Pre-Summit Tours
Arriving on Thursday? Interested in learning more about Grand Rapids? Check out these local tours and activities! (No registration required)
KAXE Radio Station Open House and Tour
KAXE Northern Community Radio
Thursday, 10/3: Station open house 2 – 5pm, Station Tour at 4pm
Learn about the history of the oldest rural public radio station in the country and how they’ve made community radio relevant for over 40 years.
ICTV Station Open House
Thursday, 10/3: Open House 2 – 4:30pm
ICTV is the local public access cable television station dedicated to local government, education and public video. Programming is available on cable television, streaming online, on-demand and on YouTube. Its most recent endeavor, 47 North, is an in-studio event that gives musicians a chance to showcase their original works, and creates them a video resume’ online on YouTube. Come tour the full studio and production offices.
Nicole Camen: Fungi Bridge Project Installation
Pedestrian Bridge over the Mississippi (just East of KAXE/Northern Community Radio, 260 NE 2nd St)
Thursday, 10/3: 2 – 4pm
Visit with artist Nicole Camene who will be installing “Fungi Bridge Project,” a new piece of temporary public art selected by the Grand Rapids Arts and Culture Commission in partnership with Forecast Public Art. The inspiration for this project developed when Nicole learned about the history and future vision Grand Rapids has planned for its forests and public lands. She intends to reset awareness around our dependency on trees and to reaffirm our collective responsibility to achieve a more symbiotic relationship with the natural world. For this project she will be sculpting large scale shelf mushrooms as a representation of the complex role we hold, much like the fungi, in creating and maintaining a state of balance with nature.
“beyond borders” Gallery Viewing
MacRostie Art Center
Thursday, 10/3: Gallery open to the public 2 – 5 pm, Gallery Talk with co-curators Kayla Aubid and Colleena Bibeau at 5 pm
Get a first look at the new Indigenous Invitational exhibit curated by MAC Gallery Director Kayla Aubid and Colleena Bibeau of the ISD #318 American Indian Education Program. The exhibition brings together indigenous arts, language, and culture for a gallery experience that celebrates history, life ways, and the ties that bind communities. The exhibit aims to inspire young people with the strength of intergenerational stories, dreams, and teachings as seen through the eyes of prominent regional artists.
Public Art Walk
Grand Rapids Arts and Culture Commission
Thursday, 10/3: Leave from Old Central School at 3:30pm (tour will be 1 hours)
Join Kathy Dodge of the Grand Rapids Arts and Culture Commission for a walking tour of downtown Grand Rapids’ public art. See recent additions to the public art landscape, hear about some of the challenges of developing a public art plan, and meet with local artist Leah Yellowbird to see some of her recent public works.
One Heartland Photo Exhibition
Reif Gallery
Thursday, 10/3: Gallery open to the public 2 – 5pm, gallery talk at 4pm.
One Heartland is a non-profit organization based in the Twin Cities with a rural facility in Willow River, MN. Their mission is to improve the lives of children, youth and families facing significant health challenges and social isolation. The Reif Gallery will display an exhibition of photos by Paul Gregerson that feature youth from the 2019 summer camp sessions for LGBT+ youth, youth experiencing housing instability, and youth striving for a healthy lifestyle.