We featured Chrysler's Super Bowl ad smash Imported from Detroit (starring Eminem) and the fantastic Grand Rapids Lip Dub (starring pretty much the entire city of Grand Rapids) on Absolute Michigan when they came out, but it looks like we may have missed the best of them all! Mark writes:

Billed as the first lipdub to feature senior citizens, this clip of a Grand Rapids retirement community drew national attention in July. The clip was produced with help from students at nearby Grand Valley State University.

It features his grandparents, but with 1.2 million views, Mark's not alone and we think you'll agree, this is one awesome video... (if you have another we missed, post it in the comments)

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DJ SuperDre by TerryJohnston

We recently caught up with Michigan-native and Grand Rapids resident SuperDre (Andrea Wallace). The producer/DJ filled us in on growing up surrounded by music, what Michigan musicians inspire her and some of the best places to hear electronic music in the Midwest. SuperDre’s distinctive, atmospheric arrangements have earned her a number of accolades including a Grand Rapids DJ of the Year nod and being voted one of the 10 most influential electronic artists in the Midwest. Here at Absolute Michigan, we can’t think of a better venue for a SuperDre set than Electric Forest.

Your website says you're a byproduct of years of classical music training and nerdy computer skills. Can you tell me a little about how that unfolded?

I've been playing music for a long time. My mother is a classically trained pianist, so she taught my brother and I how to play when we were really young. When I was in elementary school I started in band playing the saxophone and played that all the way through college. I picked up the electric guitar, drums and violin during junior high and high school.

I've always been a huge classical music fan. To me reading music is really important but at the same time having the ability to play by ear is even more important, especially with genres like jazz and electronic music.

As far as computers, well nowadays you almost have to use a computer at some point for creating, mixing or mastering your music, but aside from that...I also moonlight as a software engineer/web consultant. Gotta pay the bills!

Turning the Tables by TerryJohnston

Who are some of the Michigan musicians who have most influenced you and how?

Michigan has a huge music culture. My favorites are probably mostly out of Detroit. I was heavily influenced by Motown growing up. That's pretty much what my parents listened to: jazz, soul, funk, latin and r&b music.

My parents lived in Detroit before I was born, but I have a lot of family there. I'm still there a lot, so I obviously grew up on a lot of electronic music as well. The techno "big three" of Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Kevin

Saunderson were big when I was little. Then as I get a little older people like Delano Smith and Seth Troxler were bigger influences.

I'm also a huge fan of Detroit hip-hop. We all know Eminem is one of the best, but there are a ton of underground artists in Detroit that I really really like. Royce Da 5'9", Magestik Legend and RoSpit are some of my favorites. Michigan was/is home to some fabulous artists from all genres. I mean hey, we had Sonny Bono, Aaliyah ... and of course Madonna.

It's always hard to choose, but can you tell us a few of your favorite clubs or festivals in Michigan?

DJ SuperDre 11 by sethrt

Hmmmm. That's probably not that hard – ha ha. As far as festivals in Michigan, I mean, I'm a house/techno head, so it shouldn't be a surprise that DEMF is my favorite festival, or Movement I mean. It'll always be DEMF to me. Rothbury comes in a close second. I just loved the diversity of it and on top of that, the way they decorate the forest is just plain beautiful. I seriously cannot wait until Electric Forest to see what tricks they have up their sleeve. I know it's going to look and sound amazing. I also love the Detroit Jazz Festival and I am looking forward Soundfest 2011, The Blastoff, etc. for music festivals anyway.

As far as clubs for electronic music, I wish we had more in my city of Grand Rapids, but I really like Billy's in Eastown where I host a weekly electronic music nite featuring DJ's from all over the country and sometimes even the world. I also like Lower Level. In Detroit, I love The Works still and TV Lounge. One of my all time Midwest favorites though, is still SmartBar in Chicago. The sound system in that place is ridiculous. Love it.

Who are you most excited to see at Electric Forest and who would you urge your fans to check out?

I've seen and played with a lot of artists on the list before, like Kaskade, Pretty Lights, Bassnectar, EOTO, Big Gigantic, Eliot Lipp, Paper Diamond and Emancipator so I don't know. I am looking forward to seeing Stephen Marley and String Cheese Incident who I've actually never seen live before, just on TV.

