The Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts (RRCA) partners with artists Tyler and Ashley Voorhees (Glenn, Michigan) to present The Lamplighter. This stunning sculpture will be on display through Jan. 4, next to the Christmas tree in downtown Manistee. The Lamplighter is an interactive sculpture for people to enjoy safely and yet, encourage togetherness.
The Lamplighter harks back to the early days when the streets of most towns and cities were lit by gas lamps. By means of long poles, ladders, and even tall bikes, these lamps had to be lit each night as dusk turned to darkness. Lamplighters provided not only light but also safety in their communities. More than just a job, these harbingers of light represent a way of life: illuminating darkness.
The Lamplighter sculpture is constructed with dozens of antiquated tools and man-made artifacts in a grand gesture to this humble worker of the past. You are invited to pedal the stationary bikes surrounding the sculpture to generate light. This illumination is a nod to the light that we all carry within us. The Lamplighter symbolizes a collective connection to spread that light.
In a year of adaptation, artists Tyler and Ashley Voorhees have had to find new avenues to connect with patrons as their typical schedule of art festivals was upended by COVID-19. The Lamplighter sculpture was originally scheduled to be debuted at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids. After that event was added to the endless list of canceled events, the Voorhees duo searched out a new venue to unveil the sculpture. Xavier Verna, Executive Director of the RRCA, answered the call, and the stage was set for this momentous month-long exhibition.
The exhibition will run from through Jan. 4. This sculpture is supported by patrons of the arts, Arts Midwest, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts, The City of Manistee, and presented by the Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts.
The 35th Annual LowellArts West Michigan Art Competition highlights outstanding artwork by Lower West Michigan artists who reside in a 25-county region. Five cash awards totaling $2,500 are awarded. Artists may submit one piece for consideration by the juror.
Deadline for entries is Jan. 15.
The West Michigan Art Competition is open to all visual art media by artists 18 yrs. and older who reside in one of the eligible West Michigan counties. Eligible lower West Michigan counties include: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Cass, Calhoun, Clare, Clinton, Eaton, Gratiot, Ionia, Isabella, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lake, Mason, Mecosta, Muskegon, Montcalm, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Ottawa, Saint Joseph, and Van Buren.
Mackinac State Historic Parks are providing artists with the opportunity to take up residency on Mackinaw Island. This is an opportunity for artists of all mediums such as writers, musicians, visual artists, and more.
“We were so pleased to have completed the second year of the program in 2020 and look forward to 2021,” said Mackinac State Historic Parks Director Steve Brisson. “It was inspiring to witness how Mackinac sparked the creativity of the various artists these last two years.”
Artists who are selected for residency will be able to choose from two – three-week residencies beginning in early June and continuing through early October of 2021. During their residency artists will live rent-free on the second floor of the Mackinac Island Visitor’s Center. In addition, the artist is asked to provide a public presentation (workshop, lecture, reading, demonstration, etc.) on the second Wednesday of their residency and contribute one piece of their work to Mackinac State Historic Parks within 12 months.
Artists will be picked by a jury of representatives from Mackinac State Historic Parks, the Mackinac Island Arts Council, and the Mackinac Island Community Foundation. The goal of the program is to encourage the creation of artworks inspired by the history, natural wonders, and beauty of Mackinac Island.
The Fornosan Clouded Leopard looks mournfully at the passerby while in the distance a large yellow construction truck sits on top of the remanence of a forest; the forest that was once his home.
Today animals are going extinct at rapid rates. The Fornosan Clouded Leopard is an example of this as it was driven to extinction by habitat destruction and illegal hunting. According to the World Wild Life organization, over the past 40 years there has been a 60% decline in the size of animal populations. In Michigan, there are currently 25 species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The Grand Rapids Public Museum is working to being attention to this important topic in its latest exhibit “Wild Connections,” which features more than 20 Lego sculptures that explore mankind’s relationship with nature.
