The circus has come to town. Well, sure, Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey are actually here in GR. But the more anticipated event, Artprize, is the bigger show. The opening is officially a week from today and banners are being hung, windows are being washed, flowers planted, and outdoor entries becoming more visible. I’ve seen a dozen or so sculptures including two impressively executed metal fish on the grounds of GVSU, a giant willow birdcage, the start of something big on the blue bridge, and three murals in the works. For an interesting peak of the mural on the back of Kendall’s building come west down Ottawa and take a look from the front of the county courthouse over to your left. The colorful bold images are welcome fun through the frame of concrete and brick. My first glimpse of event organizers Monday had them sorting piles of t-shirts and sitting at laptops in The Hub, just across the street. Aside from writing about it, I’m hosting an artist in my home this year. She arrives Sunday to install a film/video piece near Hopcat and I’m starting to prepare her room. We’re all getting ready.

I’ve started thinking about how to approach Artprize this year. Working in the heart of downtown as I do, it was tempting last year to try and see it all. It was almost overwhelming. This year there are more artists in a larger geographical area. So I’m going for a more qualitative experience this year. This year my growing curiosity is other people’s reaction to the inspired reality that art, artists, and art appreciators are taking over our city for 19 days, in a true celebration of something (that is from my perspective) uniquely creative and highly positive. What will our experiences of it be? What lasting effect will it have on our city? This is my thinking right now. I want to talk with, listen in, and overhear what people are saying. Because while some of the artwork will stay here, most will not. It’s the memories of the encounters with others, conversations about what to vote on (up or down), and our own responses to it all that will linger and affect change to our growing arts community. These are the ideas I want to capture.

I was laughing with a drawing grad student about the whole thing recently – laughing in disbelief that 1000s are actually coming downtown to see and talk about art. It’s pretty amazing. Kind of like the circus.

Wander on.