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La Grand Vitesse

Photo Essays

La Grande Vitesse

April 7th, 1967

Henry Geldzahler, curator from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, spoke to the Grand Rapids Art Museum Women’s Committee. He informed their Vice President, Nancy Mulnix, of funds available through the National Endowment for the Arts, Art in Public Places Program. The idea for a sculpture for the Vandenberg Center plaza was born.

April 10th, 1967

Nancy Mulnix handwrote a letter to U.S. Representative Gerald R. Ford, requesting support to obtain National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding.

April 13th, 1967

Although Representative Ford was politically opposed to the formation of the National Endowment for the Arts in 1965, he quickly followed through on Mulnix’s request, by contacting Roger L. Stevens, Chairman of NEA.

April 25th, 1967

Mulnix received a phone call from Stevens requesting more information on the buildings in Vandenberg Center and drawings of the plaza. Mulnix contacted Grand Rapids Mayor Christian Sonneveldt, City Planner J. Paul Jones and Judge Stuart Hoffius to gather the data and generate support to move the proposal forward.

May 8th, 1967

Hoffius sent information prepared by J. Paul Jones to the NEA.

May 17th, 1967

Mulnix received notification from Roger Stevens of the NEA and Rep. Gerald Ford to say that $33,000 was to be allotted from the 1968 Budget for the project. This made the Grand Rapids sculpture the first public work of art in the country funded with federal monies.

May 31st, 1967

Mulnix, Hoffius and Robert Blaich, Secretary of the Art for Vandenberg Center Committee, went to Chicago to meet with Stevens and representatives from Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, architects for the City and County buildings. They discussed formation of a group of art experts as a Commissioning Panel for the plaza sculpture. The NEA grant was increased to $45,000.

June 6th-8th, 1967

June 6th. The Grand Rapids City Commission unanimously passed a resolution authorizing a formal request for the grant. June 7th. The Kent County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an identical resolution. June 8th. The grant application was signed by Mayor Sonneveldt and Board of Supervisors Chairman, Leonard Anderson.

June 14th,1967

June 14th. Formal announcement of approval of the grant was made by Roger Stevens and Jerry Ford in Washington, D.C. Unknown to them, two years from that exact date would be the dedication of “La Grande Vitesse”. June 14th. The Commissioning Panel, also called the Selection Panel, was announced. This group had the responsibility for selecting the artist who would get the commission to do the sculpture.

Alexander Calder is seen standing in front of his work, La Grande Vitesse, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, June 13, 1969, during his visit for the dedication of the sculpture. In the background are two buildings that symbolize the change urban renewal brought to Grand Rapids downtown in the 1960s. Seen through the sculpture is the old 1888 Grand Rapids City Hall, which would shortly be torn down. The white building on the left is the 1966 Union Bank Building, one of the many new buildings that replaced those torn down during the urban renewal period.
Image from the Nancy Mulnix Collection

This Robinson Studio Photo from the City-County Administration Building project shows a view looking east, of the scarred landscape of urban renewal. Four city blocks were cleared to create the Vandenberg Center. Crescent St. and Bond St., which intersected those blocks, disappeared within the site. When Henry Geldzahler of the Metropolitan Museum of Art visited in April 1967, the scene he saw would have been only slightly different than above. In this February 1, 1967 image the Old County Building, which stood on Ottawa St. opposite the new white Union Bank Building, had already been demolished. By April, the Regent Theatre shown in the lower left on Monroe St., would be gone and the foundations would be laid for the new City Building.

In 1967, Nancy Mulnix was a young housewife. She took the initiative to contact Gerald Ford for assistance in obtaining NEA funding for art for Vandenberg Center. She continued to shepherd the project to its completion, and in the process became a personal friend of the great artist, Alexander Calder.
Image from the Nancy Mulnix Collection

This 1855 drawing by Miss Mary Cuming is one of the earliest views of the site that will become Vandenberg Center. Viewed to the West, toward the Grand River, Grand Rapids 1888 City Hall Building and clock tower will stand in the low left. The fence in front of old Judge Martin’s House, shown here, follows a line similar to the future Ottawa Street. In 1969 La Grande Vitesse will stand on ground just to the right of the barn beyond the tree here.
Image from Fitch Collection #259

View of Old County Building, Site of La Grande Vitesse, Regent Theatre snd Old City Hall

The white building at lower left is the Regent Theatre. The new City Building will take it’s place, and Calder’s La Grande Vitesse will stand in what is a parking lot in this 1950’s aerial view.
Grand Rapids Public Library Photo Collection. Len Air Photo

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