“In this exhibit you will be able to explore larger than life Lego creations such as wildlife, plants and insects, as well as how humans interact with nature, ” said GRPM Marketing Manager Alee’a Cherry. “This exhibit appeals to everyone of all ages and it also bridges art, creativity, and science,”
The artist behind the exhibit Sean Kenney, who uses the toy blocks to explore animal endangerment, the balance of ecosystems, and mankind’s relationship with nature. The exhibit highlights animals big and small and explores the balance of ecosystems, predator/prey relationships, as well as the relationships between humankind and the natural world.
Kenney lives in New York City and understands the importance of preserving nature. He believes that everything in nature is interconnected and this exhibition allows visitors to appreciate both nature and the sculptures as something beautiful. His goal is to celebrate the inherent beauty in nature and to protect animal habitats.
“Growing Ideas” (WKTV Journal/Anna Johns)
Of the 20 sculptures, Cherry said she could see a couple become fan favorites.
“The bike because it is so large and you feel like you can get right on and ride it,” she said with a laugh.
Near the large red tricycle, is “Growing Ideas,” another piece that Cherry said she believes will also be a fan favorite.
“Being able to see all the intricate parts of the city created in Lego bricks is just truly amazing,” she said.
This piece, which is a large-scale city scape with a cloud of ideas hanging over, was built with more than half a million Legos and was one of the biggest projects Kenney and his team ever took on. The Legos represent ideas that fall from the tree raining down onto the city showing that inspiration and creativity have no limits.
“Deforestation” (WKTV Journal/Anna Johns)
In addition to the exhibit, visitors have the opportunity to participate in interactive activities. Guests can pose for a Lego-themed photo or follow the animal tracks for a scavenger hunt. They can also test their skills with challenges such as “How far can you jump?,” and “How tall are you in Legos?”
“We hope that people walk away with the inspiration to create something,” Cherry said. “We want to make sure people go home with the information they need to research more, make informed decisions, and also create.”
“Wild Connections” is open until May 2, 2021. Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for children with discounts for museum members and Kent County residents. Advanced ticketing is required and tickets can be purchased at https://www.grpm.org/legos/.
People have danced on its staged. They have ice skated in its circle. They have sat on its steps to admire the Grand Rapids Art Museum and other surrounding landmarks in Michigan’s second largest city.
There is no doubt that Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle has become the epicenter of the City of Grand Rapids with an array of festivals, performances, and civic event taking place there. In fact, the amount of use Ecliptic has received has surpassed original expectations by nearly two-thirds more foot traffic than planned. As a result, the original materials are coming to the end of their useful lives.
“Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle has hosted numerous important moments in Grand Rapids history since its installation in 2000,” said Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. (DGRI) president Tim Kelly. “Over 700,000 visitors each year use the park for recreation, entertainment, civic gatherings and much needed breathing space in a growing city. It’s imperative that we all contribute to the well-being of this asset.”
It is why a group of volunteers have come together through Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle Conservancy with the mission to restore, elevate and preserve the cherished landmark that was created as a work of art by the internationally renowned artist Maya Lin. Formed in 2018, Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle Conservancy is a partnership between the City of Grand Rapids and the DGRI.
Tripp Frey, leads the nonprofit Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle Conservancy. (Supplied)
“Public spaces have been and will continue to be a vital part of our society and the proposed restoration project intends to restore, elevate and preserve Ecliptic for the next century,” said Frey Foundation’s Tripp Frey, who is leads the nonprofit Conservancy. “In its first 20 years, it has become a beating heart of downtown Grand Rapids. Our goal with this effort is to preserve its integrity and beauty for future generations to experience and enjoy.”
The Conservancy is close to engaging construction firms to provide upgrades to the nearly 20-year-old Maya Lin-designed artwork at downtown Grand Rapids’ Rosa Parks Circle. The Conservancy has received significant support from various sources and is now finalizing plans that will ensure the Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle continues to serve visitors and residents of Grand Rapids for the next one hundred years.
Construction is planned to begin in spring 2021 with an expected completion date of Sept. 6, 2021, exactly 20 years to the day after the original dedication of the park.
