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New Grand Rapids Art Museum


GRDadof3

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Is anyone else a little bit disappointed that Ellsworth Kelly was selected for a prominent installation? No disrespect for the artist, but color theory and the whole Modernist emphasis on spatial experience are, well...old. Ellsworth Kelly's art was contemporary forty years ago and he really hasn't changed much since then. It just isn't a good fit for a museum that seems to be trying to re-brand itself for a contemporary art audience.

On a different note, I too was impressed after seeing the museum illuminated at night. Those three towers really are the defining features of the building.

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Congratulations. By merely slowing down to window shop. You added street life to Monroe, Exactly what good urban design is suppose to make you do.

I walked by the gift shop tonight. They have some pretty cool items (window shopping). It does add another retail element to Monroe Center. It looks really nice.

Joe

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I spent much of last week in Washington D.C., and saw my fair share of museums, new and old. Here are a few of the newer ones. This is the National Gallery of Art - East Building. Talk about a big ugly block. Yuck.

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But this one is much better. It's the new Newseum - The Interactive Museum of the News (wasn't open yet):

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The Newseum in its setting at the Pennsylvania/Constitution Ave intersection

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This one is quite interesting. It's the National Museum of the American Indian. The entire facade is kasota limestone:

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I still like ours though.

I can't believe with the lanterns being lit now several times, that no one has captured a picture of them. :dontknow: I've even looked all over the flickr Grand Rapids group and nuthin!

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It seems like it takes forever and a day to construct a museum. The new GRAM took what? Two Years? Three Years? ... And we still have a few months to go before it opens. Although the Van Andel Public Museum didn't take that long since its more or less status quo architecture.

Washington DC!

The Newseum looks great! When we were there two years ago it was just an empty lot next to the Canadian embassy.

I'm surprised that 2 years later it still isn't open

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Washington DC!

The Newseum looks great! When we were there two years ago it was just an empty lot next to the Canadian embassy.

I'm surprised that 2 years later it still isn't open

I have a bunch more pictures GRUrbanist (over 300). I'll try and piecemeal them in when I get a chance, and I will probably do a photo spread in the UP Photo section.

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I don't think your art education is wasted, Tamias6. You just have to learn the rules before you can break them. It's like how english students can't invent words or defy the rules of grammar, but established authors can and do all the time. Or something like that... :)

Looks like the UP crew is not the only group puzzling over the merits of the Ellsworth Kelly installation. Anyone else read Tom Rademacher's column yesterday?

"I have seen Art and this, sir, is not him"

http://www.mlive.com/columns/grpress/tom_r....xml&coll=6

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Looks like the UP crew is not the only group puzzling over the merits of the Ellsworth Kelly installation. Anyone else read Tom Rademacher's column yesterday?

"I have seen Art and this, sir, is not him"

http://www.mlive.com/columns/grpress/tom_r....xml&coll=6

That is one of the funniest articles that I have ever read! LMAO!

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The AC is blowing hot air out the side of the building near the corder of Monroe Center and Ottawa. It looks like it dried out and killed the grass they put down. Woops.

That's so funny. I just noticed that today too. That exhaust fan gives you quite the bluster when you walk by on Ottawa. Speaking of Ottawa, there are some interesting things to see in the Ottawa atrium. They're hanging and installing a few art pieces, including this giant clothespin:

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Looking through the building through the main lobby and out toward RPC:

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Gift shoppe:

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More window displays:

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Looking back up MC:

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The sidewalk is nice and wide now:

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Louis/Monroe corner:

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Louis side:

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I think this is a bench for students waiting for buses (?), as this was supposed to be the school tour pick up/drop off side:

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mgreven, the bathrooms are now open:

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It's so exciting that they took all the fencing down; after walking it with half of it fenced off, it feels so spacious now! The hot air blowing on the grass is crazy- you break a sweat just going by there! I, for one, think the GRAM looks great! I can't wait for the first Learn@Lunch.

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I agree the GRAM is a beautiful building.. and I'm not even normally a fan of this architecture. But imho they did it well.

They may want to consider installing a small concrete plaza over the grass by the vents to hide the grass-killing.. and I hope they install some public sculptures in the plaza on the southern end of the building.

Also one thing to note as I peeked in the windows: GRAMBrellas! Now if it rains, you can stop into the shop and buy an umbrella for what appeared to be a price tag of ~$20ish

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I remember back in '03 when discussions were going on concerning the then current structures in detail and the future of the bank building. The talking point was the bank facade that was to be reused in a later project. Does anyone know of any information concerning this beautiful facade and its destination in another city project?

It would be cool if, forbid, any future historic facades had to be taken down, could make their way into our museum for a special exhibit, "The Ruins of Grand Rapids." Sort of melancholic, but it would great to reuse these buildings in other projects around downtown.

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