Prepare for a fully immersive experience during the Concerts Under the Stars series at the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM), featuring a night of smooth indie rock music, performed by Seth Beck on Thursday, Feb. 27. Sit back and experience the wonders of the cosmos alongside mesmerizing music.
Beck, who hails from Grand Rapids, is a singer and songwriter who specializes in indie rock. He creates music as a means of self-discovery by preserving memory with swaying melodies, while writing plain-stated songs that speak truth to innocent moments and the incense of love rooted in the body. Seth’s unique twist on the genre transforms the music into scenes of romantic optimism and complication, allowing listeners to become lost in the smooth, melodic sounds.
Beck’s performance will be accompanied by a live light show on the Chaffee Planetarium dome by visual artist Calvin Garvey. Calvin is pursuing a BFA in Visual Studies at Grand Valley University, with an emphasis in 3D computer animation, and enjoys engaging with listeners’ sense of wonder and awareness in relation to the complexities of the world through their art.
Concerts Under the Stars begins at 7:30 p.m., with Museum doors opening at 6:30 p.m. At each concert, performers will play two sets with a short intermission in between. Refreshments, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase. Tickets are $17, with reduced pricing of $12 for GRPM members. Tickets are available at grpm.org/planetarium, by calling 616-929-1700 or at the Museum’s front desk.
The 2020 Concerts Under the Stars series will conclude with a final concert on March 19.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced today that it is partnering again with the DTE Foundation for the Young Women in Science program, offered as an after-school program to Godfrey-Lee Public Schools and Grand Rapids Public Schools students.
During spring of 2020, middle school students will have a special opportunity to work with local women STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) professionals. During this after-school program, students will work with Hydrogen powered cars, solar and wind energy, electrochemistry, physics and engineering, and more. Young Women in Science is offered free to participants, and takes place during a six-week session at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, once again sponsored by the DTE Foundation.
“Thank you to the DTE Foundation for continuing to support the Museum’s efforts to share these opportunities with area students,” said Dale Robertson, President & CEO of the Grand Rapids Public Museum. “In these after-school programs, students experience science in a hands-on way, led by local female professionals. We are extremely thankful to the DTE Foundation for the role they are playing within the community.”
The program reinforces grade-level science standards and laboratory skills with an emphasis on renewable energy. A portion of the program focuses on reflection and dialogue to improve students’ attitudes toward science and engineering by strengthening self-confidence and introducing career possibilities. The program is especially beneficial for young female students who may not see themselves widely represented in STEM fields.
“The Young Women in Science program engages girls in middle school with STEM subjects at a crucial time in their educational journey. At the DTE Foundation we want to make sure that we keep these girls interested in an important field that can change their futures,” said Lynette Dowler, executive director and president of the DTE Foundation. “We’re proud to support the next generation of engineers, mathematicians and scientists.”
Participating schools include Lee Middle School (Godfrey-Lee Public Schools) and Grand Rapids University Prep Academy, Westwood Middle School, Alger Middle School, and Riverside Middle School (Grand Rapids Public Schools).
Sometimes you never know what you will find when you unpack a box. That certainly has been the case for Dr. Cory Redman, the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s science curator, and his team as they unpack the science collection at the Community Archives Research Center located at 223 Washington St. SE.
About 95 percent of the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s collection is displayed at the Community Archives Research Center, also called CARC. Redman has been tasked with unboxing and cataloging the many boxes that contain the science collection.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum’s lava medallion. (WKTV)
It was during this process that the team discovered a curious item, a lava medallion.
“These became popular in the 1820 as kind of souvenir or commemorative object,” Redman said during a recent segment on the WKTV Journal.
In the mid-18th Century, taking a Grand Tour of Europe had become fashionable among the wealthy elite. People would visit cities like Paris, Rome, Venice, Florenece, and Naples with a tutor to learn about languages, geography, culture, art, and architecture. When passing through Naples, the volcano of Mount Vesuvius — yes the volcano that destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 A.D. — became a must see stop mostly because instead of getting a postcard, you pick up a lava medallion. Mt. Vesuvius is where the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s lava medallion is from.
The other side of the lava medallion showing the name for who it was made for. (WKTV)
“The way it is formed is you actually take hot molten lava and you put it in some type of mold,” Redman said. “It is usually a two-part mold to press it and then you dunk it in water to solidify it.”
The museum’s medallion was made by Henry Augustus Ward who in 1862 started the Ward’s Nature Science in Rochester, New York, Redmen said. At that time, the company supplied museums with specimen and artifacts but today provides science equipment and materials to schools.
As to how the museum acquired the medallion, Redmen said his guess is that it came from one of the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s past directors, Henry Levi Ward, who served from 1922 — 1932 and also was the son of Henry Augustus Ward.
For more about the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s collections, visit grpm.org/collections/.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced today that Roger That! is returning this February for the fourth year. Roger That!celebrates space exploration and the life of Grand Rapids native, Roger B. Chaffee, with a multi-day experience, featuring STEM school programming and a public celebration at the GRPM and an academic and public conference at Grand Valley State University (GVSU).
The two-part event will feature speeches both days by NASA astronaut Dr. Story Musgrave, who was the only astronaut to fly on every shuttle that went into space. The free academic conference on Friday, Feb. 14 will include a keynote from Alice Bowman, one of the leaders of a mission that explored Pluto, along with programs for school groups and breakout sessions. School groups are invited for STEM programming on Friday, Feb. 14 at the GRPM, followed by public programming on Saturday, February 15.
GRPM Public Celebration
Join the GRPM for Roger That!on Saturday, Feb. 15.Visitors will learn more about Roger B. Chaffee and space exploration with hands-on activities including a jet propulsion activity, gazing at the daytime sky with telescopes, creating underwater ROVs, interacting with space artifacts and much more!
Community partners will engage with visitors through hands-on activities. New this year, Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry, Kent Intermediate School District (KISD) and YETi CGI will join returning partners, Kent District Library (KDL), the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association (GRAAA), the GVSU Padnos College of Engineering, GVSU Physics Club and the GVSU Lunar Lakers.
Activities will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the GRPM. Activities are included with general admission. Planetarium shows take place every hour and are $4 per person; free for Museum members. For planetarium show schedules and to purchase tickets, visit grpm.org/planetarium.
Dr. Story Musgrave (NASA)
Astronaut Dr. Story Musgrave: From Farm Kid to Trauma Surgeon to Rocketman and Way Beyond
Astronaut Dr. Franklin Story Musgrave will present From Farm Kid to Trauma Surgeon to Rocketman and Way Beyond as part of Roger That! on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. in the GRPM’s Meijer Theater. Theater doors will open at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are free and must be reserved in advance at grpm.org/RogerThat. Limited tickets available. Following the presentation, there will be a meet and greet opportunity with Dr. Musgrave.
Dr. Musgrave is an American physician and a retired National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut. He is a public speaker and consultant to both Disney’s Imagineering group and Applied Minds in California.
After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Musgrave earned an impressive list of academic credentials, including a combination of bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics, operations analysis, chemistry, literature and physiology, as well as a medical degree from Columbia University. As an expert on cardiovascular and exercise physiology, Musgrave was selected by NASA to serve on future space missions.
Musgrave’s first space mission was on STS-6, the maiden flight of the Challengerspace shuttle (April 1983). Musgrave’s most important mission came in December 1993, where he led a crew in a successful effort to repair the faultily constructed Hubble Space Telescope. In addition to Musgrave’s impressive work history, he also published several scientific papers on aerospace medicine, exercise physiology and other subjects. Musgrave retired from NASA in 1997.
Roger B. Chaffee By NASA/photographer unknown – NASA [1] Great Images in NASA Description, Public Domain
Academic, Public Conference at Grand Valley State University
Join GVSU for a free, public academic conference on Friday, Feb. 14, including keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and celebrating Valentine’s Day with an educational “Love Story” theme. Those interested in attending should register at gvsu.edu/rogerthat.
GSVU will kick off the Roger That! academic conference with keynote speaker Alice Bowman, the Mission Operations Manager for New Horizons, presenting New Horizons: Exploring the Icy Heart of Pluto and Beyond at 11 a.m. Bowman’s presentation will highlight the watery elements of Pluto, theories of a subsurface water ocean and discuss the Sputnik Planitia ice field on Pluto, the most famous “heart” in the Kuiper Belt.
A plenary session will be held at 2:30 p.m., featuring guests from the Adler Planetarium and Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. The session will discuss Aquarius, a citizen-scientist program that allows students and scientists to work together, using underwater robots and additional technology, to search for pieces of a 600-pound meteorite that splashed into Lake Michigan in February 2017.