I'm just excited to be included on the lineup. Plus, I think I'm the only really minimal/tech/house producer on the lineup that I know of and one of just a few who is actually born and raised in Michigan and still lives here. I'm going to really make it a point to look up everyone before I get there, so I can hear their music.

As far as my fans, I don't know, honestly. I'd urge them to check out as many people and soak up as much of the festival as humanly possible. It's going to be a great weekend, so make it count.

***

Learn more about SuperDre at SuperDre.com. Here's a video of SuperDre from last summer's Grand Rapids Electronic Music Night with Flying Without Wingz that you should check out and definitely have a look at Get 'Em Up featuring FW2 and some awesome animation.

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UPDATE: Roger Ebert posts simply "The greatest music video ever made"

Rob writes:

"The Grand Rapids LipDub Video was filmed May 22nd, with 5,000 people, and involved a major shutdown of downtown Grand Rapids, which was filled with marching bands, parades, weddings, motorcades, bridges on fire, and helicopter take offs. It is the largest and longest LipDub video, to date.

This video was created as an official response to the Newsweek article calling Grand Rapids a "dying city." We disagreed strongly, and wanted to create a video that encompasses the passion and energy we all feel is growing exponentially, in this great city. We felt Don McLean's "American Pie," a song about death, was in the end, triumphant and filled to the brim with life and hope."

*Note: The "NEW WORLD RECORD" designation refers to size and scope, not duration.

This $40,000 production was entirely financed by the generosity of local sponsors

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Driving Michigan is Absolute Michigan's new show that explores the state of Michigan and the people who are moving us towards the future. It's hosted by Seth Bernard, a musician of  Earthworks Music with a passion for Michigan. The video was shot by Ken Lake of Mythic Michigan.

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Wealthy Theatre, 1936

The Wealthy Theatre in Grand Rapids turns 100 this year. Located at 1130 Wealthy Street, the theater was constructed in 1911 for vaudeville and live theater, later becoming a neighborhood movie house. During World War I, the Wealthy served as a warehouse for the Michigan Aircraft Company and in the 1960s is was the only regional venue for foreign films.

The theater closed in the late 1970s and remained empty for over 25 years before the South East Economic Development neighborhood association launched a capital campaign to fund its restoration. The Theatre re-opened in 1998 as a community arts center and has helped to spawn a renaissance of the entire Wealthy Street business district. (check the video below for the astounding before & after photos!)

Streets of Grand Rapids by RichardDemingPhotography

In 2004, the Theatre closed and sought a nonprofit partner who could commit to the continued growth of the theatre. The Grand Rapids Community Media Center (CMC) rose to the challenge, and with a successful capital campaign was able to acquire the Wealthy and make critical improvements including a concert sound system,  new projection screen, a micro-cinema space and repainting, upgrades and renovations throughout.

In addition to providing a modern and comfortable venue for performance and film, the Wealthy Theatre is home to CMC projects including GRTV Television and  WYCE-FM Radio.  Absolute Michigan is excited to be helping the Wealthy Theatre mark 100 years and also to present some of the amazing projects that the CMC is involved with.  This weekend, our Driving Michigan crew including host Seth Bernard will be visiting with the crew at the CMC/Wealthy to learn about what they do and how and why they are doing it!

This Saturday night at 6:30 PM you can enjoy a very special night of music and memories, as  Seth Bernard (and friends) pay tribute to the best of Cat Stevens. This concert is a fundraiser for the Wealthy Theatre Centennial Sustainability Campaign, which celebrates the 100th birthday of Wealthy Theatre with greening and technology upgrades as a means of historic preservation. You can learn about and donate to the Sustainable Centennial campaign right here.

PS: Tonight they are screening the classic film Harold & Maude which of course features the music of Cat Stevens.

Visit grcmc.org to learn much more about them including their services for nonprofit organizations including media production, website creation and social media training. Now check out this cool before & after video!

Wealthy Theatre Before & After from Wealthy Theatre on Vimeo.

