Walk With Me: Philanthropy and ArtPrize

You know my heart swells for my city of Grand Rapids with more pride than a momma bear for her baby bear. As one of the most philanthropic cities in the country (Google that shit!), Grand Rapids definitely fueled my passion for working in the nonprofit sector by introducing me to the spirit and potential of philanthropy. That's why I was so pleased this year to see so many pieces in Art Prize advocating for philanthropic organizations and humanitarian needs. What a truly unique way to present issues and raise awareness. Here are a few of my (so far) favorite philanthropic pieces in Art Prize this year. 

Also, this time I wasn't super lazy -- so you can click the hyperlinks to see more (professional) photos of each piece and hear from the artist themselves! 

1. #U
This piece was sponsored by the Michigan Suicide Prevention Coalition. #U asks visitors to stop and think about what makes U special, irreplaceable and and beloved in this world.

2. The Scarlet Cord
I am the first to admit that I don't know a thing about the depth or scope of the huge issue that is the sex slave trade. This piece was set up as a walk through shipping crate, where many of these captured women and children are kept. Images of women and children, starting at the beginning with images of fear and shame and ending with images of regained freedom and growing confidence, lead the visitor through the crate. Some of the pieces were red thread wrapped around nails to create 3-dimensional pictures (crazy talented!) and others were pencil. I give special props to this piece for including a concrete action step and poster of "What can YOU do" at the end. Every visitor was also given a matching red thread bracelet to raise awareness.

3. Color Out the Darkness

This piece is also about finding the light in the darkness. A colonnade of 20, 30-foot columns is splashed with a rainbow of colors and inspirational quotes. Sponsored in part by the Salvation Army of West Michigan. I loved the joy and triumph in this piece!

4. Upward

It's still my favorite, and raises awareness for a local nonprofit working with inner-city youth. You can read more about my first stop by this unique, interactive piece here.

5. Antepenultimate

These stunning, stunning portraits were taken at a local homeless shelter. The artist's statement reminds us that these faces are so "common" and "everyday" that we would pass by them on the street without a second look, not thinking of the struggles they are going through. It's a really powerful portrait series, and especially pertinent as Grand Rapids struggles to reconciliate the growing city condos with the shelters that have always been there. With a clash of two people, this reminds us that we're all human underneath and we're all fighting our own struggles in this city. 

Which piece interests you the most?

Do you have a cause or nonprofit organization that you're passionate about?

That Time I Went to the Gospel Church

I like adventures. Do I like big adventures? Yes. Am I a broke postgrad? Yes. That means that even when I can't have big adventures, I try to make little adventures. Adventures out of exploring new things, new places and new people. Anything can be an adventure, if you put your mind to it.

Once upon a time, I lived in a magical place. Called Grand Rapids, MI. I'm obsessed. I have zero shame about admitting this. Once a week, I would go to my favorite bakery (conveniently located on the edge of the ghetto, so as a teen it was really win-win for my parents and I. I felt rebellious by going to the location, while my parents were satisfied by the fact that their daughter thought going to a bakery was rebellious). Every time, I drove past the same church and saw the same sign "PRAYER TIME. TUESDAYS. 10 AM." So finally, one day, I was like, why not?

Keep in mind, I'm Catholic. My idea of prayer time is that we would enter the sanctuary quietly, kneel, pray as long as needed and then leave. I thought it would just be an excuse to go see the inside of another of Grand Rapids' beautiful, over-looked churches. Boy was I surprised.

It was everything you would imagine an African-American Baptist church prayer circle to be. They raised their hands. Interjected whenever their heart moved them to. And they called me "Sister H***." They were some of the nicest, genuine people I've ever met. And their sincere prayers opened my eyes to the types of things going on in Grand Rapids that I had no idea about.

It made me want to learn more. To dig deeper, and go deeper. I've always had a struggle with that. I want to go to the ghetto, I want to go to the poor, I want to go in the middle of it all. I want to observe and watch and see what their life is like. See how their kids grow up. See success stories. See failures. And in that way, be moved to action. But...then reality hits. I am a SWF. In reality, I shouldn't do any of those things because it is literally not safe. I need to find the balance...

Tips? Thoughts, comments, suggestions? How do you live the big life you always dreamed of as a teenager, once you enter the reality of a post-grad?

I Am My City

The other day I was reminiscing about my city (this is a common occurrence for me. I am torn between a great love of Grand Rapids and a great love for travelling and trying the new. Some days, my love of Grand Rapids wins out.).  I started talking with a coworker about "home" and what does "home" mean. Is it ever fully possible to make another city your "home"? Or will your heart always have a tendency to draw you back to that first home, because it was there that you learned about yourself, shaped yourself and grew the most. In a way, going "home" is going back to yourself.

This led me to start thinking about how much where you grow up affects who you are. This is obvious on a continental and country level, but I challenge you to think even about the city level. Grand Rapids got in my heart and my blood and my bones and my soul and I couldn't be more blessed. Honestly. If you have to have a city that shapes who you are, count your lucky stars if it's Grand Rapids. From the city itself, I learned how to approach my life, interact with others and hold myself. Here are the ways my city and I are alike:

1. Young
While Grand Rapids has been around since the 1840s, it was only within the last 10 years that we earned our well-deserved spot of the No. 2 largest city in Michigan.

2. Religious
When you drive through the city, you will see office buildings, skyscrapers, art-deco glass buildings, hospitals, schools, clock towers...and steeples. We were founded with a church on every corner, usually one for each ethnic group that moved to Grand Rapids. Instead of destroying that part of our heritage, Grand Rapids built around it. Every building twists and turns and juts out in perfect geometry to allow these churches to continue existing. They are exquisite, and often overlooked. They are the heart beat of our city, and of our people. The city runs around them, but without them--it's people, and then the city, would suffocate.

I spy with my little eye one, two, three steeples...and this is just on one 5 second stretch of highway. I can think of at least 15 steeples off the top of my head that I saw on a regular basis driving through downtown.

3. Charitable
GR has consistently been ranked among the top 10 most philanthropic cities. We celebrate helping our own, and teach it to our children from an early age. Philanthropy is everywhere.

4. Adventurous
GR is always trying new things. New festivals, new markets, new community initiatives. We're a young city, and we use that to fuel our desire to try new things.

Lantern lighting as a city. Beautiful.

5. Growing
Like me, GR is growing. It has its hiccups, it has its moments, its debates, its wandering...but still it grows.

6. Quirky
GR is composed of a number of different "neighborhoods." East town, Heritage Hill, Downtown, Medical District, Finance District, Gaslight Village, Homeless Row, Ghetto. They're all these very distinct parts, with different people, businesses and restaurants marking them as their own. You can travel to one and get a gyro in the back of an Arabic convenience store that only sells imported Arabic foods, to a preppy, pretentious, Yacht Club neighborhood in ten minutes. There are silent lines. Distinct, but complete. Because at the end, we're all part of this great city. I think that this is similar to the way I am filled with quirks and juxtapositions. I'm smart, but funny. Love books, but also the Kardashians. Could be happy in the city, happy in the country. Introvert, extrovert. It goes on and on.

7. Unapologetic
But even with all its different neighborhoods, GR never apologizes. It never apologizes for putting homeless row behind the bankers. Or the chic bars and nightclubs right next to the churches. It never apologizes for being new and growing. It is what it is. And from that, I've learned to stand proud and be unapologetic (except when necessary, obvi) as well.

My city is vibrant, hopeful, charitable, eclectic and growing. And so am I.