Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts

Sadly, the UICA, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts is closing their doors.

The UICA is moving to the Kendall College Campus next Spring.

We have boats, basketball, bands, a Beer Festival, backyard sugaring, The Blues Brothers, Harry Potter, along with comedy and hockey. Oh and we can’t forget Cat Videos!

There are a lot of Christmas related events this weekend along with some comedy and music. We also have a few outdoor activities from skating to fat tire biking, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing. There is The Nutcracker, The Polar Express, Lights Out and Basketball. We also have a Santa Parade and a Santa Train!

The event starts at 2:00 p.m. on Dec. 14.

New Public Space Mural Going Up in Downtown

It's part of a nationwide program to support military families.

UNLOADED is a traveling exhibition which explores the historical and social impact of guns. The exhibition at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts features the work of more than 20 artists, including former ArtPrize juror and ArtPrize award finalist Mel Chin.

The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts held their 15th annual Live Coverage event on Friday night. Live Coverage featured dozens of artists creating art that is sold via silent auction the same night it is made.

The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts (UICA) will present a free screening of The Hunting Ground, a powerful documentary that underscores the widespread problem of campus sexual assault, along with a complementary panel discussion featuring West Michigan community leaders advocating for change, on September 15 at 8:00 pm. The screening is supported by the YWCA West Central Michigan.

Here in Grand Rapids there's an annual art contest called ArtPrize. It's a 19-day city-wide art exhibit in which artists display their work for everyone to see. People and a juried panel then vote on which pieces they think are the best and the winners receive $560,000 in cash prizes. There are many mediums, including paintings, drawings, sculpture and even performance art. One piece was titled