UICA nears fundraising goal for three community murals entering ArtPrize 10
Along with funding from DGRI and potential matching funds from MEDC, the arts organization is asking for the community’s support with a Patronicity campaign that ends in seven days.
Chances are, you’ve seen a mural in the city that was made possible thanks to the ongoing community projects with the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA). Whether it’s the series of murals along North Division, Kelly Allen’s transformation of a city park building, the floral transformation of the Grand Rapids Ballet, or the rotating murals in the UICA building‘s “Exit Space Project” viewable from the Fulton Street-facing windows, UICA’s been fostering muralists for years now.
This year, they’re expanding that work to three new neighborhoods, just in time for ArtPrize 10, in a project they’re calling “UICA Outside.” To do so, they’ve garnered the support of both Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. (DGRI). They’ve also been promised a matching gift from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). But there’s a catch.
The catch: MEDC will be making their $5000 donation if the community is able to crowdfund at least $5000 by the end of this month.
To make that happen, UICA is running a Patronicity campaign—and they’re in sight of their goal. At time of this writing, they had raised $3,675 of that $5,000 goal, with just a week remaining.
Until May 31, tax-deductible donations to support the initiative can be made by visiting the Patronicity campaign, or if you’re old-school, you can still send a check or make cash contributions at UICA at 2 Fulton St. West.
The funds raised go toward paying participating artists’ stipends, their travel and lodging, and their materials: gallons and gallons of paint, brushes, but also rental of logistical equipment like scaffolding and lifts, as well as permits and insurance.
“Contributions will help create long-lasting art in Grand Rapids that is accessible to everyone, creates conversation, and builds bridges from one block to the next,” says Miranda Krajniak, Executive Director at UICA. “We appreciate the large audience ArtPrize brings to Grand Rapids, and the chance it gives us to assemble a dynamic group of artists who, working with community members, can make a long-lasting impact on the vibrancy and character of their neighborhoods.”
The neighborhoods Krajniak is referring to are Creston, Baxter, and Westside. The chance to go out into these neighborhoods provides not just a chance to expand the mural work UICA has been doing since 2013 and meld it into the ArtPrize stage.
It also, says Krajniak, gives them a chance to work with neighborhood stakeholders throughout the community to “bolster and celebrate the diversity within our vibrant city.”
“We view this project not as a ‘beautification’ project, but as a way for neighborhoods to express what makes their communities unique — to answer the question of why people live and work where they do,” says Krajniak. “UICA has a fairly involved process for every mural that we organize, and we do so as an organization out of respect for artists, neighbors, and community stakeholders.”
Because of that, work with neighbors to ideate projects and select muralists is still in process, though local favorite Nick Nortier has been named as the muralist for the Westside neighborhood project.
To continue the work, and bring it to completion, though, funding efforts are in full swing. Those interested joining the community effort to support this community-driven project are encouraged to make their donations before the clock runs out on May 31.
Current Exit Space Locations include:
UICA Exit Space, 2 Fulton West
Retaining Wall of I-196 Exit Ramp, North Division Street
Lincoln Park Lodge, 1120 Bridge ST NW
Grand Rapids Ballet Co.,341 Ellsworth Ave SW
Exit Space Artists include:
Louise ‘0uizi’ Jones
George Eberhardt
Eliza Fernand
Nick Nortier
Kelly Allen
Ellen Rutt
