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During the 2018 Conference, we will have several special tours/events during the 3 days of the conference. You may sign up for these programs on the Conference registration form. Participation in these tours will be on a first-come, first-served basis, since we have a limited number of spaces available.

Gerald R. Ford Museum and Grand Rapids ArtPrize

Saturday, October 6, 2018
4:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m.

The Ford Museum contains a permanent exhibit which allows visitors to experience highlights from President and Mrs. Ford's lives, as well as exploring democratic citizenship and slowing for quiet reflection.The Museum has an assortment of historical artifacts that illustrate the life and times of President Ford, and provides an excellent portrayal of the turbulent times and constitutional crisis swirling around Watergate, which led up to Ford's presidency, giving perspective on how President Ford's steady hand brought the nation back to normal. The goal of the Ford Museum is to ensure that future generations understand the legacy of the nation's 38th President.

Changing temporary exhibits draw artifacts from museums around the country. During October, the temporary exhibit will be In Step with Betty Ford: A Celebration of her Centennial. Mrs. Ford was a Grand Rapids Central High School graduate, a student of dance, a New York model, proud mother, and Congressman's wife -- all of these roles and more prepared Betty Ford for a larger stage that she did not seek, but on which she shone. First Lady Betty Ford spoke openly about issues dear to her, and she met life-threatening illnesses with faith and candor. Her courage endeared her to America as she and the people found significant commonality in their experiences.

While not a formal part of the Museum, the Conference on Faith and History takes place during Grand Rapids' tenth annual ArtPrize, with a number of art installations included in the Ford Museum. ArtPrize is an open, independently organized international art competition which takes place for 19 days each fall. More than five hundred thousand dollars in prizes is awarded each year in a competition open to any artist working in any medium from anywhere in the world. Art is exhibited throughout downtown Grand Rapids--in museums, bars, public parks, restaurants, theaters, hotels, bridges, laundromats, auto body shops, vacant storefronts and office spaces. In 2016, 1,453 works created by artists from 40 states and 44 countries were exhibited in 170 venues. ArtPrize is free and open to the public and now attracts over 500,000 visitors, making it the most attended public art event in the world in 2014 and 2015.

A charter bus will transport participants downtown to the Ford Museum and ArtPrize, leaving Calvin at 4:30 p.m. after the conclusion of the Conference on Saturday, and will return to Calvin at 8:30 p.m. that evening. Please note that there is an additional charge of $8.50/participant for this activity (paid with the Conference registration). You may also email Ellen Hekman to request a reservation, and mail your check for the $8.50 fee via regular mail (your place will be reserved when payment is received).

Dinner is not provided as part of the tour, but there are many options in the downtown area.


H. Henry Meeter Center and Heritage Hall at Calvin College

Friday, October 5, 2018
10:00 a.m.

Charting the Course of the Reformation

Have you ever wanted to hold John Calvin’s very first book in your hands? How about a Bible printed in 1534, just seventeen years after the start of the Reformation? Have you ever wondered how the Reformers managed to get their ideas out in print when “heretical” books were banned? Come find out more in a hands-on tour and talk at the Meeter Center for Calvin Studies, one of the premier collections in the world on John Calvin, Calvinism, and the Reformation. Meeter Center director Karin Maag and Curator Paul Fields will offer a lively and insightful show-and-tell presentation featuring items from the Meeter Center’s rare book collection.

To see more about the Meeter Center, check out this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KN5Kj3X9I4

Register for this free event on the Conference Registration form to join us for a tour of the Meeter Center and Heritage Hall. You may also email Ellen Hekman to reserve a place.