As part of my thesis I am proposing an annual urban ideas competition to choreograph and structure a furniture festival in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. I am hoping to include a variety of entrants as part of my final presentation in order to show the potential of such an event for the city and the West Michigan furniture industry. I'm already expecting a few great entries from friends and family, but the more the merrier.
For all the entrants that I get (unless it becomes a lot...which would be a nice problem) I will print out the submission boards (24x36), mount them, and include them in my final presentation. Appropriate credit for each submission will be included on or next to the board (it might be nice to even have a photo...competitions are normally so impersonal). No winning entries will be selected and none will be criticized - they will be of value to demonstrate the diversity and excitement of the ideas and their potential for the city. Following my thesis, I hope to take the presentation to civic and industry leaders in West Michigan and see if I can't make something happen. So the submissions could really help make a difference.
A draft version of my brief, which doubles as an explanation of the thesis can be found at www.gsd.harvard.edu/users/rbroene If you are interested and would like to help me out with a submission please contact me at rbroene@gsd.harvard.edu and I'll give you the extra details and can mail you a cd with photos, aerials, maps, etc. The deadline is on or around May 10 (my apologies for the short time span) but I need them in time for the review.
Also, if you have comments for the thesis, I would be interested to hear...though I can be a bit sensitive and I can't change much before the final review. Damn lack of confidence. Think positive, think positive...
are you from g-raps or something? i actually grew up in gr and took courses at kendall while i was in high school. its interesting to see someone in a different region talking about grand rapids outside of the context of religion and "if you ain't dutch, you ain't much." there actually is a great art and industrial design scene in grand rapids, which it isn't at all known for for some reason. seeing this project actually makes me excited to go back next weekend.
thanks for the comments, my whole thesis is premised on what you pointed out - that no one's heard of grand rapids yet there is some amazing stuff going on there and there's potential for so much more.
i'm hoping to have someone from Kendall attend my final review...and maybe someone from the furniture industry.
huh. well let us know how it turns out. interesting project, and some thorough research; i see you have used the herman mill website. i am really interested to see how your project comes out though, i hope you keep this thread updated. best of luck.
i sit next to wall drug at school and this joker can't stop talking about "you ain't dutch you ain't much"...
other than that his thesis pretty much kicks major buttocks...you should all definitely consider entering. what modest walldrug has not pointed out is that if the competition goes well, the whole project has a greater chance of success when he presents it to the city later on. One of his ideas is to make this into an annual competition for an arts/furniture festival which would take place in Grand Rapids, similar to festivals which occur in cities such as Groeningen in the Netherlands. By contributing to this competition you have the opportunity to help start what could become an interesting and important event for GR in particular and the arts in general.
ha ha. i'm doing a lot of traveling this month but i might be able to get something together. i'll go to san chez and drink a lot of sangria for inspiration.
incidentally, have you heard anything about kendalls new graduate arch program? a couple of years ago they were talking about starting one after they annexed the old art museum.
i spoke with Tom Edwards at Kendall and he mentioned that they were putting something together for an m arch, but it didn't seem like it was going to happen within the next year. may be an interesting teaching prospect. it would certainly be nice to have an architecture program in west michigan.
also check out mezze next door to san chez for the new belly dancing events.
well let me know if that sangria inspires you and i can send a cd with extra info (cad drawings of downtown, aerials, photos, etc.).
i met with a business reporter from the grand rapids press a week back. the reporter was very interested in the project and sometime next week they'll run an article on it. hopefully, this will start to generate some buzz and get people excited to move forward with it.
le bossman (and others interested in the project's progress),
the Grand Rapids Made Initiative received a little publicity on Friday with an article in the Grand Rapids press. Overall, i think the press reporter did an excellent job capturing the ideas. Hopefully, this can get some movement on the initiative and get people talking.
and yes i did have some drinks in mezze and i saw the belly dancers. anyway, i'm glad to know its turning out. if there's anything i can do, let me know.
no problem le bossman, i received a handful of proposals from friends which were a big hit at the final review.
i am hoping to arrange an exhibition of the proposal and the competition entries in the city hall lobby downtown. if that starts to work out, i may put out another call for entries as it would be good to show as many as possible.
haha! nice article, le bossman. the characteristic 'boringness' of the midwest gets a different spin! a lot of the things said about grand rapids hold true in our other midwestern cities and that's why i live in louisville, despite lots of temptations to go to the more exciting coasts.
yeah, i've heard that louisville is real nice actually. i don't even live in the midwest anymore, but i think people from the coasts are always surprised by how nice the so-called 'flyover' states can be because they assume that nothing matters beyond california and new england.
i will say this for the 20th time. i moved from indiana to boston when i was 19 and i never saw so many redneck loser racists as when i lived in boston.
Jun 29, 07 11:17 am ·
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Invitation for "Grand Rapids Made" competition
As part of my thesis I am proposing an annual urban ideas competition to choreograph and structure a furniture festival in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. I am hoping to include a variety of entrants as part of my final presentation in order to show the potential of such an event for the city and the West Michigan furniture industry. I'm already expecting a few great entries from friends and family, but the more the merrier.