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One neat thing about LaughFest is that the schedule holds a lot of no-cost/low-cost events, beginning with the attempt to break the Guinness World Record for rubber chicken tossing at Rosa Parks Circle at 7:30 PM (just show up - chickens will be provided!). This feature from the Grand Rapids Press on LaughFest says:

LaughFest organizers hope to make West Michigan a very happy place with performances by more than 50 headliners plus another 300 amateur or theatrical performers. More than 110 events are open for free in 29 venues and 14 restaurants and bars.

Ten days before the opening of the 10-day event, nearly 27,000 tickets had been sold to ticket buyers from 17 U.S. states plus Canada as well as from 80 percent of Michigan's 83 counties.

“The names I keep hearing are Cosby and White,” said Bill Cosby, who appears March 13 in DeVos Hall. “I think that's very, very interesting that the big names would be those people who are in their 70s,” he said. “One would think that Comedy Central would be able to spin out a whole bunch of potentials who would draw a younger crowd.”

Actually, that's been taken care of. Comedians such as Margaret Cho, Mike Birbiglia, Kevin Hart, Stephen Lynch and Kathleen Madigan are among those performing during the event-packed festival.

Gilda Radner was from Detroit, and in the video below from Gilda's brother, Michael Radner, talks about the importance of laughter to his sister. See many more from Grand Rapids LaughFest on YouTube.

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Cavalry by pairadocs

ArtPrize, the radically open, radically cool art competition that awards the world's largest art prize has issued their call for ArtPrize 2011 artists. The wildly successful event will return to Grand Rapids September 21 through October 9, 2011. ArtPrize has no formal jury, curator or judge, allowing the public to choose the winners.

ArtPrize 2010 presented the work of over 1,700 artists, tallied 465,000 votes and awarded almost $500,000. It's one of the most amazing events in Michigan and the nation, and Absolute Michigan will once again report on ArtPrize and also provide in-depth features and interviews leading up to the event. You can see coverage from past years including ArtPrize 2010 winner Chris LaPorte of Grand Rapids at absolutemichigan.com/ArtPrize.

Artist will want to note that Venue Registration opens Monday, March 14 and closes Thursday April 14 while Artist Registration is Monday, April 18 through Thursday, June 16. From May 31 to June 30, artists and venues will connect. ArtPrize Executive Director Bill Holsinger-Robinson says:

"A lot of the most memorable work in the event is created for a specific space. Artists will know all the venues available as they register. The vast majority of artists who did not secure a venue in 2010 were the ones who signed up at the last minute. Register early!"

Here's a great video overview of ArtPrize that lets you know more about the incredible impact and reach of this event. Many more from ArtPrizeGR on YouTube!

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HopCat by pentax hammer (gary syrba)

In recent years, Grand Rapids has become a beer mecca. One of those leading that charge is HopCat, recently named as one of the best places on Planet Earth to belly up and grab a pint! BeerAdvocate named them the third best beer bar in the world for the third year in a row! The staff at HopCat take this honor with great pride and know that it also comes with great responsibility for their craft beer-loving customers.

For anyone who has cozied up to HopCat's elegant, wooden bar and enjoyed a handmade craft beer, this distinction will come as no surprise. With 48 drafts on tap and countless bottles to choose from, the possibilities at HopCat will boggle any beer lovers' mind. Which is why, if the mere thought of a hoppy IPA is enough to make you drool, HopCat demands repeat visits.

Since it opened three years ago, HopCat has been the envy of beer lovers not lucky enough to live nearby. And those who do are not taking the crown jewel of Michigan pubs for granted.

Steve Smith, who works at HopCat under the title Chief Beer Geek, appreciates his customers just as much as they appreciate the beer he brings in. “Being on BeerAdvocate's list for the third year in a row is a big honor. And it is a big honor because it is determined by customer reviews. I take great pride in the fact that our customers speak up for us.” Steve told Absolute Michigan.

For anyone passionate about craft beers, the list of Chief Beer Geek job responsibilities reads like pure poetry. On any given day, Steve is selecting which beers will go on tap at HopCat, working with local chefs to come up with menus for beer-pairing dinners, planning beer festivals and, generally, talking beer all day long.

