Episodios

  • From Curation to Competition to Celebration: A Look at The Artistic Legacy of ArtPrize 2025 (01-03-26)

    From Curation to Competition to Celebration: A Look at The Artistic Legacy of ArtPrize 2025 (01-03-26)
    Jan 3 2026
    ArtPrize 2025 has officially wrapped, leaving a lasting impression throughout downtown Grand Rapids.
    In this episode of West Michigan Weekend, host Phil Tower welcomes back Catlin Whitington, Executive Director of ArtPrize, to reflect on the success of this year’s international art competition and its evolving role in our community.

    Inside This Episode, we discuss:
    Celebrating the Winners: We discuss the $100,000 Grand Prize winner who captivated both the public voters and the juried art judges.

    Public Vote Winner: Mark Lewanski’s stunning installation, Arras.

    Juried Award Winner: Scraps, an evocative textile installation by the artistic duo Second Vibess (Camille Steverson and Kaitlynn Fitzpatrick).

    The Evolution of ArtPrize: Catlin shares how the event has matured, becoming a more decentralized, global stage for art, and still maintaining the accessibility factor for artists from all walks of life.

    The crowds are back: ArtPrize 2025 saw crowds that were more in line with the pre-COVID numbers that the event had drawn before.

    Digital Engagement: A look at how the public interacted with the art this year through QR codes and the impact of digital voting on the visitor experience.

    Economic & Cultural Impact: Beyond the galleries and venues, we explore what ArtPrize means for West Michigan’s economy and how it continues to shape Grand Rapids' identity on a global scale. Catlin shared that the economic impact of ArtPrize for 2025 exceeded $80 million.

    ArtPrize Runs On Donor Support: donations keep this world-class event free and accessible to all. Donations also help provide $200,000 in grants to artists, as well as access for thousands of Michigan students experiencing ArtPrize this year. Make a secure donation to ArtPrize here.


    ArtPrize 2026 planning is underway. The next event is September 17 through October 3, 2026.

    More Online: ArtPrize
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    30 m
  • Hacking the Car Market: Auto Analyst Karl Brauer On How to Save Over $2,600 on Your Next Vehicle(12-28-25)

    Hacking the Car Market: Auto Analyst Karl Brauer On How to Save Over $2,600 on Your Next Vehicle(12-28-25)
    Dec 27 2025
    In this episode, host Phil Tower welcomes Karl Brauer, Executive Analyst with iSeeCars.com.

    Karl joined us to break down the results of a recent study from the team at iSeeCars.com.
    The Study revealed that the prime season for finding a used car deal is predominantly November through March, and the single best day to purchase a used car is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which offers 65.5% more good deals than average, according to the latest iSeeCars.com study.

    The study analyzed over 40 million used car sales to calculate the chances of finding a good deal at specific times of the year, with a good deal defined as saving at least 10% (approx. $2,689) off the average price of a used car ($26,889).

    See the full study from iSeeCars.com and all the Best/Worst Times To Buy A Car.
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    16 m
  • Spotlighting The Great Lakes Winter Trails Council: Your Best Guide For Enjoying Michigan's Great Outdoors (12-28-25)

    Spotlighting The Great Lakes Winter Trails Council: Your Best Guide For Enjoying Michigan's Great Outdoors (12-28-25)
    Dec 27 2025
    In this episode, we welcome Brittany Primeau, the Director of Communications at Crystal Mountain, and Caroline Rizzo, Communications Manager with Grand Traverse Resort.

    Britney & Caroline joined host Phil Tower in-studio in this segment to discuss the benefits of enjoying the great outdoors during wintertime in Michigan.

    Specifically, we focused on the MyWinterTrails.com website.

    The site is packed with helpful information for those who love winter sports, and 80 includes a list of 17 Michigan ski resorts and winter sports destinations comprising the Great Lakes Winter Trails Council. These destinations in Michigan alone offer some of the best groomed cross-country skiing trails and snowshoeing terrain in the Midwest.

    Outdoor activities highlighted at MyWinterTrails.com include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, fat-tire biking, winter rafting, Nordic ski walking, and more.

    We also discussed the numerous activities scheduled across the state for My Winter Trails Day on January 10, 2026.

    Online:

    Crystal Mountain

    Grand Traverse Resort
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    11 m
  • Unity Without Uniformity: Lessons in Peacemaking with Rev. Tanner Smith at The Colossian Forum

    Unity Without Uniformity: Lessons in Peacemaking with Rev. Tanner Smith at The Colossian Forum
    Dec 21 2025
    In this episode, host Phil Tower welcomes Rev. Dr. Tanner Smith, Chief of Staff, The Colossian Forum.

    About our guest: Rev. Dr. Tanner Smith serves as Chief of Staff at The Colossian Forum, a Christian nonprofit based in Grand Rapids.

    The Colossian Forum equips believers, churches, and organizations to engage conflict not as something to avoid or fear, but as an opportunity for growth, deeper relationships, and spiritual formation. Their work is rooted in the conviction that “all things hold together in Christ” (Colossians 1:17).

    The Colossian Forum’s work is guided by a compelling and timely mission:
    to help Christians think, act, and lead more like Jesus—especially in moments of disagreement and tension—so that churches and communities can embody unity, compassion, and maturity even amid big differences.

    Episode Overview:

    In this conversation, Rev.Tanner Smith explores how Christians can faithfully navigate conflict in personal relationships, work life, church life, and many other places—without retreating into avoidance or hostility.