This collaboration has resulted in the planning of a restoration project that will renovate the current artwork and park structures, upgrade each feature with new and more durable materials, and provide way showing and interpretive moments to make the artwork and park more accessible to visitors and community stakeholders.
Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle was named one of the American Planning Association’s Top-Ten Great Public Spaces in America in 2017, for excellence in urban planning and usage including stakeholder engagement at the local, state and federal level.
The amount of use Ecliptic has received has surpassed original expectations by nearly two-thirds more foot traffic than planned. (Supplied)
“Ecliptic is such a treasure to Grand Rapids, and now we are seeing the impacts of incredible use over the years, “ said David Marquardt, director, Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation. “This effort will ensure the longevity of the park as a work of art and as a place of meaning for the residents of Grand Rapids.”
To learn more about the renovation and fundraising efforts, individuals can go to the Ecliptic at Rosa Parks Circle Patronicity site at www.patronicity.com/ecliptic.
Celebrating its 19th year, the annual competition welcomes artists from around the globe responding to Meijer Gardens in their work. Through the generosity of the Loeschner family, two $5,000 purchase awards (one for two-dimensional and one for photography) will be paid for the winning entries in addition to becoming a part of Meijer Gardens’ permanent collection. The competition is open to all artists who are 18 years old and older working in a two-dimensional format.
Artists are encouraged to submit original two-dimensional (e.g. drawing, print, pastel, painting or photography) works inspired by Meijer Gardens. To participate, artists may register online at meijergardens.org/award by Friday, October 23. If selected as a finalist, Meijer Gardens will request delivery of the original artwork on Friday, November 20. The winner will be chosen and announced by Friday, January 29.
Since 2002, the Loeschner Art Completion has sought outstanding artwork inspired by Meijer Gardens. The objective is to collect high-quality work that celebrates the beauty and inspiration that Meijer Gardens provides. For more information and to view past winners, visit www.meijergardens.org/award
Through Sunday, Aug. 23, Celebration! Cinema South is hosting a Fair Food event in support of the Kentwood Athletic Boosters. They have elephant ears (five trucks), funnel cakes, deep fried Oreos, Lemon Shake-Ups, corn dogs, Philly steak and cheese, cheeseburgers, cotton candy, caramel apples, candy apples, popcorn, chicken nuggets, tater tots, fresh cut French fries, sausage and snow cones. The event is from noon to close (noon to 9 pm. through Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday)
Sprinkle Away!!! Yeah!!!
Yep! Betty, Sue and Johnny can now run through the sprinklers as the City of Wyoming announced it had completed the repair of the larger of two transmission water mains. Through the efforts of its customers, who reduced their water demand by half along with the quick work of the contractors, the main was fixed in about a week and half with the ban being lifted on Wednesday and the city announcing “Sprinkle Away.”
Go On an Art Walk
Disappointment reigned supreme when it was announced that COVID-19 had put the kibosh on this year’s ArtPrize activities. As others scrambled to fill in the gaps, we discovered there is quite a bit of art — both new and old — for any resident to take their own art tour through downtown Grand Rapids. WKTV Intern Shallom Kimanzi offers up her own art walk through downtown, where she discovers just how much art downtown Grand Rapids has to offer.
Fun Fact: Where does the name August come from?
In the original Rome calendar, August was called Sextilis because it was the sixth month of the year. When January and February was added, it became the eighth month with Julius Caesar adding two more days to the month so it had 31 days. Later, it was renamed to honor Rome’s first emperor Caesar Augustus, who was Julius Caesar’s adopted son and heir.
Disappointment reigned supreme when it was announced that COVID-19 had put the kibosh on this year’s ArtPrize activities. As others scrambled to fill in the gaps, we discovered there is quite a bit of art — both new and old — for any resident to take their own art tour through downtown Grand Rapids.
Take this walking tour by yourself, or with family and friends, to get some fresh air while enjoying the beautiful art that adorns the Grand Rapids’ streets.