And being passionate about the industry makes HopCat's prestigious placement on the BeerAdvocate list all the more sweet.

Hopcat by farlane

“We are in such great company with so many great bars on that list. When I look at it, I see people further down than we are that I look to for inspiration, bars that are doing amazing things with craft beers.” And Steve has a particular passion for the Michigan beer industry, an industry he sees as being one big family. “I have been selling beer in Michigan for 15 years now. With my experience, I am able to get a lot of stuff other people are not able to. I'm a huge supporter of craft brewers and I love seeing them succeed. The more breweries the better. And it's better for the industry and local economies. There is such a great sense of family in the craft beer world.”

Part of makes HopCat a great beer bar, as opposed to simply a bar that serves great beers, is the fact that they brew some of Michigan's best craft beers on site. Steve calls the HopCat brewery the “quintessential microbrewery” because they have the capacity to brew 7 half barrels at a time and only brew twice a week.

The lofty responsibility of brewing beer in a place that serves the world's best falls in the lap of HopCat brewer Jeff Williams. According to Jeff, HopCat tries to maintain three to four mainstays on draft at any given time. But, he has the creative freedom to make whatever he thinks will taste good. “The great thing about this brewery is that we can make whatever comes to mind. A lot of our brews are experimental. Last summer, we made a Jamaican Jerk Pale Ale with lime zest, all spice, habaneras and fresh thyme. It had a nice kick to it.” Jeff said. “We are working on a Scotch Ale and we have a couple of sours in the basement we're waiting on. And I'm toying with the idea of brewing a Pilsner.” Jeff added.

The new beers will no doubt go nicely with HopCat legends like Hoppotamus, a well-balanced IPA, Sage Against the Machine, a herbed honey pale ale and the Viener Lager, a Vienna-style lager.

Steve and Jeff are lucky. They work in an industry they love and one - thanks to all their hard work - that loves them back. As beer lovers themselves, they have a few favorites from around Michigan and beyond. And while they both said their favorite pint is the one in front of them, here are a some breweries currently whetting whistles at HopCat.

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The Ada Witch by farlane

The Ada Witch by Amberrose Hammond from Michigan's Otherside explains:

The legend says a woman during the 1800's had been cheating on her husband. She would sneak off into the night to meet her lover. Her husband began to suspect she was up to something and pretended to fall asleep one night. After his wife got up and snuck away, he followed her and found her in the arms of another man. Rage welled up inside him and in an instant, the husband attacked the adulterous couple, killing his wife first. The two men fought until they both died from the wounds they inflicted upon each other.

For many years now, people say they have heard the sounds of a fight taking place around the Findley area, only to find no one around. The area at one point must have been open for hunting before it was developed into a residential area. There have been reports from hunters feeling a presence in the area, hearing the ghostly fight, getting tapped on the shoulder only to find no one there and even seeing a ghostly woman in white.

More of Haunted Michigan.

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The winners of ArtPrize 2010 were announced last night in Grand Rapids. Grand Rapids resident Chris LaPorte took top honors and $250,000 for his work Cavalry, American Officers, 1921, a phenomenally detailed work in pencil. Svelata by Mia Tavonatti and Lure/Wave, Grand Rapids (Lure/Forest) by Beili Liu rounded out the top 3.

Svelata by Mia Tavonatti Lure/Wave, Grand Rapids (Lure/Forest) by Beili Liu

Here's WOOD-TV's interview with the winner:

Photo Credits:

• ART PRIZE 2010 WINNER by RichardDemingPhotography
• Art Prize Awards 2010-2956 by RichardDemingPhotography
• Cavalry, American Officers, 1921 (detail) by sparky05
• artprize5593top10 by wizardkitten
• Untitled by chad

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In a matter of hours, we find out which artist from ArtPrize's Top 10 walks away $250,000 richer, and winner of ArtPrize 2010, a 19-day event that has transformed Grand Rapids into an art-lover's paradise. Did you see the splash of coverage on the "Today" show today? How cool.

Join us tonight as we cover every moment of tonight's big announcement, live.

It all starts at 5:20PM 10/7/2010... Tune in, it should be really cool!!!