Following, Astronaut Dr. Story Musgrave will present The Way of Water: Essential, Engaged, Energetic, Adaptable, Cohesive, Transparent, Creative, Flowing, Synergistic, Multidimensional, Unbeatable and Beautifulat 5:30 p.m. in GVSU’s Loosemore Auditorium.
Additionally, GVSU will host an honorary dinner for Alice Bowman and Dr. Story Musgrave at the Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown, followed by a special showing of Space School in the GRPM’s Chaffee Planetarium. Tickets to the dinner are $25 and can be purchased at gvsu.edu/rogerthat.
Roger B. Chaffee and the Apollo Tragedy
On Jan. 27, 1967, tragedy struck NASA’s Apollo program when a flash fire occurred in command module 012 during a launch pad test of the Apollo/Saturn space vehicle being prepared for the first piloted flight, the AS-204 mission. Three astronauts, Lt. Col. Virgil I. Grissom, a veteran of Mercury and Gemini missions; Lt. Col. Edward H. White, the astronaut who had performed the first United States extravehicular activity during the Gemini program; and Grand Rapids Native Roger B. Chaffee, an astronaut preparing for his first spaceflight, died in this tragic accident. The Grand Rapids Public Museum renamed its planetarium to the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium the same year. The Planetarium was originally opened in 1994 and has gone through renovations to provide the best experience for Planetarium visitors.
Roger B. Chaffee, born in Grand Rapids, was an American naval officer and aviator, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut in the Apollo program.
Did you get a telescope over the holidays, or do you have one sitting around collecting dust because you find it difficult to use? Do you want to learn more about what to look for in the sky and resources that can lead to better enjoyment from backyard stargazing?
Learn more about astronomy and the night sky from the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) and Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association (GRAAA) as they team up again this year to offer three introductory Saturday afternoon classes at Schuler Books and Music, 2660 28th St., Grand Rapids. Each of the one-hour “Astronomy as a Hobby” sessions begins at 10:30 a.m., and is followed by a Telescope Tune-up Clinic from approximately 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. During the Telescope Clinic, experienced amateur astronomers will adjust personal telescopes and provide advice about proper use. Those wishing to come to only a Telescope Clinic session may do so.
The schedule for 2020 Astronomy as a Hobby classes and Telescope Tune-up clinics:
January 25 – The Ever Changing Sky Attendees will learn what to look for and when; sky motions and seasonal attractions during 2020 for naked eye, binoculars and telescope. Effective viewing of sky objects is highlighted.
February 8 – Telescopes, Accessories and How to Use Them Attendees will learn how to select the right telescope for their background and level of interest, and equipment challenges often encountered by novice amateur astronomers.
February 22 – What’s Next from My New Hobby Attendees will learn about the most recommended guides, star maps and online resources, along with stargazing tips. What options are available to learn more?
All activities are geared to a family audience, and are free and open to the public.
Kick off the New Year with Concerts Under the Starsat the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) featuring the sounds of synth-pop music with How to Live Together on Thursday, Jan.16.
“We’re thrilled to kick off the Concerts Under the Stars series with How to Live Together,” said Kate Kocienski, Vice President of Marketing & PR for the Public Museum. “Each concert, held in our Chaffee Planetarium, will generate a highly immersive experience for attendees, showcasing an immense amount of diverse musical and visual artistry.”
How to Live Together is composed of Grand Rapids residents Jesse Kaczmarczyk and Steffanie Rosalez. The pair utilize digital and analog synthesis to compose their synth-pop songs. The duo sample lighthearted Nintendo blips while creating dark analog sounds, which became an ongoing parallel for their own relationship and their relationship to the world around them. Using the limitless world of synthesizers, they examine the joy and dysfunction of being an interracial couple in the current cultural landscape of race, politics and social norms.
In a June 2019 Local Spins article, Jesse Kaczmarczyk said “We play it all live with many synths on stage including modular synths and Nintendos. We also bridge groups of songs together with improvised mini-tracks for a more seamless performance. Our music can be fun and upbeat with heavy and meaningful lyrics.”
Concerts Under the Stars will begin at 7:30 p.m., with Museum doors opening at 6:30 p.m. At each concert, performers will play two sets with a short intermission in between.
The video component of the show will be provided by Grand Rapids native Nate Eizenga. Eizenga, a video artist who has been participating in the Concerts Under theStars series since 2017, focuses on accompanying his intricate visuals with live musical performances. By using controllers intended for digital music production to create, mix and manipulate video in real time, he crafts a visual experience that connects the line between artistic spontaneity and musical synchronicity.
Refreshments, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase. Tickets are $12 for GRPM members and $17 for the public. Tickets are currently on sale and available at grpm.org, by calling 616-929-1700 or at the Museum’s front desk.
The 2020 Concerts Under the Stars series will continue on Feb. 6 with rock and roll sets performed by Coffin Problem, Feb. 27 with the smooth sounds of Indie rock from Seth Beck and will conclude on March 19 with a unique mix of surf, pop rock by Hollywood Makeout.
“Tree decorating with cats. O Christmas tree, O christmas tree, your Ornaments are history!”
Courtney VanSickle
Perfectly decorated trees at MMA
The Muskegon Museum of Art is jumping into the holiday spirit early with its 15th annual Festival of Trees, running through Dec. 1, highlighted by a silent auction of the display trees. The complete story is here.
Get a early peek at the Garden
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park’s annual Metro Health Christmas & Holiday Traditions exhibition is not officially open until Nov. 26, but much of it is already up — and thee is a great show in the featured art gallery. The complete story is here.
The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ holiday concerts at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
Holiday music live at GRPM
Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) holiday events kicks off this weekend with two Classic Melodies organ concerts as part of the Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ Concert Series. The complete story is here.
Fun fact:
Almost 1 million
The number of songs in the “Christmas Music Catalogue” … Well. actually, 914,047 tracks represent 180,660 unique songs and were created by 63,711 unique artists – from Aaron Neville to Zuma the King. The top 20 artists with the most Christmas tracks in the Spotify catalog are all pre-Beatles artists. (Source)
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced today an exciting lineup for the upcoming holiday season. Visitors to the Museum can enjoy the upcoming Bodies Revealed exhibit, new Design Zone exhibit, popular TOYS! exhibition and a variety of interactive holiday displays and events that are sure to be favorites.
The Museum will host two Classic Melodies organ concerts as part of the Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ Concert Series to kick off the Thanksgiving week on Friday Nov. 22, and Saturday, Nov. 23. Hear classic melodies on the GRPM’s 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ by Andrew Rogers. Many will be recognizable to all ages including Cinderella’s Waltz, Chicago, Bye Bye Blues, The Carousel Waltz and more. The final concerts in the 2019 series, Holiday Classics, will take place on Dec. 20 and 21, featuring Dave Wickerham. For tickets and additional information, visit grpm.org/organ.
On Black Friday, Nov. 29, the GRPM will host a Light Show Double Feature in the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium. Catch a double feature of The Queen Light Show and Dark Side: The Light Show! Music enthusiasts will rock out to the music of Queen and Pink Floyd paired with stunning visuals on the planetarium dome. The Museum’s doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the first show, The Queen Light Show, starting at 7 p.m. A cash bar will be available before the first show and during a short intermission. Tickets include both light shows, and are $8 for non-members, $4 for members.
Also kicking off on Thanksgiving weekend is the ever popular Let it Snow Planetarium Show. Let it Snow features a new variety of festive classics from Frank Sinatra and Chuck Berry to Burl Ives and Brenda Lee, and includes a stunning multimedia finale by the Trans Siberian Orchestra. The soundtrack is visually enhanced with thematic animation, laser imagery and special effects. Tickets are $4 each with general admission to the Museum, free to Museum members and $5 each for planetarium only tickets. Let it Snow will run from Nov. 29 through Jan. 5.
The Museum’s Curiosity Shop will participate in Museum Store Sunday on Sunday, Dec. 1. Get a jump on holiday shopping! Discounts up to 50-percent and additional discounts for Museum members. The Curiosity Shop features a variety of eclectic gifts, Michigan souvenirs, apparel, children’s gifts and more and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All proceeds support exhibits and programs at the GRPM. Admission is not required to shop in the Curiosity Shop.
Details about everything the GRPM has happening can be found online at grpm.org. Slip the lines and purchase your tickets online in advance. Tickets can easily be purchased on the GRPM’s website, including special discounts for Kent County residents.
Holiday Displays
Historic LEGO Display
See historic Grand Rapids built from LEGO® bricks, showcasing what the city looked like during the early 20th century. The 1925-era display, complete with operating trams, will be on display in the Streets of Old Grand Rapids exhibition now through Jan. 11, and is included with general admission. Built by the Western Michigan LEGO Train Club.
Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Christie Bender stands next to the Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train. (Photo by WKTV)
Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train
As an annual tradition, visitors to the Museum can enjoy a community favorite on display, the Herpolsheimer’s Child Passenger Train. Recognizable to any baby-boomer, the train chugged along the ceiling of the toy department at the Herpolsheimer’s Department Store. Seeing and taking photos with the train is included with general admission to the Museum and will be on display through Jan. 13.
Santa and Elf Hunt
Find 15 historic Santas from around the World in the Streets of Old Grand Rapids, and 12 elves hidden throughout the three floors of the Museum. The Santa & Elf Hunt is included with general admission.
The Museum will host the following activities and events throughout the holiday season:
Breakfast with Santa
Visitors are welcome to join the GRPM for a special morning with Santa & Mrs. Claus for pictures, breakfast, Let it Snow in the Planetarium, a holiday gift and endless exploration of the Museum all day. This holiday fundraiser supports exhibitions and programming at the Museum. Breakfast with Santa has one session remaining at 8:30 a.m. Tickets are limited and can be purchased at grpm.org.
Mark Your Calendars – Snowflake Break!
Looking ahead to the December holiday break, the Museum will again host Snowflake Break that includes a variety of family-friendly programs and activities themed around special exhibits Design Zone and TOYS! Snowflake Break runs from Dec. 21 through Jan. 5. General admission includes hands–on activities for Snowflake Break, special holiday displays and admission to TOYS! and Design Zone. Bodies Revealed is an additional fee. More information can one be found at grpm.org.
The Street of Old Grand Rapids will feature nostalgic holiday decorations. (Supplied
Exhibitions
Bodies Revealed Bodies Revealed features real, whole and partial body specimens that have been preserved through an innovative process, giving visitors the opportunity to view the complexity of their own organs and systems in a way that’s normally reserved for medical professionals. The exhibit will have 10 full body specimens on display as well as over 100 organs and partial specimens. Bodies Revealed allows visitors to learn about their own bodies and ultimately, teaches the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Advance ticket purchases are recommended as some time slots will sell out.
Design Zone In Design Zone, visitors of all ages can explore a variety of concepts to learn the processes and tools needed to create a successful design. Organized into three thematic zones, the activities featured in Design Zone highlight the importance of science and mathematical thinking in areas critical to building creativity and innovation in art, music and engineering. More specifically, visitors will discover the secrets behind how video game developers, music producers, roller coaster designers and other creative problem solvers do what they do in this new exhibition.
TOYS!
TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generation exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones. Baby Boomers loved Paper Dolls, Erector Sets, and Mr. Potato Head, Gen Xers preferred Holly Hobbie and Hot Wheels, and Millennials have never known a world without Super Mario or My Little Pony. Some toys, like Barbie and G.I. Joe, have adapted to appeal to different generations and remain popular today. Toys and games have changed over time, but the desire to imagine, compete, and create has not. The exhibit, designed and curated by the GRPM staff, features toys and games from the Museum’s Collections and on loan from community members. Visitors will imagine, compete and create, while going on a journey of toys through generations.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is hosting Classical Melodies Organ Concerts on November 22 and 23, as part of the 2019 Mighty Wurlitzer Organ Concert Series. The November concerts will feature Andrew Rogers playing popular classical melodies including Cinderella’s Waltz, Chicago, Bye Bye Blues, The Carousel Waltz and more.
The November concerts will be taking the Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ back to its roots. The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ spent two decades entertaining customers at the Roaring 20’s Pizza Parlor on 28th Street in Grand Rapids, before it was moved to its current location at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
Rogers is a professional organist who travels worldwide conducting theater organ concerts that accompany silent films. His musical studies began when he sought out the late Fr. James Miller while working at the Wurlitzer factory store in Dearborn, MI. He studied theater organ techniques with Miller and accompanied him on his tour of Australia and Norfolk Island, where Rogers appeared in joint concerts and solo engagements. He furthered his studies with Dr. Marilyn Mason through a Church Organ Studies program and traveled on two historic organ tours led by Dr. Mason covering France, Italy and Switzerland, where he played 58 instruments and participated in 10 public concerts. Currently, Rogers serves on the staff at the Michigan theater in Ann Arbor.
Concerts will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 22, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, in the Meijer Theater at the GRPM.
Tickets for individual concerts are $8 for Museum member adults, $4 for Museum member children, $10 for non-member adults and $5 for non-member children. Tickets are available by visiting www.grpm.org/Organ or by calling 616-929-1700.
The third and final concert of the 2019 series will feature Dave Wickerman performing holiday songs on Friday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m.
Join the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) for the Planetarium Double Feature showing of The Queen Light Show and Dark Side: The Light Show in the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium on Friday, Nov. 29.
Music enthusiasts will rock out to the music of Queen and Pink Floyd paired with stunning visuals on the planetarium dome. The Museum’s doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the first show, The Queen Light Show, starting at 7 p.m. A cash bar will be available before the first show and during a short intermission.
Tickets to the Planetarium Double Feature will include both light shows. Tickets are $8 for non-members and $4 for members. Tickets may be purchased at grpm.org or by calling 616-929-1700.
The Queen Light Show
New life is brought to the wildly popular classic rock light show format with an original production set to the music of Queen. Experience 10 of Queen’s greatest hits, including favorite like Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites the Dust and You’re My Best Friend. The Queen Light Show: From Mercury with Love! is brought to the Chaffee Planetarium from Longway Planetarium in Flint, MI.
Dark Side: The Light Show
Experience Pink Floyd’s iconic album as never before in this one-of-a-kind light show, featuring stunning 4k visuals, brilliant LED sequences, and incredibly clear 5.1 surround sound. Dark Side: The Light Show is a GRPM original production, first launched at the Chaffee Planetarium in Spring 2015.
Many people who visited the former Grand Rapids Public Museum’s home on Jefferson may remember the Moorland Mastodon.
The almost complete mastodon was found on a farm in Moorland, Michigan in 1904. The Kent Scientific Museum of Grand Rapids (now the Grand Rapids Public Museum) acquired the mastodon for $75 with the goal of putting it on display at the museum. According to a 1940 Grand Rapids Herald article, the skeleton measured “18 feet long, 10 feet high and 6 feet wide, with the tusks themselves being nearly 6 feet in length.”
This photo from the Ravenna Times shows what the Moorland Mastodon looked like on display at the former home of the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Ravenna Area Historical Society)
When the museum moved to its current location, the mastodon was not moved over as it was starting to deteriorate, said GRPM Science Curator Dr. Cory Redman.
Instead, the bones were transferred to the museum’s collections, where it was dismantled so as it could be preserved for future generations to look at and study.
In this segment about the museum’s collections, Redman discusses the importance of the preservation work being done, some of which is to correct past-museum practices, and the techniques being used.
Only about 10 percent of the museum’s collection is on display with the rest housed in the museum’s collections facility. The museum has about 250,000 items in its collection. To see some of those items or to learn more, visit grpmcollections.org.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) and OBON Society are in the process of returning a rare Japanese “Good Luck Flag” to its rightful family. OBON Society provides reconciliation between American and Japanese families through the return of personal items acquired during World War II.
A Grand Rapids resident donated the flag, along with a WWII newsreel and a map of Iwo Jima, to the GRPM in 2015. The items were possessions of the donor’s deceased father, a former American soldier, who collected the flag during the war.
The flag is decorated with messages from family members, friends and community members that wish victory, safety and good luck for the soldier. Through extensive research, the GRPM was able to connect with OBON Society to share high-resolution images of the flag for translation. Volunteer Japanese scholars interpreted the messages, which revealed the soldier’s origins, name and location of death. The information allowed OBON Society to locate the deceased soldier’s younger sister, who is still living in Japan.
“We are creating a space for people who fought, suffered and grieved because of the war to enter in conversation and have the opportunity for healing and reconciliation,” said a spokesperson from OBON Society. “When news of our work travels around the world, we have witnessed the profound effect it can have on humanity.”
At this time, the flag is in the process of being returned to the soldier’s sister in Japan through OBON Society. The GRPM currently has possession of four more Japanese “Good Luck Flags,” which are logged in the Museum’s Collections database, accessible at grpmcollections.org. The GRPM has provided details about the remaining flags to OBON society, who will continue to search for the family members.
“The GRPM is honored to take care of these important heirlooms,” said Alex Forist, Chief Curator at the GRPM. “It is our hope they will be returned to families in Japan who may not have any other tangible connection to their loved ones who were killed in combat.”
