Profile

When Mayor Rosalynn Bliss says she is “active with a lot of groups,” she means it.

As the air turns crisp and the sunlight wanes, crowds descend upon Grand Rapids for their yearly dose of the city-wide art celebration that is ArtPrize.

Summer is in the air, my friends, and all is right in the world.

When Jackie Canamo and Ace Marasigan first met at a Filipino restaurant in Detroit back in 2005, they never would have imagined that moment would come full circle nearly 20 years later with the opening of their own eatery.

“When in doubt go to the library,” said bestselling author J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame.

Simone Thiessen’s garage used to hold only cars. Now it also holds stacks of old skis, table saws and sanders, saw horses, and almost half a dozen Adirondack chairs sporting backs and seats made from skis.

The road to publication of The Quarry wasn’t free of rocks and ruts, but now local author Mike Salisbury and local illustrator Marvin Luna are entering the world of graphic novels

Whether it’s an elaborate festival, a city-wide race, or an afternoon of jazz in the park, the office of special events is here to help make visiting Grand Rapids a fun and engaging experience.

When Mike Papenfus of Corvallis, Oregon found out he would be attending the Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids last year, he packed his binoculars and his birding journal.

Emily Stoddard spent her 20s running, running, running.

Change is in the wind in the Third Ward of Grand Rapids.

There are few Grand Rapidians who seemingly have their hands in as many endeavors as Jonathan Jelks.

Holland-born actor and writer Hopwood DePree will make an appearance at Schuler Books in Grand Rapids. 

When the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s gift shop closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, a hole was left in downtown.

Author Robert Downes will speak on his experiences in long-distance biking. 

Kyd Kane, Grand Rapids’ current poet laureate, said she is a spoken word poet “in limbo,” as so many poets are in these long months of the pandemic that has shut down venues, stopped indoor events and slowed community gatherings.

A West Michigan philanthropist and retail mogul recently died.

Here is something important to remember about George W.C. Walker III: Before he was 21 years old, he was in West Michigan, already studying for his sommelier exam.

West Michigan is mourning the death of a longtime supporter of philanthropic causes in the region.

Jason Terry knows how to have an NBA career, complete with an NBA Championship.