Tiger roams Detroit Packard plant: Wild animals 'shot' in historic factory ruin - Grand Rapids News | Examiner.com

 Seeing Lions and Tigers in Detroit is no surprise when they're on the ball fields. Seeing a live tiger roaming in the vacant Detroit Packard plant is quite another. ABC News reported August 17 that the tiger wasn't the only creatures wandering the empty factory. There were also several wolves, a bob cat and a naked woman in a trench coat. Turns out wild animals were "shot" in the historic factory ruin (shot as in the photographic kind, that is).  Tiger roams Detroit Packard plant: Wild animals 'shot' in historic factory ruin - Grand Rapids News | Examiner.com

Shipwrecks visible in northern Lake Michigan: Wrecked boats appear in Michigan - Grand Rapids News | Examiner.com

A Michigan May means strawberries, sunshine and...shipwrecks? Several shipwrecks are visible in the clear waters of northern Lake Michigan. Live Science said May 6 that the hulls of several wrecked boats show up clearly from elevated promontories between Ludington, Frankfort, Leland and Traverse City, Michigan.



The boat wreck of the Rising Sun, a 133-foot-long wooden steamer foundered during an early snowstorm in shallow water just north of Pyramid Point on October 29, 1917. Its wreckage sits in 6-12 feet of water. The skeletal remains show up starkly in Lake Michigan's sandy bottom and vivid turquoise waters. Lake Michigan's water is gloriously blue everywhere and especially in the stretch.  Shipwrecks visible in northern Lake Michigan: Wrecked boats appear in Michigan

Detroit Institute of Arts' Kahlo-Rivera exhibit gives Cinco de Mayo attitude

Looking for an outside-the-pinata Cinco de Mayo experience, a celebration with attitude? Tired same-old margaritas and tacos? Why not check out the Detroit Institute of Art's Frida Kahlo-Diego Rivera exhibit? These two Mexican artists were anything but stereotypical. Their passion for communism, reflected in their individual art, provides interesting contrast to commercial Cinco de Mayo schmaltz.  Detroit Institute of Arts' Kahlo-Rivera exhibit gives Cinco de Mayo attitude

Hoppy National Beer Day! Best Double IPA, Imperial IPA beers for hopheads - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Hoppy National Beer Day! Nope that's not a typo: hoppy beer is what makes hopheads happy! They crave beers bursting with bitter, pine-resin, citrus-spice hop notes. The hoppiest tipple is an IPA (India Pale Ale). And the coup de grace is Double IPA or Imperial IPA. Here are the best double and imperial IPA beers. All are Michigan beers, oh frabjuous day! <---That's me and my pub hub pal at Odd Side! Hoppy National Beer Day! Best Double IPA, Imperial IPA beers for hopheads - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Satanists erect anti-Christmas demonic nativity scene at Michigan State Capitol

A Satanist group put up an anti-Christmas demonic nativity display at Michigan's State Capitol. West Michigan Star 105.7's Tommy Dylan reported on the Satanic Temple of Detroit's "Snaketivity Scene," Dec. 17. The Satanists call their counter-nativity display "Knowledge is the Greatest Gift" as per theFacebook page.



The Michigan State Capitol Commission approved the Satanists request to erect their holiday display, based on first amendment rights, and pending promises to abide by on-grounds display rules.  Satanists erect anti-Christmas demonic nativity scene at Michigan State Capitol

Halloween 2014 Spooktacular trick-or-treat fun in Pentwater, Michigan

Pentwater, Michigan is West Michigan's place to be this Saturday October 25, 2014. It's the 7th annual Halloween Spooktacular! Enjoy a lollapalooza of trick-or-treat and fall-themed fun for the whole family. Check Pentwater's Spooktacular page for updates. Here's what to expect.Halloween 2014 Spooktacular trick-or-treat fun in Pentwater, Michigan - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

 

ArtPrize Frustrations and Fails, Artprize 2014 Disappoints

Well, we just visited ArtPrize 2014 (a public-juried art show/contest downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan). I go every year because I love art. But this year, ArtPrize signally failed to impress. There were very few large, 3D pieces. The prime locations--bridges, Grand River, museum lawns, B.O.B.--had few, if any, pieces. The B.O.B's parking lot, always a hot spot crammed with fascinating pieces was mostly food trucks and DJ stands this year. I feel like I called this last year, when I enumerated the fails of ArtPrize.  ArtPrize 2013 Frustrations and Fails.



I got a Smartphone this year and was supposed to be able to vote (one of my biggest peeves of ArtPrize is the need to vote by phone). But the app didn't even work. Also, I just learned that some of the prizes are awarded by a panel--thus negating the concept of "public-juried" as we've always been led to believe ArtPrize was. It's kind of  like the beefs with the electoral college vs. popular vote in elections. And that small panel seems to have a bias, or at least a very different idea of what constitutes art, than the general public. Take Gon Kiron, the fire breathing dragon from Detroit. That entry WAS ArtPrize 2013. It was always featured in media, newscasts, articles, etc. People came to ArtPrize specifically to see Gon Kiron. Downtown

merchants have Gon Kiron artists to thank for the huge influx of business. It was big, loud, interactive, hands-on, loved by all ages and tons of fun! It was probably expensive for operators to feed that thing all the propane it  needed for nightly fire shows that people mobbed the BOB (I can attest to standing room only) to see.



But it didn't even place in the top 25. I think these problems led to fewer high-quality entries. Artists don't want to bother putting lots of energy and time into a piece when judging is so (I'm sorry to say it) incompetent. If coordinators don't fix some of these problems, they turn this around and change some of the glitches, I predict that ArtPrize will fizzle out. And that would be heart-breaking.