Artists invited to paint up the canvas around downtown construction area

Thu, Oct 8, 2009    to del.icio.us

It may be a spin-off of the success of ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, but organizers of an art contest in Grand Haven on Saturday say that's as good an excuse as any to encourage people to come downtown during the upheaval of street reconstruction.

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Artists of all ages and talent levels are invited to go downtown between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday to paint up a canvas, which will erected on the fence around the construction area in the first block of Washington Avenue. Paint and brushes will be provided, although artists are welcome to bring their own supplies.

At 6:01 p.m. Saturday, and all the way through 11 p.m. Monday, the public will be asked to vote on their favorite artwork. There will be a Best of Show award. Prizes will be varying levels of gift baskets — including Dunes Dollars — from downtown businesses, said Grand Haven Main Street Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Dana Kollewehr.

There will also be music and food as part of the event downtown merchants are calling Art on the Street.

The idea is to "decorate the downtown landscape" while emphasizing to the public that the downtown businesses are open and will remain open during the duration of the $5.6 million Washington Avenue infrastructure and streetscape project, Kollewehr said.

Downtown merchants are making the reconstruction a positive experience by being creative and working together to bring about energy and excitement in downtown, Kollewehr said.

"Even downtown employees are getting involved," Kollewehr said.

The DDA director said the idea for this weekend's event was pitched by Grand Seafood & Oyster Bar employee Joanna Richison.

"The first day they started construction, everybody was gawking," Richison said. "Nobody wanted to sit outside and stare at the construction."

Richison said she thought it might be fun to put up murals to give customers something nicer to look at, so she pitched the idea to her boss — and eventually the idea was presented to the downtown merchants and Art on the Street was born.

The Grand Haven resident, who started a job this week teaching a new fourth-grade class at Robinson Elementary School, said she already misses her former co-workers and plans to be at Saturday's event.

"My son, Cal Robrahn, and I have been working on an art show together for quite some time," Richison said. "I have an art theme in my classroom, too." She said they likely will do some painting.

Downtown businesses are also being asked to participate by creating their own works of art to be displayed on the safety fence.

Anyone not able to paint, but might have some art supplies to donate for the contest, should contact the Main Street DDA office at 844-1188.

The event will be held rain or shine, Kollewehr said. The forecast for Saturday has temperatures in the 50s with a chance of rain later in the day.

The $5.6 million Washington Avenue infrastructure and streetscape project includes sanitary sewer, water mains, updated streetscape elements, and a snow melt system from Harbor Drive to Third Street. Throughout the project, as much access to parking and stores will be maintained and the stores will be open for business, Kollewehr said. Pedestrian walkways to the downtown businesses will be available during the majority of the project.

Kollewehr said merchants have been sponsoring a variety of events to help attract people downtown during the construction project. The events so far — a chalk drawing contest, fashion show and a history-themed event — have been helping, she said.

"I've gotten feedback from the stores that it really is making a difference," Kollewehr said.

Kollewehr said more things are planned — including a window painting event on Oct. 24, downtown Halloween trick-or-treating, a holiday open house, a "light night" and an after-Black Friday special in November.