The Wurlitzer Company of North Tonawanda, New York, manufactured and shipped Opus #1836, a “3 manual special”, to the Stanley Theater of Jersey City, New Jersey, on February 9, 1928. The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ spent two decades entertaining customers at the Roaring 20’s Pizza Parlor on 28th Street in Grand Rapids, before it was moved to its current location at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Public Museum)
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced the 2019 Mighty Wurlitzer Organ Concert series, beginning Oct. 18 and 19 with a special Halloween-themed Mighty Wurlitzer Organ Concert by Dale Zieger to the 1920 silent film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
In the silent film, viewers will meet Dr. Henry Jekyll, his fiancé Millicent and her father. Upon the challenge of there being two types of self, good and evil, Dr. Jekyll experiments with scientific means to reveal the hidden, dark side of man, in turn releasing a murderer within himself.
Dale Zieger will be accompanying the silent film on the GRPM’s 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ. Zieger was born in St. Louis, Missouri and has been playing music from a young age. He began piano lessons at five years old, and organ lessons at ten years old, and he played the Fox Organ for the first time age ten in 1955. At age sixteen he began playing the organ professionally, and became Stan’s Assistant organist at the St. Louis Fox Theater at age eighteen, a position that continued for six years. Zieger was a music major at Webster College and Washington University in St. Louis, and in 1970 he joined Conn Organ Corp. as Concert Artist, Product Specialist and Organ Designer. Zieger has traveled internationally for Conn in Europe, South America, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, and Canada. He is currently co-owner of “Dale and Gail’s Music and Art Gallery” with his wife Gail in the 1927 Hart Theater in Hart, Michigan. There, they perform organ and piano programs along with silent movies with live theater organ accompaniment. He is now in his 55th year of professional organ performance.
Shows will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18, and at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, in the GRPM’s Meijer Theater.
Tickets for individual concerts are $8 for Museum member adults, $4 for Museum member children, $10 for non-member adults and $5 for non-member children. Tickets are available by visiting www.grpm.org/Organ or by calling 616-929-1700.
The second concert of the series will feature Andrew Rogers playing Classic Melodies including Cinderella’s Waltz, Chicago, Bye Bye Blues, The Carousel Waltz and more on Friday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 23, at 2 p.m.
The third and final artists in the 2019 series will be Dave Wickerham performing a collection of Christmas and seasonal favorites in his concerts Holiday Classics on Friday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m.
No matter where you are in Michigan, you are never more then six miles from a body of water whether it be a river, a lake or one of the Great Lakes. Also, you are never more than 85 miles from a Great Lake.
With so much water that surrounds us in Michigan, it can be difficult for Michiganders to consider water as a scarce resource, but it is. “..,Worldwide water is going to become and is, in some areas, already a huge political issue,” said Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Dr. Stephanie Ogren.
India made the news this summer what its sixth largest city Chennai faced a water shortage. Chennai is not alone in that Cape Town, South Africa, Mexico City, Cairo, Tokyo, Melbourne, Australia, and London . According to the United Nations, four out of every ten people are affected by water scarcity — the lack of fresh water resources to meet water demand.
Grand Rapids Public Museum Vice President of Science and Education Dr. Stephaine Orgen and Science Curator Dr. Cory Redman talk about they find science entertaining in a recent “Locally Entertaining” podcast.
To help educate area residents about the need to care for the water resources in Michigan, how much water the state has and how clean it is, the Grand Rapids Public Museum has been offer a Saturday Curiosity Lab. According to Ogren, the lab, which also serves as a watershed lab for school programs, is designed to engage the public and students in watershed science.
“The reason behind developing the watershed lab really was to start engaging the public, especially the urban public that we get a lot of visitors here in that discussion around water as a resource and water as a scarce resource,” she said.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the third-floor lab is open to the public. In the Curiosity Lab, there are questions and prompts to help visitors explore more about Michigan’s watersheds. There are also several hands-on activities such as augmented sand box that allows visitors to create different landforms.
“It automatically changes the shape of the contour lines so that we can talk about how landforms are made and how water affects these landforms,” Ogren said.
The Museum also happens to be located right next to the Grand River, which provides many hands-on opportunities to discuss Michigan’s waterways and watersheds.
“So we are able to take groups and students and families down to the river and explore what we see when we pick up a few rocks and turn them over,” Ogren said. “And Really, we just try to peek everyone’s curiosity of what’s in our Grand River and what can we learn from that.”
To learn more about the Curiosity Lab or other programs and exhibits at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, visit grpm.org.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced today the 2019 dates for its annual Ethnic Heritage Celebration, bringing cultural immersive experience to school groups during the last week of October and culminating with a public celebration of Ethnic Heritage Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26.
The City of Grand Rapids and the surrounding region have a long-standing history of diversity and various cultural traditions dating back from early explorers and fur traders, to modern day cultural rituals from new residents of the region.
Schools groups are invited to visit the GRPM for Native American Cultural Days as part of the Celebration on Oct. 23 and 24, and the public is invited to the Ethnic Heritage Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26.
Native American Culture Days invites field trips to learn first-hand about Native American regalia, dance and music and immerse in the rich history of local Native American cultures.
Ethnic Heritage Festival is a day-long celebration of music, dance, crafts and food representing the various ethnic groups that call West Michigan home. Beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 26, the event features a variety of traditions, performances and presentations. The Museum Café will feature ethnic food selections. Event activities are included with general admission to the Museum.
Organizations participating in this year’s festival include Grand Rapids Scottish Society, End of Trail Jewelry, The Gaelic League/Irish American Club of West Michigan, ASSE International Student Exchange Program and more. Performers include Motherland House Concerts, Woodland Boys Drum, Red Cloud Dance Group, India Link, Shimmy USA and more.
Visitors will be able to view the Museum’s exhibitions, with two specific exhibitions having a primary focus on diversity and culture: Newcomers: The People of This Place which highlights the ethnic groups that have settled the Grand Rapids area, and Anishinabek: The People of this Place which focuses on the Native American culture in the region.
Please visit grpm.org/EHF for additional information about the Ethnic Heritage Festival, and more on the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s exhibitions and programs.
A family enjoyed the “Design Zone” exhibit, which is coming to the Grand Rapids Public Museum this fall. (Supplied)
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) has announced the extension of the popular special exhibition TOYS!, and two new exhibitions opening at the Museum this fall, Design Zone and Bodies Revealed.
Influenced by its popularity and positive visitor feedback, the GRPM will be extending the TOYS! exhibition for an additional year. The exhibition has been widely popular, engaging visitors of all ages in a trip down memory lane of toys from their childhood, while having opportunities for play within the space.
“We are overwhelmed by the community response to the TOYS! exhibit,” said Alex Forist, Chief Curator at the GRPM. “This exhibit was designed with the community in mind, to create an exhibition they could connect with at a deep level related to science, history and culture of toys across generations. We spent a year in the design and planning process, working with community experts to make TOYS! accessible to all, and the visitor feedback we’ve received has confirmed that our process was critical to a positive experience within the exhibit.”
“There is so much to see and do right now at the Museum,” said Dale Robertson, President & CEO at the GRPM. “With three special exhibitions this fall, in addition to our three floors of current exhibitions, the Chaffee Planetarium, the carousel and more – there is something for every age and interest within our community. Thanks to continued support from the Kent County millage, we continue to offer free general admission to children within Kent County, and discounts to adults and seniors, as well as free parking for your Museum visit.”
TOYS! will continue to be offered free with general admission through August 2020 at the GRPM.
How the Grand Rapids Public Museum acquired its latest exhibit, “Changing America,” is perhaps just as fascinating as the story the exhibit presents.
It was an article in the Washington Post that lead to the Grand Rapids Public Museum President and CEO Dale Robertson to consider the exhibit. The articled was about a city in Alabama, called Demopolis. The city had had a Confederate statute that was accidentally knocked down with the citizens divided over where the statute should be put back up.
“Are we going to put it up? Are we not going to put it up. What does this mean to me? Well this is what it means to me,” was the discussion according to Robertson the town was having. The town leaders recognized that the town needed to go through a reconciliation and in that process discovered the exhibit “Changing America.”
“It was being traveled by the National Library Association but it was created by the Smithsonian Institute, so you know there is a level of quality and accuracy and factualness that is just part of it,” Robertson said.
Because the show juxtapositions two huge events in American history, the Emancipation Proclamation, which happened in 1863, and the March on Washington in 1963, Robertson talked to the museum staff about bringing the traveling exhibit to Grand Rapids. GRPM Vice President of Marketing and PR Kate Kocienski checked on the exhibit.
“She learned that the exhibit was no longer traveling but if we were interested in paying for the shipping of it, the museum could just have it,” Robertson said.
So the Museum covered the cost of the shipping and brought the panel show to Grand Rapids, augmenting it with items from the Museum’s own collection and borrowing items from the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives, located at 87 Monroe Center NW. GRAAMA is hosting a complimentary exhibit “American Freedom 1863-1963 Exhibit.”
