Maybe I am setting up a trend this summer with references to songs whose lyrics contain volumes of knowledge, but there is not a better song to describe what I have been feeling lately in our city than "History Repeating" by '90s drum and bass sensation, Propellerheads.
I must admit I first heard the echo of this old tune go off in my head a few years ago while working on a project that felt strangely familiar. But as I listened to the pitch of Space event promoters Josh Beebe and Josh Marunde, it became clear I had been here before.
"But to me it seems quite clear that it's all just a little bit of history repeating."
While the Space event concept might be a new one for the promoters, strong variations of this event have been produced over and over again in our community including, among others, Free Radical Gallery and the more recent (and very evolved) SiTE:LAB on Fulton and Division.
It is certainly not my intent to discourage said organizers in fact after bringing it up they have begun to acknowledge these connects, but it is fitting to challenge them or anyone looking to create a "present event" to acknowledge the past and build upon those earlier successes in our region.
As our lives seem to hurl forward at a faster pace these days, this is not a time to reinvent the wheel but an opportunity for bold moves as the world is finely tuned on our region p.l.d. (Post LipDub)
The history of our region records the birthplace of many world-class ideas and it is my personal mission to encourage all of those who wish to pursue local event production to seriously consider studying that past, including how those ideas have benefited our community.
Our history is something from which we can draw incredible insight to both our ancient past right up to the more recent headlines.
The action of digging into our past for inspiration was particularly evident when I attended the May 5x5 Night at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
5x5 Night has been covered frequently in Rapid Growth because it offers the public firsthand exposure to outstanding ideas that are incubating in our region. Attendees can immerse themselves in the world of the entrepreneurs, providing a peek into the thought processes from the sources -- people like you and me.
And while my favorite pitch from last month did not win the brass ring, I did gain a lot of gold from the presentation of Fred Quillin and his Grand Rapids Shirt Company.
For those who may not know the graphic artist and instructor from the West Michigan Center for Arts and Technologies, this twenty-something 6th generation Grand Rapidian packs a powerful wallop when he begins to rap on our community's history, citing facts that date back before the birth of Christ.
Last month Quillin dropped a hot video on YouTube outlining the incredible
history of Grand Rapids early public transportation system complete with historical film footage and the fact that world leaders used to travel to Grand Rapids to study our trolley system. The kid knows our history and is fired up to share.
And while Fred, the great-grandson of a former Grand Rapids boxer, has dined with me in the past and shared his perspective on the history of this region, I was not prepared for the punches he delivered at 5x5 night.
The concept was simple: Quillin new company, promoted pre-5x5 Night as GRSD but now changed to GRSC, wished to produce a series of tees (for the culturally inept: T-shirts) that engage an outsider with some of Grand Rapids imagery, ranging from iconic buildings to businesses that are uniquely our own. (Mr. Burger, anyone?)
Quillin's energy level never waned during his
5-minute presentation -- the same energy he brought to the hard fought (and won) Rapid millage campaign last month was back on stage battling to be the winner at 5x5 Night.
There was one line in Quillin's presentation that really struck a chord with me that still echoes in my mind long after the event: "When you understand these things, you gain a greater sense of pride and ownership over this area (and) you are more than likely to stick around to see it through."
It gives me hope when I hear people like Quillin. Our future will not be written in the 140-character tweets we mindlessly post each day.
Instead, we will continue to witness the actions of such people who hope to create better times for all of us. People who will acknowledge the entrepreneurs and activists who have preceded every generation and succeeded, sometimes against great odds, in creating the city we enjoy today.
I personally cannot wait for Quillin's Kickstarter to go live because when I wore my pink unicorn shirt created by a local UpTown watering hole, The Meanwhile Bar, I was stopped constantly in Detroit the weekend before Fred's presentation with the question, "Where is that bar?"
"Why this bar is from my town of Grand Rapids," I said as I aimed my finger to my palm, "And I hope you will come visit soon."
The Future Needs All of Us (To Dig Deep)
Tommy Allen
Lifestyle Editor
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