Project 1 Reveals Installation Sites

Project 1 has named three locations in Grand Rapids where it will make its debut.

Martin Luther King Jr. Park, Tanglefoot and downtown will feature installations for “Project 1: Crossed Lines” this fall, which will run from Sept. 7 to Oct. 27.

Martin Luther King Jr. Park, which is located in a residential neighborhood on the southeast side, will feature works by two artists, Amanda Browder and Heather Hart.

Browder will install a multi-color textile wrap on the exterior of the community lodge in the center of the park. Hart will install a sculpture at the park that mimics the roof of a house that appears to sink into the lawn. During special events, the roof will function as a stage for local music, dance and spoken word.

“The fabric of the MLK Park neighborhood is strong, and neighbors are already feeling the excitement of Project 1,” said Jordoun Eatman, the city of Grand Rapids’ lead neighborhood connector. “The Project 1 team and artists are working closely with neighbors to advise on planning and programming.”

Art pieces from artist Paul Amenta and architect Ted Lott, as well as Amanda Browder will be on display at Tanglefoot, at Straight Avenue SW and Hemlock Street SW. The industrial site will complement the collaborative work by Amenta and Lott. They will work alongside DisArt to create a structure that responds to the existing architecture of the space by filling a partial courtyard with accessible ramps, walkways and platforms.

Although the exact location has not yet been revealed, the downtown site will feature installations by four of the five Project 1 artists.

Browder will wrap several public structures throughout the downtown area with her textiles. Hart will create a second sunken rooftop sculpture that will feature performances throughout the exhibition. Olalekan Jeyifous will create a large steel sculpture, and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s work will invite visitor participation through sound and light.

“Through ‘Project 1: Crossed Lines,’ we are interested in how lines are drawn, both literally and figuratively, throughout our city, and how these lines inform our sense of belonging,” said Kevin Buist, artistic director, Project 1. “We’ve tasked not only the participating artists with thinking critically about this theme, but also ourselves. It permeates everything we create for Project 1, alongside the many partners and community members who are helping make this exhibition possible.”

Photo: The basketball court at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in southeast Grand Rapids. Photo via grandrapidsmi.gov.