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Garden for Patricia by pairadocs

Absolute Michigan is featuring ArtPrize, the world's largest public art competition that takes place in the city of Grand Rapids through October 7. One thing I found when I was there this weekend was that there was so much to see that I felt a little lost. We've put together these links to help you see what you need to see!

The ArtPrize site lists the Top 25 works - you'll probably want to check as many of those out as you can. Personally, however, I found a lot more works that didn't make the top 25, or even 50. They have a cool feature called Mixed Reviews that shows works that have a lot of "up" and "down" votes (sumo wrestling amphibians anyone?).

mLive has probably the best ArtPrize coverage. Here's their must-see ArtPrize entries and also a cool look behind the scenes art ArtPrize exhibition centers. I've also enjoyed Rapid Growth's art prize features. The ArtPrize blog has some good stuff as does ArtPrizeGR. Michigan Radio has a nice feature on the opening of ArtPrize, which one Grand Rapids leader says "is better than the Super Bowl."

#ArtPrize on Twitter is a great place to find out about art scattered around the city and what people are thinking about it. Today I learned about an Ernie Harwell inspired painting, how ArtPrize is filling hotel registers and this cool video of a little kid playing one of the "Play Me" community pianos. Over the weekend I learned about the mean but funny site, ArtPrize Worst (where I learned that next year ArtPrize will become DragonPrize and that someone stole Jim Morrison's head for a mermaid).

You Are Here by thomasgvsu

ArtPrize app for iPhone was pretty useful for finding venues. Speaking of phone apps, you can use the SCVNGR app for iPhone or Android to explore ArtPrize. Much more about getting around ArtPrize on Absolute Michigan.

There are a number of photographers in the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr have been posting some great photos from ArtPrize, and the Official ArtPrize group on Flickr has nearly 10,000 photos and they're holding an ArtPrize Photo Contest!

There's a lot of video out there including a nice montage and a closeup look at one of my favorite entries, Jeff Zimmerman's mural on the Kendall School of Design. My favorite is the video that photographer Brian Kelly is producing for ArtPrize. You can see them all on the ArtPrize channel. Blast off with Rocketman Jimmy Descant:

Much more ArtPrize coverage on Absolute Michigan.

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With Absolute Michigan's ArtPrize coverage in full swing, it seemed fitting to feature an ArtPrize photo today. I was happy to find that one of the most prolific Grand Rapids photographers in the Absolute Michigan pool hadn't yet been featured so...

RichardDemingPhotography (Richard Deming Jr.) writes:

My life is made up of the simple, sensitive, emotions towards the people, the world, and the lives around me. My love is my family, arts, design, seeing the world with new eyes each day. Photography is my passion along with food, and making people laugh and hoping I have touched them with my work.

Check out his many sets including Fall in Michigan 2010, Tall Ships Festival 2010, Grand Rapids Art Festival, Farmers Markets and his rapidly growing ArtPrize 2010 set (slideshow).

Dive into his Flickriver.

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Walkers by RichardDemingPhotography

ArtPrize 2010 officially starts today and runs through October 10th. With over 1700 registered artists and nearly 200 venues you may find that seeing what you want to see is a daunting prospect. We spent some time learning about a few ways to make this easier...

You'll definitely want to hit the exhibition centers for the high level of art concentration, but last year we found that there were so many more cool scenes to check out. To aid you in your quest to uncover these hidden gems, there's the ArtPrize map on Google with information about all the venue locations. WOOD-TV has a look at the venues off the beaten path and some ideas for getting around.

This year they're running an ArtPrize shuttle. To ride, all you need is a $5 wristband that also gives you free rides on any RAPID bus!