“Changing America” will be at the museum through Oct. 13. The exhibit, which opened earlier this summer, has been augmented throughout the months with staff adding elements, including newspaper articles and photos from the Grand Rapids Press archives to the exhibit throughout the months.
“Changing America” and “TOYS” are part of the regular admission to the museum, which is $5 for Kent County residents and $3 for Kent County seniors. Kent County children 17 and under are free and there is free museum parking for Kent County residents when they purchase a ticket. For more information, visit grpm.org.
The Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives is open noon – 5 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday. The museum is free. For more information, visit graama.org
Joanne Bailey-Boorsma, the host of Locally Entertaining, sits down with members of the Motherland House Concerts. From the right, Netty BM, Ruben Ndjerareou, Beatrice Muriithi, and Mirbel Umenei. (WKTV)
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre wraps up its 2018-2019 season with “Alice in Wonderland” and “All Shook Up.” (GRCT)
Shake the routine up by watching two local high school students perform the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre productions of “All Shook Up” and “Alice in Wonderland.” Both shows run July 26 – Aug. 4 at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, 30 N. Division Ave. The shows alternative dates and times, so make sure to check ahead if you are look for a specific show. Kentwood’s Micah Hamstra plays Humpty Dumpty and Tweedledum in “Alice in Wonderland.” Wyoming’s Xavier Turner portrays Dennis in “All Shook Up.” Tickets are $10 – $16 with the shows only being about an hour. For more information, visit grct.org.
One ‘Queen’ of a show
The last dual feature of the Queen and Pink Floyd light shows is Aug. 1. (Longway Planetarium)
Buckle up, the Grand Rapids Public Museum will be offering the final Planetarium Double Feature showing of The Queen Light Show and Dark Side: The Light Show in the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium on Thursday, Aug. 1. Tickets are are $8 for non-members, $4 for members. Tickets may be purchased at grpm.org or by calling 616.929.1700.
Take a stand
No matter where you stand in the state of Michigan you are never more than 85 miles away from one of the Great Lakes. So in just under two hours, you could be at beach. This is why we love Michigan!
Leaving the things that are real behind … Toys, toys, toys in the attic.
Aerosmith
Take a trip to toy land
The Grand Rapids Public Museum TOYS! exhibit, with interactive experiences and games, is available throughout the Museum this summer. For the complete story, visit here.
Bre McCarthy, Lakeshore Art Festival marketing/entertainment coordinator, is clearly head over heels in love with artist Kelsey Montague’a mural. (Lakeshore Art Festival)
Be the butterfly
Muralist fans — actually art fans of any genre — have a new sight to see as the Lakeshore Art Festival recently unveil of a mural by internationally known “street artist” Kelsey Montague in downtown Muskegon. The mural will be permanently displayed on the east side of the Frauenthal Center building. The Lakeshore Art Festival will take place July 5-6. For the complete story, visit here.
A date with The Beths
Local explorers of what’s possibly next new on their alt/pop satellite radio channel of choice will get a chance to listen and check out New Zeeland’s The Beths when the band stops at Grand Rapids’ The Pyramid Scheme on Tuesday, July 2. For the complete story, visit here.
Fun fact:
Lorde
Who was the most listened New Zeeland musical artist (in 2017). (Source)
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced today that in conjunction with the TOYS! exhibit, the Museum is partnering with City Built Brewing and Blue Bridge Games to bring their popular Game Night to the Museum this summer, to be held on Tuesday, July 16 at 6 p.m.
Game Night visitors will have exclusive access to the Museum to play games at their leisure, participate in tournaments, explore the GRPM’s TOYS! exhibit and ride the 1928 Spillman Carousel.
Award winning board games, card games as well as giant games and interactives from the TOYS! summer expansion, located throughout the Museum, will be available for visitors to leisurely play throughout the evening. Gather your close friends and spend an evening playing games for fun, or join others in exciting tournaments.
Game tournaments will be available for visitors to sign up for starting at 7 p.m. and go until 9 p.m. Matches of Euchre, Dagz, and Klask will add some friendly competition to the evening. No experience is necessary to participate in game tournaments. All games are easy to learn and even more fun to play.
Tickets to Game Night are available at grpm.org and each ticket includes one free drink voucher. The event is open to visitors ages 21 and older. Cash bars will be serving two City Built Brewing beers: Alemania, a Mexican lager, and Norwegian Haze, an IPA. Tickets are $15, with a discounted ticket of $10 for Museum members.
As part of leisure game play, Blue Bridge Games will be featuring Game of the Year winning board games! Easy to learn and fun to play, these crowd pleasers will have visitors hooked on the first turn. Play award-winning titles like Azul (2018), Kingdomino (2017), Codenames (2016) & more! Just One is a Game of the Year Nominee for 2019. Players work together to provide each other with word clues, being cautious & creative to avoid duplicates. In Azul, collect the colors you need to complete a beautiful mosaic of tiles, take turns picking dominoes and creating a grid kingdom in Kingdomino, and decipher word clues and guess correctly to win in Codenames.
Game Night begins at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16, with game tournaments starting at 7 p.m.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) just announced an exciting Planetarium Double Feature coming to the Chaffee Planetarium. This summer only, catch a double feature of The Queen Light Show and Dark Side: The Light Show!
On Thursday, June 6 and Thursday, August 1, music enthusiasts will rock out to the music of Queen and Pink Floyd paired with stunning visuals on the planetarium dome.
The Museum’s doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the first show, The Queen Light Show, starting at 7 p.m. A cash bar will be available before the first show and during a short intermission.
Tickets to the Planetarium Double Features will include both light shows, and are $8 for non-members, $4 for members. Tickets may be purchased at grpm.org or by calling 616.929.1700.
The Queen Light Show
New life is brought to the wildly popular classic rock light show format with an original production set to the music of Queen. Experience 10 of Queen’s greatest hits, including favorite like Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites the Dust and You’re My Best Friend. The Queen Light Show: From Mercury with Love! is brought to the Chaffee Planetarium from Longway Planetarium in Flint, MI.
Dark Side: The Light Show
Experience Pink Floyd’s iconic album as never before in this one-of-a-kind light show, featuring stunning 4k visuals, brilliant LED sequences, and incredibly clear 5.1 surround sound. Dark Side: The Light Show is a GRPM original production, first launched at the Chaffee Planetarium in Spring 2015.
The Grand RapidsPublic Museum (GRPM) just announced that tickets for the annual Front Row for the Fireworks celebration are on sale now! Join the GRPM for the Independence Day fundraiser on Saturday, July 6, to coincide with the City of Grand Rapids’ fireworks show.
In addition to having the best seats in Grand Rapids for the fireworks, visitors will be able to explore all three floors of the Museum, including the Changing America and TOYS! exhibits, enjoy rides on the 1928 Spillman Carousel, hear patriotic music on the Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ, and see a Chaffee Planetarium show. At dusk, visitors can head outside to the enclosed lawn seating areas or stay inside the Museum for air-conditioned comfort to watch the fireworks as they burst over the Grand River.
During the event, the Museum will offer affordable meal deals and ice cream treats available for purchase.
Tickets for Front Row for the Fireworks are $15 for the general public and $10 for Museum members. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 6. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at grpm.org/FrontRow or by calling the Museum at 616.929.1700.
Sponsor a Child to Attend Front Row for the Fireworks
By sponsoring a child for Front Row for the Fireworks, you are giving local kids in foster care the opportunity to see the fireworks from one of the best viewing locations along the river, bringing a fun and memory-making experience into their lives.
The GRPM is once again working with Samaritas, West Michigan Ronald McDonald House, D.A. Blodgett St. John’s Home, Bethany Christian Services, Kids Food Basket and Catholic Charities of West Michigan to bring foster children, who might otherwise not be able to attend, downtown to the Museum to enjoy the event. Children can be sponsored with a $15 ticket donation that includes event admission and a meal for the child.
Changing America
This exhibit examines the relationship between two great people’s movements, which both grew out of decades of bold actions, resistance, organization and vision. In addition to artifacts from the GRPM Collections, many artifacts on display are on loan from the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives. Local stories are told through the eyes of our community in the form of oral histories, and the exhibit includes a space for visitors to reflect and share their own story. Find out more at grpm.org/ChangingAmerica
TOYS!
TOYS!is an interactive, multi-generational exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones. This GRPM original exhibit features toys and games from the Museum’s Collections and on loan from the community, allowing visitors to imagine, compete and create, while going on a journey of toys through generations. Find out more at grpm.org/Toys.
“We're all in the same boat ready to float off the edge of the world. The flat old world.”
― The Band (from the song "Life is a Carnival")
Wyoming’s annual Spring Carnival will open this weekend at Lamar Park. (Supplied)
Life is a carnival
West Michigan families are invited to come out to Lamar Park, 2561 Porter St SW, and enjoy carnival rides, food, and games April 26 – May 5. The carnival will be open Monday through Thursday from 4–8:30 p.m., Friday from 2– 8:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon–8:30 p.m. For the complete story, visit here.