Starting from the LOVE sculpture along Monroe Avenue, take the path behind it past the Panera Bread along Campau Avenue going below the JW Marriott Grand Rapids bridge along Louis Street to see the blue “Steel Water” fluoridation statue located by the Grand River along Louis Street. The statue was made as a pride symbol of Grand Rapids for being the first city that utilized water fluoridation in 1945.
Head back east to the LOVE sculpture and go north along Monroe Avenue. Then join Pearl Street by turning west from Monroe Avenue. Along Pearl Street, you will see the benches and a garden-like monument built to preserve the memory of a lifelong friendship which later became a business partnership between Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel. The two entrepreneurs formed Amway Corporation that turned into a global corporation. This monument is right outside the JW Marriott hotel, which was the last venture DeVos and Andel embarked on together. The flower monument is surrounded by benches and pillars each dedicated to the sister cities connected to Grand Rapids by Amway.
Head north on Pearl Street over the bridge to the front of the Grand Rapids Public Museum where the Memorial Bell is located just west of Pearl Street. Dedicated in 1995, the bell was donated by a Local 336 Firefighters of Grand Rapids and it serves a tribute to all firefighters, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
While looking at the Memorial Bell, you can’t help but notice the Apollo Command Module, which is actually a time capsule. Celebrating the city’s sesquicentennial and the nation’s bicentennial, the module was filled with memorabilia that reflects life in Grand Rapids in 1976. What does it hold? Well, you won’t get a sneak peek until July 4, 2076 when it is scheduled to be open.
As you continue to walk outside the Grand Rapids Public Museum you will see paintings on the walls of the building along Front Avenue which lead you to the east entrance of the spectacular Blue Bridge.
Before getting across the bridge, there is the Noahquageshik sculpture right before the entrance. Noahquageshik, also known as “Chief Noonday,” was a very influential leader of the original people (Grand River Ottawa Anishinabe) of Grand Rapids and this statue is dedicated to him.
If you’re feeling a little bit more adventurous, you can take a stroll through Lacks park that leads to a mini nature trail beside the calm waters of the Grand River right below the Blue Bridge, which extend north to the bridge on Pearl Street.
Lacks Pack has beautiful sculptures in it as well such as the River’s Edge and the Be Still and Know IV. This park can serve as a cute spot for taking pictures, having your “alone time,” hanging out with your loved ones or just getting your daily work out steps in.
After crossing the Blue Bridge, go east into the small path, called the River Edge, right outside the building covered with beautiful art paintings and head north onto Fulton Street.
You’ll see a little black box painting dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement before turning west onto Ottawa Street and you will see another Black Lives Matter painting along Louis Street. These paintings were done on windows broken after a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest following the death of George Flloyd.
Keep walking north on Ottawa Street and head west on Monroe Street to find yet another wall painting dedicated to the Black community and the rights and justice they deserve.
And the best way to complete the tour is at the famous Rosa Parks Circle that houses a statue dedicated to Civil Rights activist Rosa Park at the intersection of Monroe Street and Monroe Avenue. Head across the street, head south along Monroe Street to the starting point, the LOVE sculpture.
Going on this tour made me realize what a rich artistic culture Grand Rapids has. The city’s buildings, sculptures and statues are full of many stories that show that Grand Rapids is a city full of art even without ArtPrize.
From fairy tales, wings, and castles, to watches, clocks and more, the latest exhibit by Arts Alive, hosted at Tibbits Opera House, invites artists to submit artwork of all mediums inspired by the theme “Once Upon a Time.”
The exhibit runs Aug. 10 through Sept. 8 at Tibbits Opera House. Artists may submit up to three pieces at $5 per submission. Paintings, photographs or drawings should be ready to hang using hanging wire. Sculpture or other mediums are accepted and encouraged as well. “Once Upon a Time” is totally up to the artist to interpret the theme as he/she sees fit.
Cash prizes will be awarded to the top artists based on audience votes. Artists can also sell their work on commission.
To be included in this art show, artists should drop off all pieces at Tibbits’ Administration Office on 93 W. Chicago St before Sept. 4 at 4:30 p.m.
