Translated It Means “The Great Swiftness”
Photo Credit: Ray “Jiggs” Harbour
It was 1969 when Alexander Calder’s Mammoth La Grande Vitesse sculpture was installed in front of our City Hall in downtown Grand Rapids. The city commissioned Calder to create a piece of art as a part of our urban renewal initiative. The sculpture, built to reflect the “great swiftness” of the Grand River that flows through downtown, quickly became a symbol of the city’s fresh vision and forward movement. As third generation of Swift Printing, I love anything and everything involved with the word “Swift”. Naturally, after learning more about this sculpture, I felt even more connected to Calder and Grand Rapids
Calder created the sculpture but it wouldn’t have happened without the vision from Nancy Mulnix. Experience GR put together an awe-inspiring video (see below) on how it all came to be. I think every Grand Rapidian has a special connection with the Calder. I take a photo there any chance I get. See photo below of my wedding party stopping by to take a picture back in 2012. I hope you enjoy this bit of history as much as I do.
This is from my wedding September 29, 2012. Photo credit: Jiggs Harbour