VeggieCon is coming to Kentwood this weekend. (Supplied)
Eat your veggies!
VeggieCon, an event to educate the community more about healthy options, is coming at Encounter Church, 4620 Kalamazoo Ave. SE., Kentwood, on Saturday, April 27. 10 am. to 2 p.m. Along with many family friendly activities, there will be April 27, there will be a fresh produce display on site so people can see what produce is available at local farm stands. For the complete story, visit here.
This strange creature is part of Grand Rapids Public Museum’s “Expedition: Dinosaur exhibition” (Supplied/GRPM)
(Strange) creature comforts
The Grand Rapids Public Museum’s “Expedition: Dinosaur exhibition” has been extended, so visitors can now explore the fascinating world of dinosaurs and the hunt for their fossils through May 12. This exhibit has something for all ages, from life-sized and life-like animatronic dinosaurs – some controlled by visitors – to mechanical and electronic learning stations. For the complete story, visit here.
Fun fact:
240 million years
You may know that the world was full of dinosaurs 99 million years ago, but crocodilian creatures, including current crocodiles themselves – have been on Earth for an estimated 240 million years. Talk about adaptable! (Source)
Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863, and the March on Washington, 1963, a special exhibition opening at the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) on Saturday, May 25, examines the relationship between two great people’s movements, which both grew out of decades of bold actions, resistance, organization, and vision. One hundred years separate them, yet they are linked in a larger story of liberty and the American experience — one that has had a profound impact on the generations that followed.
Created by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History, the exhibit was toured nationwide by the American Library Association’s Public Program Office. The Changing America exhibit is now a possession of the GRPM. In presenting and hosting it, the GRPM will be enhancing it for West Michigan by including artifacts and stories from a local perspective. In addition to artifacts from the GRPM Collections, many artifacts on display will be on loan from the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives. Local stories will be told through the eyes of our community and oral histories will be presented. The exhibition will also include a place for visitors to share their own stories. Shared stories will be added to the GRPM’s digital archive found at grpmcollections.org.
“The Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives (GRAAMA) is proud to combine with the Grand Rapids Public Museum to present Changing America,” said George Bayard III, Executive Director of GRAAMA. “We are happy to lend support and artifacts to this important exhibit chronicling a slice of African American history between the Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington. We are eager to get our collection out where more people can view these authentic artifacts. Our loan of anti-slavery newspapers from the 1800s and buttons from the 1963 March on Washington will add detail to an already prestigious Smithsonian display.”
GRAAMA will launch a corresponding exhibit 1863-1963 American Freedom at its 87 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids, location featuring local civil rights activists, quilts and interviews. For more information, visit graama.org.
Courtesy Grand Rapids Public Museum
Changing America at the Grand Rapids Public Museum will run from May 25 through October 2019, will be located in the LACKS changing gallery on the Museum’s third floor, and will be free with general admission. Kent County adult residents receive reduced general admission and Kent County resident children aged 17 and under receive free general admission to the GRPM thanks to the county-wide millage passed in 2016.
In addition to the exhibition, the GRPM is partnering with several community groups to offer community programming as part of the exhibition. Mosaic Film Experience will host a summer camp “Mosaic Mobile Filmmaking” as part of the GRPM’s Camp Curious offerings in conjunction with the exhibit for students in grades 7 to 9. This Mosaic Mobile program is working with the GRPM to expand this story locally by capturing the stories of area civil rights leaders and will give students the opportunity to learn valuable media skills while broadening their knowledge of Grand Rapids history. The camp will take place from June 17 through June 21 and is only $25 per student to participate.
“It is important to connect youth to the past so they can understand their present,” said Skot Welch, Founder of The Mosaic Film Experience. “The Mosaic Mobile Filmmaking program with the Public Museum is a multi-generational project, making history relevant to our young people in a place where they become the story makers. This is an opportunity for them to tell the stories of Civil Rights in our community while allowing us to see this critical time in history through their eyes.”
Westside Collaborative is also partnering as part of the exhibition, and is working on a series of “I am Westside” videos that will be on display as part of the exhibition once completed. To learn more, visit westsidecollaborative.org.
For a full list of related programming, please visit grpm.org.
Changing America at the Grand Rapids Public Museum is sponsored by the David and Carol Van Andel Family Foundation, the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, and Steelcase Inc.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced today that by popular demand, the Expedition: Dinosaur exhibition has been extended by two weeks! Visitors can now explore the fascinating world of dinosaurs and the hunt for their fossils through May 12.
This exhibit has something for all ages, from life-sized and life-like animatronic dinosaurs – some controlled by visitors – to mechanical and electronic learning stations. Visitors learn about modern imaging techniques like high-energy neutron beams that reveal the inside of a T. Rex skull in microscopic detail never seen before. The exhibit includes a number of hands-on interactives that explain dinosaur movement, digestion, and evolution, and show the life and methods of dinosaur hunters from the 1800s to today.
“The Grand Rapids Public Museum is pleased to extend Expedition: Dinosaur in response to the community’s excitement of the exhibit, giving us the opportunity to allow more visitors to experience the science behind paleontology and these fascinating creatures,” said Kate Kocienski, VP of Marketing and PR for the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
Expedition: Dinosaur taps into our fascination with these incredible creatures, and is perhaps the closest experience to what it would have been like to be in the presence of a living, breathing Mesozoic-era dinosaur.
Admission for Expedition: Dinosaur is $12 for adults, $7 for children, $9 for Kent County adults, $4 for Kent County children, and $2 for Museum members.
Expedition: Dinosaur was developed by Stage Nine Exhibitions.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is preparing once again for Collections & Cocktails, an annual fundraiser focusing on the Museum’s Collections, their stories, and the preservation and education with these artifacts. This year’s event will be on Wednesday, May 8.
This year, Collections & Cocktails will focus on the Museum’s Magnificent Machines & Amusements Collection featuring artifacts such as the 1928 Spillman Carousel, an iron lung, steam engine, dog powered butter churn, and more artifacts that are not typically on display.
Collections & Cocktails also features a dinner and signature cocktails to go along with the exciting stories of these artifacts. Tickets are available to the public and can be found at grpm.org/2019Collections-Cocktails.
“The Magnificent Machines and Amusements Collection represents the ingenuity of people who have invented new ways to make our lives easier,” said Alex Forist, the Museum’s Chief Curator. “Collections & Cocktails will showcase some of these unique artifacts, and will highlight the importance of the care and maintenance of our Collections and give the community the opportunity to support these efforts.”
Anyone interested in supporting the care of these artifacts along with the thousands of others pieces in the GRPM Collections can do so through a sponsorship of Collections & Cocktails, purchasing a table at the event or individual tickets. More information on the event and funding opportunities can be found at grpm.org/2019Collections-Cocktails or by contacting Gina Schulz at gschulz@grpm.org or 616-929-1705.
One of the Museum’s most iconic pieces to be featured at the event is the 1928 Spillman Carousel. Manufactured by the Spillman Engineering Company of North Tonawanda, New York in 1928, the Carousel is one of only three of its style known to have been produced by the company. The Carousel has brought joy to thousands of community members over the years, and is currently undergoing restoration to keep it running for years to come.
Another featured piece from the GRPM Collections that hasn’t been on display since 2016 is an Iron Lung. The iron lung is a negative pressure cylinder in which patients would lie down in with their head sticking out through an opening at the top. Rows of iron lungs filled hospital wards at the height of the polio outbreaks of the 1940s and 1950s, assisting the breathing of mostly children but also adults.
With West Michigan roots, also featured from the Collections is a Toepler-Holtz machine. A Toepler-Holtz machine consists of a static generator in a glass and wooden cabinet with attachments to direct electrical currents for a variety of uses. Believed to have been manufactured in about 1900, it was first used in a doctor’s office in the Holland, MI area to treat various ailments.
Other rarely seen artifacts being featured at the event include the GRPM’s Weidenaar press, a steam engine, a dog-powered butter churn, BISSELL carpet sweepers, 1900s-era washing machines and additional pieces that have never been on display from the Museum’s Collections.
To see more of the Museum’s Collections visit the GRPM online database GRPMcollections.org.
Announced today, Public Observing Nights at James C. Veen Observatory, presented by the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association (GRAAA) and Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM), begin for the 2019 season on Saturday, April 27. Public Observing Nights will continue on selected Saturday evenings twice monthly through October.
The Veen Observatory houses three large permanently mounted telescopes that allow visitors an up-close look at the night sky. The public is invited to Public Observing Nights throughout the summer to access these telescopes as well as addition instruments personally owned by GRAAA members.
