The DAAC

Thank you to the folks who are putting in the work to keep our neighbors safe 🐙

Channel 8 story on campaign to get the City of Grand Rapids to adopt 6 sanctuary policies is inaccurate and primarily relies on comments from the Mayor On Tuesday night Movimiento Cosecha and GR Rapid Response to ICE members both directed comments to the Mayor of Grand Rapids about the 6 sanctuary policies they have been demanding since January of…

One week from today (June 21) we'll be celebrating Make Music Day at Fish Ladder Park in Grand Rapids!

What is Make Music Day?

It all started 44 years ago in France.

In 1982, France’s Ministry of Culture dreamed up an idea for a new kind of musical holiday. They imagined a day where free music would be everywhere, all around each city: street corners, parks, rooftops, gardens, and store fronts.

And, unlike a typical music festival, anyone and everyone would be invited to join and play music, or host performances. The event would take place on the summer solstice, June 21, and would be called Fête De La Musique. (In French, the name means both “festival of music” and “make music”.)

Amazingly enough, this dream has come true. The Fête has turned into a true national holiday: the country shuts down on the summer solstice and musicians take over. Almost 11% of French people (7 million people) have played an instrument or sung in public for the Fête de la Musique, and 64% of the country (43 million people) comes out each year to listen.

Four decades later, the holiday has spread throughout the world and is now celebrated in more than 2,000 cities across dozens of countries.

How did it come to the U.S.?

Twenty years ago, the Fête de la Musique crossed the Atlantic with the debut of Make Music New York.

Starting as a grassroots initiative by a team of volunteers, the event quickly became a critical and popular success. Today, thousands of New York musicians – amateurs and professionals, of all ages and musical persuasions – perform in hundreds of free, outdoor concerts each June 21, earning praise for their “inspiring” (New York Times) and “thrilling” (New Yorker) performances.

In recent years, cities across the country have launched their own Make Music celebrations on June 21, making this musical holiday a truly national phenomenon.

Last call y’all! The interest form for our The Zone of Authenticity July Exhibition at The DAAC in the Four Star Theater is open through tomorrow — Friday, June 5th ✨

This is not a final submission — so if you have any interest in being involved, even if the idea isn’t fully formed yet — take 5 and fill out the form before the window closes!

Form linked in our bio or head to whitneydawn.com/zoa to learn more and express interest.

We would love to see visual art, performance art (music! dance! theater! drag! comedy!) written works, photography, crafts, jewelry, collage… the list goes on and on! We are also open to folks who would like to facilitate micro-experiences or vend.

What will weave this beautiful tapestry of experiences and works together is our ‘Authentic Connection Cards’. Artists will select a card as creative inspiration to submit a new or existing work(s).

Fill out the form or feel free to DM us with any questions! If you’re reading this past the deadline and are very interested in participating, feel free to DM us 💛

Install: July 6
Reception & Performances: July 23
Uninstall: July 27

Our next Chapter Meeting is June 7th, 1pm, at the DAAC. Join us in chapter planning, discussion, and pizza!

Mark your calendars! Come learn how you can get involved at The DAAC!