June 1, 2023, GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – People flock to the Festival of the Arts every year to see performers, make or appreciate art, and munch on food on a stick. All of those will be back this weekend, but Missy Summers promises the annual celebration will look a little different in its 54th year.
Summers, a Grand Rapids Community College graduate, was selected in January to be the executive director of the three-day event, which kicks off on Friday afternoon.
It’s not an easy task. Summers said she wanted to see Festival continue to evolve while still retaining the features that are beloved by attendees.
She attended GRCC from 2007 to 2009, then completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management at Ferris State University and a master’s degree from Aquinas College.
“I had some of my best teachers at GRCC,” she said. “I was very blessed. I’m positive on GRCC.”
She worked in the financial world for 10 years before becoming the director of development for Junior Achievement of Michigan Great Lakes. But she was excited to see an opening for the Festival of the Arts’ first full-time employee.
“I went to Festival, and I’ve always loved it,” she said. “I have an 8-year-old son, and every year I take him to Festival. When they had this opening, I was very curious. I started at the end of January, so it’s been a little bit of a whirlwind.”
A whirlwind indeed. The event draws hundreds of thousands of people to downtown, with a small army of 200 volunteers coordinating performers, food booths, artists and businesses.
“I’ve been here since 2000,” Summers said. “When we moved up here, Festival was one of the first events I went to. Back in the day, there weren’t too many big events downtown. It was Festival, Riverbank Run, and that was pretty much it happening downtown. There’s been such an evolution, because now downtown is so vibrant.”
Summers said Festival is a balancing act with art and culture -- and economics.
“I understand supporting artists and helping out businesses,” she said. “Helping artists leave a bigger footprint is really important to me, and so is spreading multiculturalism. We think that’s such an important part of our city and our legacy.”
Festival’s evolution includes 16 food trucks joining the traditional booths staffed by community groups, for a total of 25 dining options.
More than 150 performances will be spread out among five stages, including a return to Rosa Parks Circle. Youth art will be on display in DeVos Place, and juried art exhibits will be in five galleries around the city.
An Artisan Village will share Calder Plaza with performers and the Festival Beer Patio featuring a selection from Lost Art Brewhouse. Story time is planned for the Grand Rapids Public Library, and a scavenger hunt can help attendees explore the event.
“We always think about the food and stuff, but for me, it was really cool to see the wide range of performance art,” Summers said. “One minute you could have a jazz group playing and the next minute you have ballet going. You just get this nice diversity of performances and music. I remember early on being able to go see all these wonderful local artisans and their businesses, to experience and see how they did their art.”
Summers promises old favorites will return, including the T-shirt printing booth, hat-making area, Swingin’ Art – and lots and lots of paint.
“One of my favorite ones was when my son was young, taking him down there and walking through the streets and all the experiences he could have,” she said. “He could paint. We create the environment where kids can paint, and they don’t want mom and dad interrupting them. He just had such a blast. It was such a powerful experience for him. As a mom, it’s really fun when they’re excited and happy. Those are those key moments you have in your life. And now I get to work for that organization, and that’s pretty amazing.”