The art gallery currently features artwork by area student artists who submitted pieces for the annual Kids Art Rocks contest. Even though the theatre remains closed for performances, by executive order the art gallery is open weekdays from 9-5 and by appointment. There is no admission charge for the gallery and visitors are encouraged to vote for their favorite artwork.
The gallery shows rotate approximately every six weeks. After the “Once Upon a Time” show, the final 2020 gallery show will be “A Chair Affair” fundraiser in November and December. For dates and details of these exhibits, or to become involved in Arts Alive, call Steph at Tibbits at 517-278-6029, email artsalivecw@gmail.com or visit the Arts Alive facebook page at www.facebook.com/Arts-Alive-Coldwater.
The LowellArts Board of Directors announced that this year’s Fallasburg Arts Festival will go on, but not in the usual live formatthat festival lovers have grown accustomed to. In reaction to Covid-19 concerns, plans are currently underway to create a virtual version of the festival with as much of the fun and flavor of past festivals as can be imagined. “We are a creative community,” said LowellArts’ Board President, Gary Eldridge. “If we can imagine it, I believe we have the talent and means to make it happen.”
The Festival began in 1968 and LowellArts has been presenting the Fallasburg Arts Festival in historic Fallasburg Park since 1978. In that time the festival has always gone on, surviving downpours, dry spells, and even the competition of ArtPrize. “We won’t let a virus stop that tradition!” said Eldridge. The 2-day, outdoor event typically features over 100 unique fine art and fine craft booths, food booths, children’s craft area, craft demonstrations, and music performed on an outdoor stage. Annual attendance estimates are 25,000.
The Festival is also a major annual fundraiser for LowellArts as well as for many other community non-profits who raise funds through food sales and donations from parking and the children’s area. Over 150 volunteers work for months in advance planning and organizing the Festival. In addition, the 100+ fine artisans that participate in the Festival depend on art sales as part of their regular income, and view this Festival as their last big event before folding their tents for the winter.
LowellArts’ virtual festival will share the same Sept. 19 & 20 dates as was originally planned, with hopes of including a virtual Saturday morning opening at 10:00am. Additional plans will be shared when they are finalized.
The Lakeshore Art Festival in partnership with the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce will honor the festival’s 2020 theme “The Art of Recycling” through the PADNOS Public Art Project. Lakeshore Art Festival 2020 was slated to take place July 3 and 4 in downtown Muskegon but was cancelled due to health concerns over COVID-19.
Lakeshore Art Festival and PADNOS, a regional recycler of metals, plastics, paper and electronics, have partnered to create an exhibition of four public sculptures in downtown Muskegon. A celebration to unveil the sculptures will take place at Olthoff Stage in downtown Muskegon on Wednesday, June 24 at 4:30 p.m. The sculptures will be prominently placed outdoors along Western Avenue until Fall 2020. All of the sculptures created for this unique exhibit have been constructed from at least 90% recycled materials donated by PADNOS.
“PADNOS is thrilled to be a partner on this project and help bring awareness of the power of recycling to the Muskegon community,” said Ben Irwin, President of PADNOS Muskegon Recycling. “This project supports our mission of community outreach and seeing possibility in expendability.”
Four artists were selected through a jurying process. The selected artists are Larry Sybesma, Chip Vander Wier, Sherri Balaskovitz and EA-Craftworks, which is comprised of four artists: Mark Schentzel, Alex Kallio, Tom Hutchins and Jack Cantu. Artists will receive a stipend to produce the public art piece and if chosen to be a permanent art display in downtown Muskegon, additional funds will be paid as the purchase price of the sculpture. Artists will also have the opportunity to sell their work.
Cindy Larsen, President of the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce commented, “We are excited to still have a portion of Lakeshore Art Festival live on this year. This project will bring additional public art to the Muskegon Lakeshore community that both residents and visitors can enjoy this summer.”
The PADNOS Public Art Project is funded in conjunction with PADNOS, Quality Tool & Stamping, Clifford Buck Construction Company and through a grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.