You can navigate on the ground, vote and get ArtPrize updates with the ArtPrize iPhone app.

mLive has a great report on "The Hub" - the HQ for ArtPrize at the old Federal Building. One of the very cool features they will have is a Heat Map that will track what's hot on social media. Here's the video tour of the Hub:

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It's about getting that vision across to other people and getting them excited about it.
~Joachim Jensen, monster-model maker for the SteamPig Experiment
via ArtPrize spurs entrepreneurism among artists in the Grand Rapids Press

For anyone who wonders what the folks behind the super-cool Nessie Project in last year's ArtPrize are up to, I bring you Steam Pig:

Description of work: a large three-dimensional multi-media sculpture of a Steam Operated Flying Porcine Craft...the logistics of building 'Parsifal' the SteamPig are just as daunting as they were for building Nessie. Think turn-of-the century industrial revolution in modern times... the flying machines of the early 1900s and an animal that shouldn't fly... An homage to the machinist mentality of the late 1800's and early 1900's, the steam engines that propelled the railroad and images from novels by authors Jules Verne and H.G. Wells.

Indeed. Fly your pig (or other porcine conveyance) over to steampig.com to check out the sketches and photos of the build down at the B.O.B. and stay tuned to Absolute Michigan for your ArtPrize 2010 coverage!

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Every so often I find that a photographer I have long admired hasn't yet been featured in one of our Absolute Michigan Photo Fridays.

yodraws (Yolanda Gonzalez) writes that she dabbles in illustration, graphic design, crafts, photography, parenthood, gardens and mojitos. Sometimes she gets paid for illustration and design (and she wishes to be paid for mojito drinking someday). Having seen her "Dresses Like the Sky" exhibit above at last year's wonderfully amazing ArtPrize, I would say that Yolanda does a little more than dabble in crafts.

Check it out in her ArtPrize 2009 slideshow. Her other sets include Fulton Street Farmer's Market, interestingness, Festival of the Arts, GR Hearts Art and Somewhere in Michigan (slideshow).

Dive into her Flickriver and see this photo and many more in our ArtPrize 2009 video!

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Face Paint by TerryJohnston

Last year ArtPrize in Grand Rapids launched and was the most successful art event in Michigan's history, attracting 200,000 visitors to see the work of over 1000 artists in every media from fine art to paper airplanes. In 2009, Absolute Michigan was on location for ArtPrize and I have to say that it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life to see this city transformed into a giant gallery teeming with active, engaged crowds of people looking this way and that, trying to take in a mind-boggling amount of art.

In 2010 the format will be the same, with artists submitting a single entry at venues all over the city, all vying for the votes of those who attend and the $250,000 1st place prize. Absolute Michigan will be back to cover the event, and I sincerely hope you can make the time to go to Grand Rapids and experience ArtPrize.

Be sure to stay tuned to ArtPrize in the Absolute Michigan pool and add photos if you take them. Here's the ArtPrize 2009 video we did last year from some of the pics we received!

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Grand Rapids Farmers Market 2009 by RichardDemingPhotography

A Grand Rapids institution since 1922 commonly known as "the Farmer's Market," the Fulton Street Market offers locally-grown fruits and vegetables, plants and home-made arts and crafts. Reap the benefits and pleasures of freshly-picked fruits and vegetables, as well as hand-made items!

The Fulton Street Farmer's Market has provided local produce to the City of Grand Rapids for over eighty years. The Market is located in the Midtown Neighborhood and is operated by the Neighborhood Association. The Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation Department provides this venue offering produce, flowers, meat, eggs, and local handmade items as a service to the residents of Grand Rapids. Farmers markets provide a unique opportunity for urban dwellers to connect with food producers and are great places to meet friends.

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buoyancy by TerryJohnston

Last year over 3500 people came out for the largest dance party in West Michigan, and they're ready to do it all over again. The second annual Grand Rapids Electronic Music Night takes place next Friday, July 30 from 7 PM - Midnight at the Calder Plaza.

As with last year, the event is free and produced by Rob Bliss Events. Rob has produced such successful events as the Sidewalk Chalk Flood, Founders Day Parade and the world-record Zombie Walk. Rob also announced the other day that Rob Bliss Events is officially a non-profit organization, so congratulations to GR's king of fun.

Here's a cool video from last year's GREMN:

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The People of Detroit: Happy Cream
by Noah Stephens

The 7th Annual Local First Street Party takes place this Saturday (June 12) in Grand Rapids and puts that philosophy in practice by highlighting local food, beer & music. This year, their free concert is headlined by The Verve Pipe! Head over to their site for more about this great event.

