GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Eastown Grand Rapids is showing its pride with brand new permanent art installations at three crosswalks in the business district.
Uptown Grand Rapids Inc. announced Tuesday that the three installations are now complete and ready to be enjoyed by the community.
The three painted crosswalks are in celebration of Pride Month and in support of the Grand Rapids Pride Center, located in Eastown, and the larger queer community.
The painted crosswalks depict different LGBTQ+ flags and have been approved by the City of Grand Rapids as ADA compliant, which allows them to be permanent installations.
“Our neighbors have been painting the crosswalks during Pride Month for many years as a way to celebrate our queer community and inclusively welcome visitors to our neighborhood. Our organization is honored to have been able to support this neighbor-led tradition and ensure that these crosswalks may now officially be kept and maintained permanently, year after year," says Dakota Riehl-Davis, President of the Eastown Community Association.
The installations are part of an initiative by Eastown Community Association and sponsored by Uptown Grand Rapids Inc.
“Our organization remains committed to our mission, to create and sustain a strong, vibrant, welcoming and inclusive urban district. We do so in part by facilitating and building partnerships and this project has been a wonderful example of what can happen when we do that – in this case to add to our growing umbrella of public works of art that are also the first banded crosswalks in our city. We plan to continue the tradition and hope to add more of these dynamic and collaborative installations in the future,” says Ingrid Miller, Executive Director of Uptown Grand Rapids, Inc.
Permanent Pride-themed crosswalk art completed in Eastown Grand Rapids
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