Sunday night, March 11, I will perform a stand up set as part of a local comedian showcase at LaughFest, which will complete a goal I had when I first moved here four years ago.

The question is, has anyone else ever done this?

With Sunday's Showcase, I will have not only performed at LaughFest, but I will have also exhibited art at ArtPrize for two years running.

So am I the first to ever pull off this double?

When I first moved back to Michigan in March of 2014 (Happy fourth anniversary to me!) I noticed Grand Rapids would get quite excited about both events, and it struck me, as someone who had performed stand up comedy for a time while living out east, and as someone who had taken classes at Kendall School of Art, could I get into both showcases?

Yes, you can.

It turns out, getting into ArtPrize is relatively easy. You send in a photo of your art, along with your credit card number by the deadline date, and you're pretty much in. You do still have to line up a venue to display your art, but most local venues are very accommodating. Unless your art is super controversial, you're usually in. (And even then, you may find a place.)

It's tougher to get a set at LaughFest. The process is similar, you have to pay an entry fee, but I felt like there was more of a curation with LaughFest. It didn't seem as automatic, you had to submit recordings of some of your open mic sets to earn your way in. It seems this year, the number of amateur showcases has increased, so I squeezed into a spot. (Sunday night, The BOB, Third Floor Events Room, 7:15pm)

So there you have it, the odd double no one has ever thought of achieving. Or have they?

If you know of someone who has also hit this double, let me know. Until then, I guess I'm the first.

 

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