Speaking of local business, there's still time to enter Absolute Michigan's Michigan Business Photo Contest, the first giveaway in our summerlong Absolute Michigan Summer Photo Celebration!

All you have to do is click the link above for details on how to submit up to 3 photos that show any facet of any Michigan-based business or somehow promote Michigan businesses and buying from Michigan businesses. The contest deadline is next Monday (June 14) and the winner will receive:

• One year Michigan SEO and Category Sponsorship package on Absolute Michigan ($1250 value)
• A Private Label Radio Program that tells the story of your business courtesy of Vertio
• 2 pounds of coffee (your choice) from Higher Grounds Trading Company

Take a good look at the graphic below - spending your money locally really makes a difference!

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View from Chateau Chantal by troyryans

Their next Tweet & Taste takes place tomorrow night (Monday Jun 7 @ 8 PM). Sorry about the late notice. Featured will be the wines of the Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City. The wines they will be tasting are:

• 2 Lads 2009 Pinot Grigio
• Black Star Farms Sirius Cherry Dessert Wine
• Bowers Harbor Vineyards 2006 2896 Langley (Meritage)
• Chateau Chantal 2009 Pinot Grigio
• Chateau Grand Traverse 2008 Ship of Fools
• Brys Estate 2007 Signature Red
• Peninsula Cellars - 2006 Gewurztraminer

Over at #TTMI on Twitter, Michigan Master Sommelier   Claudia Tyagi aka winegenie is educating folks on the wines of Old Mission. Here's a couple tweets - definitely try and pick up one or more of the bottles above and take part - it's fun and you can do it in your PJs! (check the video below for a step by step explanation of TTMI).

RT @cortcase @tweetandtastemi: Read up on Wineries of Old MIssion Peninsula to prepare for TTMI WOMP on Monday #ttmi http://ow.ly/1Utz0

CGT began it all http://ow.ly/1UJ8C 1st OMP winery, 1st Vinifera #ttmi Leadership! #wine #Michigan Go Riesling!!!!

For more about the Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula, see their web site at wineriesofoldmission.com and also check out this Winery Report on the Old Mission from Toledo Wines & Vines.

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GR58 (Tom) has a forest of photos of trees. Check this out background bigalicious and see his sets including Lamberton Lake, Grand Rapids Churches and Grand Rapids (slideshow).

Wander down his Flickriver.

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This photo is part of the 5 senses garden sculpture at the Children's Gardenat the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids.

If you've never been to the gardens be sure to put it on your places to visit in 2010. Currently you can check out "Butterflies Are Blooming" which is their most popular annual exhibition and the largest temporary tropical butterfly exhibit in the nation. They also feature a fantastic "Summer Concert Series" and allow patrons to bring their own picnic food and non-alcoholic beverages—in non-glass containers—to enjoy during concerts.

From angela7dreams's Flickr profile:

I am an educator, facilitator, artist and community activist. As a co-founder and associate director of LEAP (Land Empowerment Animals People), I encourage people from all walks of life to come together and share their hopes and desires as well as sorrow and despair about the condition of life here on our planet home.

Be sure to check her amazing photo sets from around the world!

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Video from the 2008 Winter Beer Festival in Grand Rapids

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dot to dot by powerbooktrance

The phenomenal ArtPrize returns to Grand Rapids for a second year. The dates will be September 22 - October 10, 2010 with a top prize of $250,000.

Speaking of Grand Rapids and ArtPrize, Rob Bliss had an interesting editorial that I think holds a lesson (as does ArtPrize itself) for the whole state of Michigan:

Here is my theory: Grand Rapids can be anything it wants to be. The proof lies in the pivotal year of 2009. There are people flying below the radar right now who are re-imagining this city to be as it never has been before. Movements to restore white water rapids to our river and take back our name, groups like ACTIVESITE who are rethinking downtown space, are quietly proving this city to the citizens who doubt it.

There are some who have attributed to me some sort of special ability to move people with my events, but I disagree. All I have done is put great faith in the largely unsatisfied idea that we are a people with a hunger for new, exciting ideas. My events simply work to dust off the diamond that always has been hidden beneath us. We are a people eagerly waiting what is coming around the bend, because we collectively feel the same electricity that coursed through this city in 2009.

