The city of Grand Rapids has earmarked $50,000 to test how it can pay street musicians, but only within the boundaries of the Third Ward.
The funds are part of Grand Rapids’ “Phase Zero pilot program,” which will compensate the musicians as vendors through “micro-business enterprises,” according to a city release. Program organizers say the plan is also part of the city’s “Cultural Business Enterprise Initiative,” a plan which does not appear to have a publicly available definition.
Phase Zero is expected to award a share of the funds to between 15 and 18 musicians, who will offer free live street performances on September 26th during SouthPrize, an ArtPrize offshoot event in the Third Ward. The pilot is limited only to the Third Ward.
“These live performances are the core of Phase Zero,” the city’s release reads. “They give the City a chance to test how supporting musicians as vendors strengthens neighborhood activation, boosts foot traffic and creates momentum for future investment in the creative economy.”
The funds will be sourced in part from the Third Ward Equity Fund, a pool of money which the city allocated to address a “historic lack of investment” in the area.
The Southtown Corridor Improvement Authority is contributing $30,000 to the Phase Zero pilot, a program for which Third Ward Commissioner Kelsey Perdue is a board member. The remaining $20,000 for Phase Zero will come from the Office of Equity and Engagement.
Artists interested in participating in the program must sign up through the Michigan Music Alliance, which will guide them through becoming a Micro Local Business Enterprise. Through that process, the musicians must register an LLC with the state in order to receive city money.
The announcement comes as Grand Rapids is searching for an artist to create a gun violence memorial in the Third Ward. One artist selected by the city will receive up to $20,000 for the creation of the 3D memorial art piece.
Those vying for the job must explain how their art will advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Grand Rapids’ three wards are political districts drawn to apportion political power on the City Commission. Most of the southeast side of the city lies within the Third Ward, which is currently represented by Commissioners Perdue and Marshall Kilgore.
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An earlier draft of this story stated the Third Ward Equity Fund was part of the Participatory Budgeting initiative. The story has been corrected to state that the city allocates its funding. The Grand Rapids Herald regrets the error.