GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A visual spectacle unfolded Friday night in downtown Grand Rapids as a massive, 35-foot illuminated puppet scaled the Amway Grand Plaza to celebrate the opening of ArtPrize 2024.
Shortly before fireworks lit up the night sky, the giant marionette — built from thick pieces of aluminum woven together — began climbing the 29-story hotel. Thousands of residents and visitors gathered on the Pearl Street bridge and throughout downtown to watch the performance.
RELATED: 15 years later, can ArtPrize still wow Grand Rapids?
The puppet, whose name is David, weighs 200 pounds and was created by The Underground Circus, a professional circus performance company based in Vancouver, British Columbia. ArtPrize officials say he’s the largest marionette in North America.
“There has been months and months of planning,” said ArtPrize spokesperson Mark Osgerby, when asked what it took to pull off the event. “I hope that people are just in awe of the whole spectacle.”
David climbed the west side of the Amway Grand on a host of thick, wired cables that stretched from the building’s roof to a railing on the sidewalk below. His movements were powered by a team of puppeteers stationed on the roof of the Amway Grand.
“Last year the fireworks were very popular and well attended, and we wanted to add to that excitement with something new and build some momentum,” he said, describing why ArtPrize wanted to bring the giant puppet to Grand Rapids.
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The spectacle was one highlight of ArtPrize’s opening celebration. The annual international art competition kicked off Friday, Sept. 13 and runs for 16 days through Sept. 28. Downtown was bustling with activity Friday ahead of the big reveal during the opening night party from 7 to 10 p.m.
A colorful fireworks show illuminated the night sky, and attendees enjoyed food, music and more on the Pearl Street bridge, which was closed for the event.
The evening kicked off with three parades — one from Fish Ladder Park, another from 555 Monroe Ave. NW, and the third from the ArtPrize ClubHouse — that converged at the bridge.
Friday’s performance wasn’t David’s first time in the spotlight.
Created in 2009, he’s appeared at the opening of the Vancouver Trade and Convention Centre, a TED event in Long Beach, California, and the Beakerhead and Calgary International Film Festival in 2021. There, he scaled the 45-story Devon Tower, a feat that took him three hours to accomplish, according to LiveWire Calgary.
For those who missed Friday’s spectacle, there’s still time to meet David.
RELATED: Your guide to ArtPrize 2024 around Grand Rapids
He will be on display from Sept. 16-25 at a parking lot at 45 Ottawa Ave. NW in downtown Grand Rapids.
There, he will be hoisted vertically by a crane provided by Rockford Construction, and attendees will have an opportunity to operate him at select times, Osgerby said.
“The public will be able to operate David — make his arms and his legs move, so that will be really cool,” Osgerby said. Times when the public can do so can be found under the events tab at ArtPrize.com, he said.
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ArtPrize 2024 kicks off in downtown Grand Rapids
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Publish date : 2024-09-13 15:02:00
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