Visitors to the facility will have the opportunity to take part in an audio-visual presentation introducing the facility and orientations to prominent constellations currently visible. Public Observing Night dates can be found online along with photos at graaa.org.
Scheduled Public Observing Nights are cancelled in the event of cloudiness. Status updates are posted at graaa.org no later than 6:30 p.m. on the date of each scheduled event, or can be found by calling 616.897.7065.
Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for those under 18. Grand Rapids Public Museum and GRAAA members, as well as children under age 5, are free. Cash, checks and some credit cards are accepted.
The James C. Veen Observatory is located at 3308 Kissing Rock Ave. in Lowell Township, and is open during Public Observing Nights or by appointment only. For additional inquiries, please visit graaa.org. Please note, to access Veen Observatory, there is a quarter mile uphill walk from the parking area that may be difficult for some. Parking attendants can provide information about available assistance.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum provides ongoing support to the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association in operation of James C. Veen Observatory.
A Life of Leadership explores the extraordinary life of Grand Rapidian Ralph W. Hauenstein. COL Hauenstein was a leader in the West Michigan community, remembered for his role as a journalist, his military and intelligence service, his dedication to the Catholic faith, his entrepreneurship, and his philanthropy in Grand Rapids. Hauenstein left a lasting legacy in the United States and around the world.
Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1912, Hauenstein’s family moved to Grand Rapids when he was 12 years old and he graduated from Central High School in 1931. He was a public servant from his early years starting as a boy scout. Hauenstein was curious, inquisitive, and an exceptional storyteller, which led him to his first job as a police reporter for the Grand Rapids Press and later as a city editor with the Grand Rapids Herald.
Hauenstein joined the U.S. Army in 1935, serving first with the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1941 he began working as an intelligence officer in Iceland and rose to the rank of colonel. During World War II, he was promoted to Chief of Intelligence for the European Theater of Operations under General Dwight D. Eisenhower. An important part of his experience was the liberation of the German concentration camp at Dachau. His WWII experiences opened his eyes to the need for ethical, effective world leaders.
Hauenstein saw first-hand that many countries face food shortages. After the war he returned to Grand Rapids and became an entrepreneur in international trade and food equipment manufacturing, designing equipment to make Goldfish Crackers. His success in business allowed for substantial philanthropic contributions in Grand Rapids. He gave generously to many local causes and established the Grace Hauenstein Library at Aquinas College, Mercy Health Hauenstein Neuroscience Center and the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University.
The exhibition highlights Hauenstein’s extraordinary life, his contributions to our nation and community, and his legacy of leadership. Interactives allow visitors to test out writing a headline for the newspaper on an antique typewriter and try their hand at cracking a secret code. Photography from around the world brings visitors face-to-face with Hauenstein’s impact globally.
Ralph W. Hauenstein: A Life of Leadership is included with general admission to the Museum, and located on the Museum’s third floor.
This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of: The Hauenstein Family and The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University. Images and objects on loan courtesy of Brian Hauenstein unless otherwise stated. The images in this exhibition were first digitized for public display by the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University. Thank you also to the National Cryptologic Museum, NSA, Washington D.C. E
Yup, it’s time to change your clocks this weekend.
Spring is right around the corner. Really, it is, and the City of Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department points to its Spring Activities Calendar as proof. Check out all the fun things you can do here.
The best things in life are free
The Grand Rapids Public Museum offers free admission March 10.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum offers fun, hands-on learning opportunities for all ages through a variety of core and traveling exhibits. Visitor favorites include the Streets of Old Grand Rapids, an immersive exhibit that transports visitors back to 19th century of downtown Grand Rapids, and West Michigan Habitats, that showcases the vast wildlife found in West Michigan. More info here.
Live and let live
That’s it, in a nutshell.
Domestic violence abuse attorney Kinza Khan
A presentation on Monday, March 11 at Grand Valley State University will explore the importance of encouraging young people to grow in their interfaith understanding in order to become positive religious leaders of the 21st century. Kinza Khan, a domestic violence attorney, will be the featured speaker during the 2019 Rabbi Phillip Sigal Memorial Lecture. More info here.
Fun fact:
85%
The percentage reduction in the number of children named ‘Katrina’ after Hurricane Katrina.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) just announced that in partnership with Kent County Farm Bureau, they will be offering a Museum Free Day for the second year in a row! On March 10, the GRPM will open their doors free of charge for visitors to explore the Museum’s three floors of core exhibits.
“We’re thrilled to offer a free day at the Museum to the community again this year,” said Kate Kocienski, VP of Marketing and PR for the Grand Rapids Public Museum. “Thanks to Kent County Farm Bureau, everyone has the chance to explore the Museum free of charge and explore hands-on science, history and cultural artifacts.”
“Kent County Farm Bureau looks forward to once again partnering with the GRPM to welcome friends into the Museum free of charge,” said Jim May, Kent County Farm Bureau President. “On behalf of the more than 1,200 Kent County farmers, we invite you to the Museum to see agriculture in action!”
The GRPM offers fun, hands-on learning opportunities for all ages through a variety of core and traveling exhibits. Visitor favorites include the Streets of Old Grand Rapids, an immersive exhibit that transports visitors back to 19th century of downtown Grand Rapids, and West Michigan Habitats, that showcases the vast wildlife found in West Michigan.
The current GRPM original exhibit TOYS! will be included free of charge for visitors on the Museum’s Free Day! TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generational exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones.
On March 10 only, Kent County Farm Bureau will also have additional agriculture themed hands-on activities available a part of the Free Day. For additional information, please visit grpm.org.
Additional experiences for visitors include the special traveling exhibit Expedition: Dinosaur, planetarium shows, and the Museum’s 1928 Spillman Carousel – that are available for an additional charge.
The free day will be held during the Museum’s normal hours, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 10. For more information on the event, visit grpm.org.
Two happy children are having fun pretending to be in the dinosaur jaw. (Grand Rapids Public Museum)
Expedition: Dinosaur
A special traveling exhibition now open at the GRPM, Expedition: Dinosaur explores the fascinating world of dinosaurs and the hunt for their fossils! From life-sized and lifelike animatronic dinosaurs – some controlled by visitors – to mechanical and electronic learning stations, visitors become paleontologists. The exhibit taps into our fascination with these incredible creatures and includes a number of hands- on interactives that explain dinosaur movement, digestion, and evolution, and show the life and methods of dinosaur hunters from the 1800s to today. For more information and tickets, visit grpm.org/Dinos.
Expedition: Dinosaur was developed by Stage Nine Exhibitions.
Take a trip down memory lane in the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s “TOYS!” exhibit. (Grand Rapids Public Museum)
TOYS!
Baby Boomers loved Paper Dolls, Erector Sets, and Mr. Potato Head, Gen Xers preferred Holly Hobbie and Hot Wheels, and Millennials have never known a world without Super Mario or My Little Pony. Some toys, like Barbie and G.I. Joe, have adapted to appeal to different generations and remain popular today. Toys and games have changed over time, but the desire to imagine, compete, and create has not.
TOYS! is an interactive, multi-generation exhibition of toys and games to rekindle childhood memories and spark the creation of new ones. This GRPM original exhibit features toys and games from the Museum’s Collections and on loan from the community, allowing visitors to imagine, compete and create, while taking going on a journey of toys through generations.
Through the design process of the exhibition, the Museum worked with several experts from the community making sure the design was as inclusive as possible so everyone visiting can enjoy it. The exhibition will be presented in both English and Spanish, and will also include Braille.
Sit back and experience the wonder of the cosmos with the wonder of music! The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) welcomes Frankie & Myrrh for the second concert in the Concerts Under the Stars series on Thursday, Feb. 7, in the GRPM’s Chaffee Planetarium.
The sound of Frankie & Myrrh has been touted as music for driving on an empty late night city highway with bright sodium lights and 24 hour convenience store parking lots in the summer when you were 20. Makes you want to dance, kind of leaves a sense of assured loneliness and the acceptance of it. Accompanying Frankie & Myrrh with live visuals on the planetarium dome will be Meghan Moe Beitiks.
Meghan Moe Beitiks, has designed lights for the California Academy of Sciences, the Asian Art Museum, SF Sketchfest, and Atom-R. She is an artist working with associations and disassociations of culture/nature/structure, analyzing perceptions of ecology through the lenses of site, history, and emotions in order to produce work that interrogates relationships with the non-human. She was a Fulbright Student Fellow in Scenic Design to Latvia and a recipient of the Edes Foundation Prize for Emerging Artists. She received her BA in Theater Arts from the University of California at Santa Cruz and her MFA in Performance Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Grand Valley State University, and has designed media for previous Concerts Under the Stars in 2018.