For all the entrants that I get (unless it becomes a lot...which would be a nice problem) I will print out the submission boards (24x36), mount them, and include them in my final presentation. Appropriate credit for each submission will be included on or next to the board (it might be nice to even have a photo...competitions are normally so impersonal). No winning entries will be selected and none will be criticized - they will be of value to demonstrate the diversity and excitement of the ideas and their potential for the city. Following my thesis, I hope to take the presentation to civic and industry leaders in West Michigan and see if I can't make something happen. So the submissions could really help make a difference.
A draft version of my brief, which doubles as an explanation of the thesis can be found at www.gsd.harvard.edu/users/rbroene If you are interested and would like to help me out with a submission please contact me at rbroene@gsd.harvard.edu and I'll give you the extra details and can mail you a cd with photos, aerials, maps, etc. The deadline is on or around May 10 (my apologies for the short time span) but I need them in time for the review.
Also, if you have comments for the thesis, I would be interested to hear...though I can be a bit sensitive and I can't change much before the final review. Damn lack of confidence. Think positive, think positive...
thanks,
-walldrug
you should have it at The Gaslight Village in EGR. Project managed by moi.
did you do that scuplture-like entrance to the parking structure?
the "regatta" was designed by a local artist and fabricated here and assembled up there.
are you from g-raps or something? i actually grew up in gr and took courses at kendall while i was in high school. its interesting to see someone in a different region talking about grand rapids outside of the context of religion and "if you ain't dutch, you ain't much." there actually is a great art and industrial design scene in grand rapids, which it isn't at all known for for some reason. seeing this project actually makes me excited to go back next weekend.
- le bossman,
yep, i'm g-raps born and bred.
thanks for the comments, my whole thesis is premised on what you pointed out - that no one's heard of grand rapids yet there is some amazing stuff going on there and there's potential for so much more.
i'm hoping to have someone from Kendall attend my final review...and maybe someone from the furniture industry.
well enjoy your trip.
aww. west michigan commiserants. i'm from the center of michigan, but i have a fondness for grand rapids. my mother grew up on dickinson street.
huh. well let us know how it turns out. interesting project, and some thorough research; i see you have used the herman mill website. i am really interested to see how your project comes out though, i hope you keep this thread updated. best of luck.
thanks, hopefully something comes out of the project.
now back to work on a 6ft model of downtown GR. Wish i had thought more about how big this scale would be.
le bossman,
i sit next to wall drug at school and this joker can't stop talking about "you ain't dutch you ain't much"...
other than that his thesis pretty much kicks major buttocks...you should all definitely consider entering. what modest walldrug has not pointed out is that if the competition goes well, the whole project has a greater chance of success when he presents it to the city later on. One of his ideas is to make this into an annual competition for an arts/furniture festival which would take place in Grand Rapids, similar to festivals which occur in cities such as Groeningen in the Netherlands. By contributing to this competition you have the opportunity to help start what could become an interesting and important event for GR in particular and the arts in general.
ha ha. i'm doing a lot of traveling this month but i might be able to get something together. i'll go to san chez and drink a lot of sangria for inspiration.
incidentally, have you heard anything about kendalls new graduate arch program? a couple of years ago they were talking about starting one after they annexed the old art museum.
le bossman -
i spoke with Tom Edwards at Kendall and he mentioned that they were putting something together for an m arch, but it didn't seem like it was going to happen within the next year. may be an interesting teaching prospect. it would certainly be nice to have an architecture program in west michigan.
also check out mezze next door to san chez for the new belly dancing events.
well let me know if that sangria inspires you and i can send a cd with extra info (cad drawings of downtown, aerials, photos, etc.).
for those interested in the project's progress...
i met with a business reporter from the grand rapids press a week back. the reporter was very interested in the project and sometime next week they'll run an article on it. hopefully, this will start to generate some buzz and get people excited to move forward with it.
walldrug....you going to post a sign 1498 miles to Wall Drug, somewhere in Down town Grand Rapids?
that would be a good idea...a way to combine my two loves
le bossman (and others interested in the project's progress),
the Grand Rapids Made Initiative received a little publicity on Friday with an article in the Grand Rapids press. Overall, i think the press reporter did an excellent job capturing the ideas. Hopefully, this can get some movement on the initiative and get people talking.
sorry wall drug. my work schedule got really intensive, and i took a trip to the southwest. didn't get a change work on any side projects.
and yes i did have some drinks in mezze and i saw the belly dancers. anyway, i'm glad to know its turning out. if there's anything i can do, let me know.
no problem le bossman, i received a handful of proposals from friends which were a big hit at the final review.
i am hoping to arrange an exhibition of the proposal and the competition entries in the city hall lobby downtown. if that starts to work out, i may put out another call for entries as it would be good to show as many as possible.
keep me posted
keep me posted
you should read this article walldrug:
http://ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2007/06/16/opinion/opin03.txt
haha! nice article, le bossman. the characteristic 'boringness' of the midwest gets a different spin! a lot of the things said about grand rapids hold true in our other midwestern cities and that's why i live in louisville, despite lots of temptations to go to the more exciting coasts.
yeah, i've heard that louisville is real nice actually. i don't even live in the midwest anymore, but i think people from the coasts are always surprised by how nice the so-called 'flyover' states can be because they assume that nothing matters beyond california and new england.
i will say this for the 20th time. i moved from indiana to boston when i was 19 and i never saw so many redneck loser racists as when i lived in boston.
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