GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As crowds flock downtown for the annual ArtPrize event, residents are looking for ways to avoid parking headaches and save money.
Free parking is available, although spots outside the core downtown area may be found more quickly. Not far from my parking spot on Ottawa Avenue SW was Biophilia Gallery at Silva, which features 25 exhibits. Visitors should look out for ‘VENUE’ signs to find the location of ArtPrize exhibits.
“This is a space where anybody from the community can come and engage with art in a different way than we normally get to,” ArtPrize Executive Director Catlin Whitington said on Wednesday.
There is the DASH, which offers free shuttle service throughout the downtown area. Here is the route that the bus takes, which moves both clockwise and counterclockwise. City officials say a bus should arrive every 15 minutes. It took less than a minute when I was at the Canal Park location.
The DASH has 25 stops in total and covers four ArtPrize districts, with numerous exhibits located near each stop.
“You probably don't want to walk from one side of East Uptown all the way to the other side of West Side. But you know, you can find your way around from the central core very easily,” Whitington said.
To get off the DASH shuttle, riders must signal by pulling a cord; otherwise, it will continue to move.
There are 155 venues and well over 900 exhibits across five square miles.
“I will say within all of those five districts, from the central core of Grand Rapids, it's about a mile and a half walking distance to the furthest outlier venues,” Whitington said.
E-scooters and e-bikes offer an alternative form of transportation. They're affordable, according to users.
I was able to take one from my home on the northeast side all the way down to the southeast side for less than $4. Riders must park in designated spots before ending a ride, and some spots — such as near City Hall — are near art exhibits.
