has been known as Beer City USA for more than a decade. More than 40 artisan breweries are located within 25 minutes of the downtown, plus a growing number of distilleries and cideries. Our favorites included Founders, one of the city’s oldest breweries, and The Mitten, which honors both baseball and the shape of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
After enjoying the pleasures of Grand Rapids for the weekend, we hope to return — in part because the city is certain to have added even more arts attractions by the time we next visit.
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