Category Archives: Museums & Collections

Winners of the 2009 Grand Rapids ArtPrize

ArtPrize 09-Open Water no.24 by deviant_anomaly

ART PRIZE 2009-0032 by RichardD72

AND THE WINNER IS... by rkramer62

DETAIL FROM WINNERS CANVAS by bitsorf

The first-ever ArtPrize in Grand Rapids has ended with Open Water no. 24, a 6' x 19' oil painting by Ran Ortner being chosen as the winner by public vote from 1,262 artists who exhibited at [...]

Michigan Goes Nationwide with Art & Wine

ART PRIZE 2009 by RichardD72
Michigan has taken the national stage with one eye on the ArtPrize competition in Grand Rapids and the other on it's burgeoning and award winning wine industry which gaining credibility amongst wine experts and wine lovers. This is truly a positive and a definite 180 degree flip from most of the [...]

Michigan History: Hollywood's First African-American Cowboy

Herbert Jeffries has acted, sung, even ridden--his way to the top of the entertaining world.
In the 1930s, when white singing cowboys like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers carved out names for themselves, Jeffries decided there should be black cowboy films* especially since there had been many African American cowboys in the American west.
Born in Detroit [...]

Snapshots from the Grand Rapids ArtPrize

Here's a video produced by Absolute Michigan featuring audio from Brad Aspey of Interlochen Public Radio along with photographs from the Absolute Michigan pool and the Creative Commons. The music is Octopussy by Juanitos. There's so much more to see - definitely go to Grand Rapids if at all possible to check out ArtPrize [...]

Michigan Rated #1 in Social Media Tourism Promotion

Travel Michigan has announced that it has earned the top-ranking amongst the 50 official US tourism office Web sites in the use of social media. In a recent study, How Social is Your State DMO (national break down pdf), How Social is Your State DMO (Michigan by city break down pdf) conducted by Gammet Interactive, [...]

Seeking Michigan: Ice Cold Pop!

by Gloriane Peck, Library of Michigan, courtesy Seeking Michigan. The goal of Seeking Michigan is simple: to connect you to the stories of this great state. Visit them regularly for a dynamic & evolving look at Michigan’s cultural heritage.
Each summer, Mother Nature brings us hot, humid days and nights that barely cool off. Thankfully, Michigan-born [...]

Road Trip: 2009 Selfridge Air Show & Open House – August 22 & 23, Harrison Township

The 2009 Selfridge Air Show & Open House will take place on August 22nd and 23rd. Gates will be open to the public at 8 a.m. daily. Static display aircraft and countless military, aviation, and technology displays will be available to all guests daily after 8:00 a.m. A radio-controlled aircraft demonstration will take place from [...]

of Farms & Folly: Michigan Department of History, Arts & Libraries

Over on Michigan in Pictures there's a post this morning titled Farming in Michigan in the 1880s that features an excerpt from a Michigan farmer's diary from the 1880s.
It also looks at the proposed elimination of the Michigan Department of History, Arts & Libraries (HAL). In a move that lies somewhere between shortsighted and Visigoth, Michigan's [...]

Be A Tourist In Your Own Town – Lansing, May 30th

We wanted to draw attention to this annual event in Lansing as it is something every city in Michigan should consider emulating. It is just too easy to grow into the mind set that where you reside there is absolutely nothing to do or that you have already seen it, done it, surfed it. [...]

Grand Rapids ArtPrize: the city is the gallery

Thanks Matt for passing this one along...

inducement by powerbooktrance
Yesterday the city of Grand Rapids announced the ArtPrize, a competition open to artists of all kinds from around the world that will award nearly one-half million dollars to prize winners, including $250,000 to the artist who receives the most public votes. The display and voting will [...]