Tons and tons about ArtPrize 2009 from Absolute Michigan including this video:

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Abandoned Richardsonian Romanesque House in Detroit
( Former James Scott Mansion )
by Derek Farr

Michigan has 29 land bank authorities - more than any state. The Detroit News reports that Michigan is going to try to use these land banks to spur redevelopment and garner nearly $300 million:

With the federal money expected to come in January, cities such as Detroit and counties such as Oakland are starting land bank agencies for the first time. The state filed for the Housing and Urban Development funding through a coalition that includes 12 city governments and eight counties. It's a national competition, and the overall fund totals $1.9 billion. Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Pontiac, Saginaw and Wyandotte also would be targeted for revitalization.

The Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority would provide land bank services in Detroit; Oakland County, including Pontiac; and Kent County, including Grand Rapids, until local land banks are ready to take over.

Under the plan, the Michigan land banks aim to buy and redevelop more than 6,000 foreclosed, abandoned and vacant properties. The land banks also envision razing 2,500 structures and rehabilitating or building 1,500 homes.

There's also an effort to encourage urban gardeners to develop empty city lots and allow homeowners to buy inexpensive vacant lots next to their property. "We expect (Detroit's land bank) to be the most aggressive developer in the city," said Douglas Diggs, interim director of the city's land bank office.

Good news for Michigan cities! Check out the Abandoned slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool for some likely suspects for the money!

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Grand Rapids International Wine Festival by farlane

Shannon writes:

From my perspective, the show was a huge success. We had a blast tasting not only Michigan wines, but comparing them to their worldwide counterparts. I am happy to say that the local wine held up very well. I was particularly blown away by the number of young people at the show. This really excites me, as I am a huge advocate of getting the 21-30 something crowd more involved with wine.

I was really impressed that at every Michigan booth, there was representation from the winery -- most of the time it was the actual owner or winemaker.

They'll almost certainly be back in 2010 - stay tuned at   grwinefestival.com!

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This photo by photofrenzy2000 seemed perfect for the day before Halloween. See it bigger in his slideshow and check out his sets including Robinette's Photowalk 09, Holland Flickr Photo Walk, 2008 Hessell Antique Wooden Boat Show and Michigan Waterfalls (slideshow).

You can also explore his Flickriver.

Just learned that this motel was used as a set in the movie, "Road to Perdition" starring Tom Hanks.

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Cribbage Pegs by the photoshoparama

The American Cribbage Congress will be holding the Grand National 28 in Grand Rapids on September 25–27, 2009. In addition, the Grass Roots Tournament of Champions will be held on Friday, September 25. Entrants who want to play Grass Roots cribbage on Monday–Thursday nights will have plenty of opportunity, for Michigan boasts thirteen Grass Roots clubs.

All events will be held at the same location: Crowne Plaza Hotel, located near the airport on the southeast side of town (5700 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids MI 49546). A special cribbage rate is available for all GN players (make reservations by calling 800.227.6963).

The event received a nice writeup in the Grand Rapids Press on mlive.com titled - Cribbage tournament brings nation's best players to Grand Rapids in battle for cash

It's the first time this Who's Who battle of card sharks has visited the state. For cribbage groupies, it's a chance to see De Lynn Colvert, of Missoula, Mont., who is billed as the greatest player in the cribbage universe.

Ace cribbage players are sticklers for the rules, but the state's mightiest wooden board warrior said all is fair in friendly banter.

While game code is sacred and “timber haulers” are despicable, that doesn't stop experts from serving up a tall tales and trash talk.

These human calculators “love to drink, play cards and tell lies,” said Jeff Shimp, 70, of Grand Haven, who holds the imposing title of Life Master One Star in cribbage circles.

The tournament is expected to draw about 350 cribbage players from across the country. They will battle for bragging rights and a top prize of about $1,500, depending on the event's take. Other tournaments, including more than a dozen satellite tournaments, kicked off Friday at the hotel.

mlive.com also has another feature with Muskegon cribbage board collector Dan Betz who 450 boards many of which were crafted by the Drueke Co., founded in Grand Rapids in 1914 and now is located in Ludington.

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