La Grand Vitesse in the heart of downtown or as us locals know it, "The Calder". The Calder was designed by Alexander Calder. It was built in Tours, France and assembled on the Plaza here in Grand Rapids. It has become one of the main landmarks of downtown and the city. The sculpture was the first public art work funded by the Art in Public Places program of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Every year, on the anniversary of the Calder being installed, the city hosts the Festival Of The Arts. One of the largest Art festivals in the nation and attended by over a half a million people a year. La Grand Vitesse can also be credited as the catalyst for the newer Art Prize Festival here in Grand Rapids as well.
For 19 days in the early fall, around 400,000 attendees descend upon three square miles of downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan where anyone can find a voice in the conversation about what is art and why it matters. Art from around the world pops up in every inch of downtown in over 160 venues—museums, galleries, bars, restaurants, theaters, hotels, public parks, lobbies, buildings, walls, bridges, laundromats, and auto body shops—and it’s all free and open to the public. Art Prize is considered by some to be the largest public attended art event in the world.
Not too bad for a piece of art that many people fought to have installed.
La Grand Vitesse with the DA10-17 at 10mm f11.
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