About Lakeshore Art Festival
Lakeshore Art Festival is a project of the Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce and features a unique blend of 350+ fine art and craft exhibitors, street performers, specialty food booths, interactive art stations, children’s activities and so much more in beautiful Downtown Muskegon, Michigan. Local businesses interested in supporting this locally and nationally recognized festival through sponsorship can contact Lakeshore Art Festival at artfest@muskegon.org. For more information visit lakeshoreartfestival.org.
The LowellArts Gallery has opened the new exhibit “Being + Wonder + Within” June 16 at its gallery located at 223 Main St., Lowell.
The exhibit, which runs through Aug. 15, combines the work of three groups of artists, each with a unique perspective on being human and how we exist as part of the world. One group of five artists will present “Ikigal: A reason of Being. Another group of five artists will present “Small Wonder/Nature, and a group of two artists present “between/within/among.”
The Gallery will be open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday – Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.
A maximum of 10 visitors will be allowed in the gallery. Gallery visitors will be required to follow social distancing guidelines such as keeping six feet apart and wearing a face mask.
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park set to open on Monday. (Supplied)
Places are starting to reopen with Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture announcing it will open Monday and the Kent County Parks announcing it will have a stagger opening. Opening immediately are swimming beaches at Long Lake Park, Millennium Park, Myers Lake Park and Wabasis Park; all playgrounds; the Kaufman Golf Course; all restrooms, open shelters and group picnic areas. KDL announced it will start curbside June 15. For more upcoming openings, click here.
Time to purge, Kentwood
Kentwood residents, Saturday is your official Community Clean-Up Day!. That means all the stuff you have been collecting over the past 10 weeks in quarantine you can finally get rid of. Community Clean-Up Day takes place from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Kentwood Department of Public Works, 5068 Breton Ave. SE. Also opening this Saturday is the city’s brush and leaves drop-off sites. For more information, click here.
Our beautiful Downtown GR
Hundreds of people came out last Sunday to help downtown Grand Rapids businesses clean up after a night of riots. This past week, artists and community leaders turned the boarded up windows into works of art and positive message such as the “be nice.” displayed at One Trick Pony. Take a drive through downtown this weekend to see this mini-outside gallery and remember, many of the places are now open so step on in and share the love. For more, click here.
Everybody Loves a Parade!
Let’s admit it: we all love those big trucks. On May 22, the Kentwood Department of Public had a parade of its trucks to show community support. So click on the link above and enjoy the ride!
Grand Valley State University’s 17th annual Fall Arts Celebration features dance that combines movement and technology; art that challenges perceptions; music that captures the power and mystery of the sea; and more — this year’s events at Grand Valley State University are set to bring out ‘all the feels’.
Zapatos Rojos | Red Shoes, an installation by Elina Chauvet
When: Nov. 1, 2019-Feb. 28, 2020
Where: Kirkhof Center Gallery, Allendale Campus
Zapatos Rojos | Red Shoes is an itinerant installation originally organized in 2009 by artist and architect Elina Chauvet in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Comprising 33 pairs of red shoes donated by the women of Ciudad Juárez — each pair representing a woman who had disappeared in that community — the piece is designed to draw attention to the fact that women were being killed without any consequences.
A bit of back story on the artist’s use of red shoes as the focus of her work: Chauvet researched the disappearances extensively; in the course of her fact-finding, she discovered that many of the women who vanished had worked in shoe stores, had been buying shoes at the time they disappeared, or were looking for a job in a shoe shop.
Chauvet had also used shoes as a metaphor in the past to express her concern for the missing and dead women.
In 2017, Zulema Moret, Grand Valley professor of modern languages, arranged for Chauvet to direct an installation of Zapatos Rojos | Red Shoes in Grand Rapids. This exhibition documents many of the community groups that participated in painting the shoes, as well as the installation at the Richard M. DeVos Center courtyard on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus.
The Fall Arts Celebration shines a spotlight on some of the world’s preeminent artists, poets, musicians, dancers, and scholars. Each fall for the past 17 years, West Michigan audiences have enjoyed a series of six free events that celebrate the positive impact of the arts. For more information, visit gvsu.edu/fallarts.
