Grand Valley State University has several art exhibits opening this month. Below is a list of the university’s galleries and upcoming exhibitions.
“Mathias J. Alten: An Evolving Legacy”
Exhibition dates: ongoing
George and Barbara Gordon Gallery
DeVos Center, Building E, Room 103 and 202, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
Gordon Gallery hours: Friday and Saturday, 1-5 p.m.; closed on holiday weekends
The German-born American artist Mathias Joseph Alten (1871-1938) is often referred to as the dean of Michigan painters. Working in a traditional representational style, Alten incorporated the aesthetics and techniques of the Impressionist Movement in paintings infused with light and punctuated with deft brushwork. Based in Grand Rapids, Alten created more than 3,800 works over a more than 40-year career, including landscapes, seascapes, portraits and florals. Grand Valley State University holds the largest public collection in the world of Alten’s work.
“Water: Human Right or Commodity?”
Blue Wall Gallery, DeVos Center, Building B
Exhibition on display Jan. 7-June 21
This exhibition explores human rights in a world of increasingly limited natural resources; specifically, access to clean water. A result of the research and collaborations arranged by two Grand Valley State University social work faculty members, Paola León and Steven Smith, this exhibition includes images and descriptions of the challenges faced in El Salvador and Flint, Michigan. Organized into themes dealing with civic engagement, infrastructure, ownership/legislation, public health and scarcity/contamination, these materials provide local, national and international context to water rights. The El Salvador portion of the exhibition, focusing on the lack of running water in homes, social activism and contamination by the mining industry, was organized by León. Smith organized the Flint portion of the exhibition, documenting the ongoing issues and continuing recovery of the City of Flint’s tainted water supply.
VMA Sabbatical Showcase
Art Gallery, Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts
Exhibition on display Jan. 14-March 29
This sabbatical showcase will feature works by Grand Valley faculty members Brett Colley, Dellas Henke, Hoon Lee and Anthony Thompson.
“Plastination — The Art of Preservation”
Red Wall Gallery, Lake Ontario Hall, Allendale Campus
Exhibition on display Jan. 14-June 21
Plastination is the process of infusing animal, human or plant tissues with a variety of plastic or silicone products to render the tissues odor-free, dry and permanently preserved for educational and instructional purposes. The process was invented by Gunther von Hagens in 1977 at the University of Heidelberg, Germany, and became popular through his many “Body Worlds” exhibitions around the world. Beginning in 2007, members of Grand Valley State University began studying plastination and investigating the opportunity to create a lab at the university. That became a reality in 2013, and since then, more than 300 specimens have been plastinated for use in a variety of teaching roles. This exhibition tells the story of plastination at Grand Valley and walks viewers through the process and uses of plastinates. It brings together more than 20 animal specimens from the lab – currently the only plastination lab in Michigan.
For more information about Grand Valley State University art exhibits, call (616) 331-2563 or visit gvsu.edu/artgallery.
