La Grande Vitesse

La Grande Vitesse. . , "La Grande Vitesse," the bright red stabile created for Grand Rapids by renowned artist and sculptor Alexander Calder, is a distinctive downtown landmark. Weighing 42 tons and standing four stories high, the steel abstraction was named "La Grande Vitesse" by the artist himself. The name means "great swiftness," a reference to the river that flows through the heart of the city., Commissioned in 1967 to be installed on Vandenberg Plaza, site of the city and county administration buildings, the completed work was dedicated to Grand Rapids by the artist in June 1969. It was the first piece of public art in America to be financed entirely through the combination of a National Endowment for the Arts grant and private funds. , As he worked on "La Grande Vitesse," Alexander Calder developed close ties to Grand Rapids. Later he produced other art works for the city. His "Festival Sun" was adapted as a symbol for the city's annual Festival of the Arts celebration. In 1974 he created the "Calder on the Roof," as a gift to the people of Grand Rapids. The colorful abstract painting covers the roof of the Kent County Administration Building, and can be seen from the upper floors of surrounding buildings. , In the years since its dedication, "La Grande Vitesse" has come to symbolize the city of Grand Rapids. Its profile has been adopted as the city's logo, and the stabile itself has become the focal point of the Festival of the Arts. Begun by the Arts Council of Greater Grand Rapids to promote the arts in Grand Rapids, "Festival" went on to become the largest all-volunteer celebration of its kind in the nation., A gift to the city from the Festival Committee on June 2, 1989