More art
Art of Today: Contemporary Collections from Chicago
When: Through Nov. 1, 2019
Where: Art Gallery, Haas Center for Performing Arts, Allendale Campus
Working with Chicago-based artists, gallery owners and collectors, Grand Valley has acquired a collection of contemporary art over the last 15 years.
Curated from Grand Valley’s collection and enhanced with additional loans from Chicago, Art of Today comprises more than 40 paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, sculptures and mixed media works — bold and minimalistic works exploring simplicity in design, society’s relationship to the environment, as well as the intersection of pop culture and art by artists Alex Katz, Ellsworth Kelly, David Nash and Takahashi Murakami.
The challenging imagery of other artists — such as Tony Fitzpatrick, Jane Hammond, Erika Rothenberg and Kara Walker — examines the meaning of identity, race, culture and sexuality.
Lecture
Jill Lepore: American History from Beginning to End
When: Nov. 5, 2019; public reception at 5pm and lecture at 6pm
Where: L.V. Eberhard Center, second floor, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
Jill Lepore (Courtesy GVSU)
What do you see when you look at 500 years instead of the last five minutes? Jill Lepore, the leading narrative historian of her generation, offers a different perspective on history. Lepore asserts that the United States is an experiment founded on three ‘truths’: political equality, natural rights, and the sovereignty of the people. Her thesis will challenge your imagination to put yourself in a place in history to help give context to the present.
Lepore is the David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History at Harvard University. She is also a staff writer at The New Yorker. One of her latest books is These Truths: A History of the United States (2018), on TheNew York Times Best Seller list. Her most recent book, This America: The Case for the Nation, was published in May 2019.
GVSU Art Gallery
For more information about Grand Valley State University art exhibits, call 616.331.2563 or visit gvsu.edu/artgallery.
Mathias J. Alten: An Evolving Legacy
When: Exhibition dates are ongoing
Hours: Friday and Saturday, 1-5 p.m.; closed on holiday weekends
Where: George and Barbara Gordon Gallery, DeVos Center, Bldg. E, Room 103 and 202, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
Often referred to as the ‘dean of Michigan painters’, the German-born American artist Mathias Joseph Alten (1871-1938) worked in a traditional representational style, incorporating the aesthetics and techniques of the Impressionist Movement in his paintings. Based in Grand Rapids, Alten created more than 3,800 works over his more-than-40-year career, including landscapes, seascapes, portraits and florals, all infused with light and punctuated with deft brushwork. Grand Valley State University holds the largest public collection of Alten’s work in the world.
Wandering Seeds: Experiencing and Engaging Haiti Through Study Abroad
When: Through Dec. 13, 2019
Where: Blue Wall Gallery, DeVos Center, Bldg. B, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
In 2018, a dozen GVSU students and three faculty members traveled to Haiti as part of a study-abroad program, led by Peter Wampler, associate professor of geology. Designed to provide an opportunity to experience Haitian culture and gain an understanding of daily life in rural Haiti, students from various backgrounds participated in a variety of service-learning and community-based teaching experiences, allowing them to contribute their energy toward real-world problems in Haiti.
Included in this exhibition are narratives and reflections by both faculty members and students who participated in the trip. Additionally, a number of photographs document their encounters, and a variety of original Haitian works of art attest to the vibrant and diverse artistic culture in the country.
Carnivals, Cognac and Cycling: Works of Art from the Robert L. Haskins and Erwin A. Raible Collection of Fin-de-Siécle Prints
When: Through Dec. 13, 2019
Where: Red Wall Gallery, Lake Ontario Hall, Allendale Campus
Courtesy GVSU
At the turn of the century, an explosion in print media occurred in Paris, one of the most vibrant cities in the world. Now-familiar artists — Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pierre Bonnard, and others — made names for themselves producing items such as posters, journal illustrations, theater programs and advertisements.
Drawn from the Robert L. Haskins and Erwin A. Raible Collection of Fin-de-Siécle Prints in the GVSU Print and Drawing Cabinet, Carnivals, Cognac and Cycling provides a view into the visual culture of late 19th-century France.