Concerts Under the Stars will begin at 7:30 p.m., with Museum doors opening at 6:30 p.m. New this year, performers will play two sets, with a short intermission in between. Refreshments, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase.
Tickets are $12 for GRPM members and $15 for non-members if purchased in advance, and $15 for members and $18 for non-members on the day of the concert. Tickets are currently on sale at grpm.org, by calling 616.929.1700 or at the Museum’s front desk.
The 2019 Concerts Under the Stars series will continue on February 28 with ambient R&B from Bronze Wolf and conclude on March 21 with the electronic sounds of Pink Sky.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced that they are welcoming a special guest to the Museum, Rexie the T-Rex on Saturday, January 19 and Sunday, January 20! Visitors will get up close with a life-size dinosaur through this entertaining show for kids and families.
Be prepared to step back in time when you meet Rexie, an anatomically perfect, realistic puppet standing over 8’ tall and 12’ long! Everyone loves to make friends and take their picture with Rexie. Families who see the gentle and life-size baby T-Rex experience a thrilling prehistoric encounter from a world long since extinct. Join Rexie the T-Rex, for an unforgettable family experience of legendary proportions!
“We are excited to welcome Rexie the T-Rex to the Museum this month,” said Kate Kocienski, VP of Marketing and PR for the GRPM. “With the popularity of the Expedition: Dinosaur exhibit, this is a perfect fit to continue our dinosaur takeover throughout the Museum.”
Rexie will be meeting visitors on the first floor galleria of the GRPM on January, 19 and 20 at 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Encounters and photo opportunities with Rexie are free to Museum members and free with general admission to the Museum.
Rexie the T-Rex is brought to the GRPM by Great Shows for Kids.
Expedition: Dinosaur, a special traveling exhibition now open at the GRPM, explores the fascinating world of dinosaurs and the hunt for their fossils! From life-sized and lifelike animatronic dinosaurs – some controlled by visitors – to mechanical and electronic learning stations, visitors become paleontologists. The exhibit taps into our fascination with these incredible creatures and includes a number of hands- on interactives that explain dinosaur movement, digestion, and evolution, and show the life and methods of dinosaur hunters from the 1800s to today. Tickets to the Expedition: Dinosaur exhibition are $4 with the purchase of a general admission ticket, with discounts for Museum members. For more information and tickets, visit grpm.org/Dinos.
Expedition: Dinosaur was developed by Stage Nine Exhibitions. The exhibit at Grand Rapids Public Museum is sponsored locally by Meijer, David & Carol Van Andel Family Foundation, David & Amy Leonard, Keller Ford, Chris & Kim Branoff, FASTSIGNS, Old National Bank, Straight Line Fences and Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown. Media sponsorship by Wood TV8, Wood News Radio and WGVU Public Media.
Sit back and experience the wonder of the cosmos with the wonder of music! Kick off the New Year with Concerts Under the Stars at the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) featuring the sounds of dark folk music with Fiona Dickinson on Thursday, Jan. 17.
This site-specific performance will combine shoegaze and dream-pop with ethereal interludes to create two seamless sets that flow into familiar song structures and out into meditative drones. Musicians Dan Fisher, Shane Tripp, and Ben Wiessenborn will assist on the project as a backing band. Accompanying Fiona with live visuals on the planetarium dome will be Meghan Moe Beitiks.
“Fiona Dickinson is a great start to the 2019 Concerts Under the Stars series,” said Kate Kocienski, VP of Marketing and PR for the GRPM. “Although each concert is a different genre, so you would need to see all of them for the full experience.”
Concerts Under the Stars will begin at 7:30 p.m., with Museum doors opening at 6:30 p.m. New this year, performers will play two sets, with a short intermission in between. Refreshments, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase.
Tickets are $12 for GRPM members and $15 for non-members if purchased in advance, and $15 for members and $18 for non-members on the day of the concert. Tickets are currently on sale at grpm.org, by calling 616-929-1700 or at the Museum’s front desk.
The 2019 Concerts Under the Stars series will continue on Feb. 7 with psych rock from Frankie and Myrrh, Feb. 28 with ambient R&B from Bronze Wolf, and will conclude on Mar. 21 with the electronic sounds of Pink Sky.
Fiona Dickinson is a British songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and music educator currently residing in Grand Rapids. Along with her work arranging strings for the ambient noise project, Saltbreaker, Fiona has a lengthy list of collaborations on stage and in the studio. She also has a background in composition for independent film and live score for site-specific performance with dance, video, and analog projection.
Meghan Moe Beitiks, has designed lights for the California Academy of Sciences, the Asian Art Museum, SF Sketchfest, and Atom-R. She is an artist working with associations and disassociations of culture/nature/structure, analyzing perceptions of ecology through the lenses of site, history, and emotions in order to produce work that interrogates relationships with the non-human. She was a Fulbright Student Fellow in Scenic Design to Latvia and a recipient of the Edes Foundation Prize for Emerging Artists. She received her BA in Theater Arts from the University of California at Santa Cruz and her MFA in Performance Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Grand Valley State University, and has designed media for previous Concerts Under the Stars in 2018.
“Ice Worlds” is the newest planetarium show at the Chaffee Planetarium.
Discover the balance between ice, water and the existence of life! The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is proud to present a new planetarium show, Ice Worlds, beginning Jan. 7 in the Chaffee Planetarium.
Travel to the Arctic and Antarctic regions of our planet as well as the icy bodies beyond Earth. Audiences will examine the ecosystems that live and thrive in the icy regions of our planet and see how their survival is connected with our own. Beyond Earth, we’ll see how the existence of ice shapes the landscape and the natural systems on other planets and moons in our solar system. Narrated by two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Actress, Emily Watson.
“At the Grand Rapids Public Museum, we are continuously working to bring new, exciting and educational offerings to the community, and are excited to kick off 2019 with Ice Worlds,” said Kate Kocienski, VP of Marketing and PR for the GRPM. “Planetarium visitors will explore and compare ice throughout the universe from Earth to other planets and beyond.”
Ice Worlds will begin in the Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium on January 7, with shows daily at 2 p.m.
Tickets to the Chaffee Planetarium are free for Museum members and $4 with general admission to the Museum, $5 for a Planetarium-only ticket for non-members.
Ice Worlds is produced by Evans & Sutherland Digital Theater.
The Grand Rapids Public Museum is excited to announce that Concerts Under the Stars are returning for 2019. Concert-goers will enjoy a fully immersive experience of audio and visuals in the Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium.
Beginning on January 17, join the GRPM for the first performance in the Concerts Under the Stars series, Fiona Dickinson, featuring dark folk music. Concerts Under the Stars will run January through March 2019. Visitors can sit back and experience the wonder of the cosmos with the wonder of music to performances featuring the sounds of folk, rock, electronic and R&B.
“The Museum is excited to bring back Concerts Under the Stars for the third year highlighting local music and audiovisual artists in this very unique venue,” said Kate Kocienski, VP of Marketing and PR for the GRPM. “Live music in the Chaffee Planetarium is a one-of-a-kind experience for concert-goers, and not something that is replicated at other venues.”
Fiona Dickinson is a British songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and music educator currently residing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Along with her work arranging strings for the ambient noise project, Saltbreaker, Fiona has a lengthy list of collaborations on stage and in the studio. She also has a background in composition for independent film and live score for site-specific performance with dance, video, and analog projection.
Dark folk is a sub-genre of folk music that blends traditional Nordic folk music and ambient music and is considered to be closely related to metal. Fiona will be accompanied by live visuals on the planetarium dome by Meghan Moe Beitiks.
Meghan Moe Beitiks, has designed lights for the California Academy of Sciences, the Asian Art Museum, SF Sketchfest, and Atom-R. She is an artist working with associations and disassociations of culture/nature/structure, analyzing perceptions of ecology through the lenses of site, history, and emotions in order to produce work that interrogates relationships with the non-human. She was a Fulbright Student Fellow in Scenic Design to Latvia and a recipient of the Edes Foundation Prize for Emerging Artists. She received her BA in Theater Arts from the University of California at Santa Cruz and her MFA in Performance Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Grand Valley State University, and has designed media for previous Concerts Under the Stars in 2018.
Concerts Under the Stars will begin at 7:30 p.m., with Museum doors opening at 6:30 p.m. New this year, performers will play two sets, with a short intermission in between. Refreshments, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase.
Tickets are $12 for GRPM members and $15 for non-members if purchased in advance, and $15 for members and $18 for non-members on the day of the concert. Tickets are currently on sale at grpm.org, by calling 616.929.1700 or at the Museum’s front desk.
The 2019 Concerts Under the Stars series will continue on February 7 with psych rock from Frankie and Myrrh, February 28 with ambient R&B from Bronze Wolf, and will conclude on March 21 with the electronic sounds of Pink Sky.
