The Seriously Most Amazing Halloween Party of All Time!

GRAND RAPIDS, MI, September 27, 2016 - In partnership with Big Brothers/​Big Sisters Grand Rapids, AIGA West Michigan’s Design For Good and the Grand Rapids Art Museum are collaborating to throw The Seriously Most Amazing Halloween Party of All Time!, an inaugural Halloween bash on October 29 benefitting West Michigan kids. Culminating in an emceed runway show, this first-ever event will provide a platform for 20 local kids in need to create a dream Halloween costume with the help of their Big and a real life designer.

The Seriously Most Amazing Halloween Part of All Time! is the newest addition to the wide array of events offered by Design for Good (DFG), a collective of professionals who aim to engage and enrich the community through the design thinking process. The event presents a unique demonstration of what can be accomplished when a service agency, a professional organization and the local arts community collaborate: an unabashedly progress-oriented celebration of our West Michigan community, with kids front and center. For those 20 kid participants, the event provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to engage with their community through design as their creations go down the runway.

GRAM is taking an active role in the event planning process to ensure that it becomes a Grand Rapids mainstay in downtown fall events. ​“Grand Rapids Art Museum is excited to partner with two great organizations on this family friendly event, which will add a fun, new dimension to the fall season downtown,” says GRAM Director & CEO, Dana Friis-Hansen. ​“We are grateful for this opportunity to engage local kids in the Design Thinking process and to showcase their creativity center stage at the Museum.”

The event model is also unique: The 20 Little/​Big pairs selected to participate will join designers for a series of workshops at which they will design and produce intricate costumes. From there the design teams will showcase their creations at a family-friendly runway show that is open to the public, emceed by comedienne duo Lis Hatfield and Amy Gascon. ​“Lis and I are pumped to be taking part in such an innovative event,” says Gascon. ​“When we were first asked to emcee, our initial response was ​‘don’t tempt us with a good time!’ We can’t wait to see all the costumes and look forward to rubbing elbows with robots and monsters alike!“

The Seriously Most Amazing Halloween Party of All Time! takes place from 12 — 4 pm at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, with in-gallery trick-or-treating, art making in GRAM Studio, story time, and more:

Schedule of Events

• 12 — 4 pm: The Seriously Most Amazing Halloween Party of All Time! — Enjoy in-gallery trick-or-treating, art making activities in GRAM studio, and story time.
• 2 pm: Seriously Amazing Costume Show — Watch live as 20 littles from the Big Brother Big Sister program reveal costumes they’ve created in collaboration with professional designers from across all of West Michigan.
• 3 pm: Grand Costume Parade 

About the Grand Rapids Art Museum
Focusing on art, design, and creativity, GRAM provides diverse platforms for experiences, ideas, and dialogue that enrich the human spirit and build practical learning skills. Through dynamic exhibitions, collections, learning initiatives, and community collaborations, GRAM increasingly serves as a cultural beacon and civic anchor. Established in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, the Art Museum is internationally known for its distinguished design and LEED® Gold certified status. Established in 1910 as the Grand Rapids Art Association, GRAM has grown to include more than 5,000 works of art, including American and European 19^th and 20^th century painting and sculpture and more than 3,000 works on paper. Embracing the city’s legacy as a leading center of design and manufacturing; GRAM has a growing collection in the area of design and modern craft.

For GRAM’s hours and admission fees, visit artmuseumgr.org or call 616 – 831-1000.

About Design for Good
Design for Good West Michigan is a platform developed by AIGA that empowers professionals to give their time and talents toward solutions to foundational challenges within our community. Since 2009, DFG WM has profoundly impacted the building and sustainable growth of education, nonprofits, business and technology in West Michigan by creating a variety of events where design can be discovered, discussed, understood and utilized to revitalize social causes and help the community thrive.

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