    Topics Discussed
    • The programs, trainings, and presentations offered by The Colossian Forum
    • What it means to be a non-anxious presence in an anxious and divided culture
    • Navigating tense holiday gatherings and extended family relationships
    • Approaches to healing or engaging with an estranged family member
    • Why avoiding conflict altogether is not a faithful or effective solution
    Key Themes: Conflict resolution • Faith and spirituality • Emotional and spiritual maturity • Unity amid political division • Christian leadership in polarized times

    Learn More: The Colossian Forum
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    28 m
  • SAFER by 2030: Michigan's Aggressive Effort to Reduce Traffic Fatalities (12-12-25)

    SAFER by 2030: Michigan's Aggressive Effort to Reduce Traffic Fatalities (12-12-25)
    Dec 13 2025
    We welcome Alicia Sledge, director of the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning (OHSP) and chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Advisory Commission (GTSAC), for this segment of West Michigan Weekend.

    Alicia joined host Phil Tower for an overview of a serious and aggressive effort to reduce traffic fatalities in Michigan.

    SAFER by 2030…. Is the name of the initiative AND SAFER is an acronym for “Statewide Action to Reduce Fatalities Encountered on our Roadways” by 30 percent by 2030.

    The new program involves several state of Michigan agencies and departments working collaboratively to create a culture of safe driving in Michigan, to work towards Zero Traffic Deaths.

    In 2024, 288,880 traffic crashes in Michigan took the lives of 1,099 people. Those 1099 fatalities were an increase over the 2023 number of 1095 automotive fatalities.

    The SAFER by 2030 initiative focuses on three key areas of Awareness, Engagement, and Enforcement.


    Helpful Links:

    MICHIGAN OFFICE OF HIGHWAY SAFETY PLANNING

    LeaMichigan.gov/saferby2030
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    14 m
  • Unpacking West Michigan's Economic Health: The Right Place's 2026 State of the Region Report (12-12-25)

    Unpacking West Michigan's Economic Health: The Right Place's 2026 State of the Region Report (12-12-25)
    Dec 13 2025
    In this episode, host Phil Tower welcomes back Randy Thelen…President and CEO of The Right Place.
    He joined us for this segment of West Michigan Weekend to take a closer look at the economic health of our region as we head into 2026.
    The Right Place—West Michigan’s leading economic development organization—just released its annual State of the Region report in early December. It provides a detailed look at trends in jobs, wages, business growth, population, and more across our 13-county region.

    Randy helped us unpack some of the key takeaways from the State of The Region Report, which measured several economic benchmarks, including the local job market, wages and cost of living, housing affordability, industry strengths, and emerging sectors, the state of regional talent and population trends, the small business climate in the region, and the state of local infrastructure.

    Online-The Right Place

    Download the complete State of the Region from The Right Place.
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    15 m
  • Legally Haunted!? How To Carefully Navigate Selling a Ghost-Inhabited Home (12-07-25)

    Legally Haunted!? How To Carefully Navigate Selling a Ghost-Inhabited Home (12-07-25)
    Dec 6 2025
    In this episode, host Phil Tower speaks with Cooley Law School Professors Mark Dotson and Jim Hicks.

    Legal experts Dotson and Hicks joined us for a most unusual but relevant conversation they called, “So You Think Your House is Haunted?

    The professors advised that before listing your home that you feel may be haunted, you should first consult a legal expert.
    Disclosing a home’s paranormal activity when it is time to sell varies by state.

    Cooley Professors Mark Dotson and Jim Hicks noted that local and state laws may affect sales of homes that individuals believe to be “haunted,” including the famous New York case, Stambovsky v. Ackley, which is the most famous or notorious case involving the disclosures of paranormal activity during the sale of a home.

    Under Stambovsky, when a homeowner tells others their home is haunted, they would have to disclose this information. If a home has a reputation or is known as a haunted house, it will need to be disclosed. The house in the Stambovsky case had both the reputation and media coverage about it being haunted, to required that it be disclosed.

    The "Legally Haunted House

    Cooley Law Online
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    18 m
  • How Iron Fish Distillery and the Conservation Resource Alliance are Protecting Michigan Rivers(12-07-25)

    How Iron Fish Distillery and the Conservation Resource Alliance are Protecting Michigan Rivers(12-07-25)
    Dec 6 2025
    In this episode, host Phil Tower welcomes Troy Anderson, Marketing Manager with Iron Fish Distillery.

    Troy joined the program to talk about Iron Fish Distillery's exciting new limited seasonal release, Riverbed Whiskey. Troy said that Riverbed Whiskey represents the pinnacle expression of Iron Fish’s Mad Angler brand.

    Troy shared that the Mad Angler name was drawn from the writings of Northern Michigan writer Michael Delp, whose work is deeply rooted in the advocacy for preserving and protecting the region’s rivers. Riverbed Whiskey is blended from the most distinctive single barrels of four mash bills and slow-proofed for balance and depth.

    A limited amount of Riverbed Whiskey has been released statewide at select Michigan retailers through the holidays. In conjunction with the Riverbed Whiskey release, Iron Fish has partnered with the Conservation Resource Alliance (CRA), an environmental nonprofit that has spent more than 50 years restoring rivers and habitats across northwest Michigan.

    Through its signature River Care program, CRA reconnects fragmented streams, reduces erosion, enhances aquatic habitat, and strengthens watershed resilience across 16 watersheds in the region.
    Learn More: Mad Angler Riverbed Whiskey
    Visit: Conservation Resource Alliance
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    11 m