This is my favorite time of the year as my topic shifts from the talk of the new to appreciation of what was the very best of 2009.
And as I reach my second year as Rapid Growth's tour guide for must-see-and-do events, it was particularly difficult to select the very best -- not because there were so few to pick from, but because the field was so rich with entries.
In what was supposed to be the year when it all fell apart, somehow people found a way to make it become one of the best years ever!
So in ascending order, here are the top 6 events and trends of 2009.
6. GRAM on the Green Bucking the long trend of being safe and thus a yawn fest, the Grand Rapids Art Museum breathes new life into its mission by opening their programming to include a stellar summer outdoor concert schedule made up of an eclectic mix of local musicians performing at the Maya Linn Ecliptic Park, the new entertainment center of the city.
5. Indie Music Not content to just play out in bars waiting for a big label to discover them (and with the aid of new consumer friendly technology for recording), many local bands released exciting new records. Exciting progress from indie favorites including Drew Nelson, Chance Jones, Fainting Generals and Ed Nino - who actually went one better to get 104.5 FM WSNX to program their summer single, "Get Busy."
4. Nosh Night Who knew that free beer would become the carrot to lure the creative class out to showcase, discuss and celebrate the advances of all things design in our community. This collaborative series of events were brought together through the collected memberships of UICA, Community Media Center, American Institute of Architects (Grand Valley Chapter) the West Michigan American Institute of Graphic Artists, Design West Michigan and Kendall College of Art and Design and Rapid Growth Media.
3. Wealthy Theatre No other space in town embraces our community's diverse voices than Wealthy Theatre. Its promotion of all areas of the performing arts has made it the true community center for the arts of West Michigan. The theater's partnerships with local businesses and more recently institutions of higher learning have proved why they are at the near the very top of my list this year. Highlights on this stage included Drew Nelson's CD release concert, Santaland Diaries, Objectified, Ritsu, The Meanwhile Bar's weekly film series, A Winter's Tune and the Super Happy Funtime Burlesque. Wealthy Theatre (a part of the Community Media Center) is particularly skilled at integrating its social media so seamlessly in its organization.
2. ArtPrize No one knew what to expect from this first year event, and I think it's fair to say that ArtPrize exceeded everyone's expectations. If its goal was to bring art to the forefront in metro Grand Rapids, then ArtPrize succeeded wildly. There has never been a time in Grand Rapids' History when so many local media outlets were covering so many art related stories in such a short period of time. And who would've thought that art ranging from massive sculptures to dance performances would draw throngs to downtown Grand Rapids, helping local businesses. The jury's out whether ArtPrize will also help individual artists to maintain their livelihoods, but my money is betting that it will.
1. Social Media It is hard to give this award to such a nebulous concept since it did not dance on a local stage, release a stunning set of tunes for your iPod or even create a canvas to hang on the wall. But without social media, 2009 would not have been as bright for many events, including those on this list. So here's to the many sources powered by a laptop or fueled by a fingertip on a mobile device, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Grand Rapids Social Diary, Word Press, YouTube or any one who harnessed the power of "RTing it forward."
By its nature, a best of the year list is always guilty of sins of omission. No doubt some people will scratch their heads wondering why their events didn't make it to my top six. But the arbitrary ranking of trends and events is frivolous compared with this fact: metro Grand Rapids enjoyed a wonderful year for events in 2009, thumbing its nose at the gloomiest of predictions.
So maybe in the end we are all winners because of those who have the vision to produce events for all of us to enjoy.
Choose local...and often.
Tommy Allen, Lifestyle Editor
Email:
[email protected]
Twitter Guide: @TommyGSync
Click here to continue to this week's G-Sync events.
G-Sync Out and About: On Thursday Evening, December 10, Rapid Growth's Tommy Allen will be appearing at the Cygnus 27 Veuve Clicquot Holiday Celebration. Please contact Katie Dietrich for event details. 616-776-6400 or [email protected] or visit the Facebook Event Page here.
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