In 2019, 14 GVSU students conducted research for this exhibition for the course Modern Art and Modernity. Each student focused on one work of art for in-depth study, produced original research, and presented findings to classmates and now to a wider audience.
José Guadalupe Posada: Calavera Prints from the GVSU Print and Drawing Cabinet
When: Nov. 1, 2019-Feb. 28, 2020
Where: Eberhard Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
Courtesy GVSU
José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) — a printmaker and engraver who illustrated historic scenes, board games and commercial items, religious images, various books and newspapers — is most famous for his use of calaveras (depictions of skulls and skeletons) to satirize and mock the corruption of the wealthy and political elite.
He created La Calavera Catrina, his most iconic image, in 1910 at the start of the Mexican Revolution. The image shows a grinning skeleton wearing a women’s feathered hat, pointing out that death comes to everyone, even those in the upper class.
This exhibition includes 20 reproductions of his prints, from the GVSU Print and Drawing Cabinet. The works were purchased in 2002 from the family of Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, who printed them using the original plates and press.
Performances from the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance
For more information about performances from the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance, visit gvsu.edu/mtd.
Faculty recital — Sookkyung Cho, assistant professor of piano, artist performer
When: Nov. 4, 2019, 7:30pm
Where: Sherman Van Solkema Hall, Haas Center for Performing Arts, Allendale Campus
Pianist Sookkyung Cho uses a thoughtful expressionist style in her performances. A founding member of the New York-based Almava Trio, Cho has appeared at venues that include Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and Château de Fontainebleau in France.
Additional recital by Sookkyung Cho
When: Nov. 23, 2019, 4-5pm
Where: Sherman Van Solkema Hall, Haas Center for Performing Arts, Allendale Campus
The performance will include a variety of piano solo and ensemble music.
ReACT! presents: Difficult Dialogues
When: Nov. 17, 2019, 8-10pm
Where: Kirkhof Center, Room 2263, Allendale Campus
Grand Valley’s anti-violence peer theater troupe will use low-risk, interactive performance and discussion methods to help participants prepare to better engage someone on difficult dialogues about sexual assault and sexual harassment.
Bard to Go: Tossing on the Ocean public performance
When: Nov. 2, 2019, 1-3pm
Where: Keller Black Box Theatre, Haas Center for Performing Arts, Allendale Campus
A 50-minute program introducing audience members to Shakespeare, Bard to Go takes the audience on a sea-faring journey with Prospero, a powerful magician, and his assistant Ariel, a magical spirit with strange powers. When Prospero and Ariel conjure a storm to shipwreck Prospero’s enemies, their magic spills over from their own play, The Tempest, and causes havoc for many of Shakespeare’s characters. This production includes scenes from The Tempest, Twelfth Night, Pericles, The Comedy of Errors and The Merchant of Venice.
Grand Valley Writers Series
The Grand Valley Writers Series brings in distinguished and emerging writers to read from their work, visit classes, and interact with students. For more information, visit here.
Craft talk and reading with Stephen Mack Jones
Stephen Mack Jones (Courtesy GVSU)
When: Nov. 5, 2019; Craft talk 1-2pm, Reading and book signing 6-7:30pm
Where: Kirkhof Center Room 2270, Allendale Campus
The first adult fiction novel by Stephen Mack Jones, August Snow, has received wide acclaim, including the 2018 Nero Award from the Nero Wolfe Society; it was also named a 2018 Michigan Notable Book by the Library of Michigan. Jones has received the Hammett Prize for literary excellence in the field of crime writing from the International Association of Crime Writers.
A poet, award-winning playwright and winner of the Kresge Arts in Detroit Literary Fellowship, Jones lives in the metro Detroit area.
A new exhibit titled, “How I See Things,” by local artist Dennis O’Mara, opens at the Leep Art Gallery on July 2 at the Postma Center on the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services campus in Grand Rapids.
O’Mara, a retired art teacher, creates art from a variety of mediums. Each medium is selected to fit how he sees the piece representing his idea in the best way says the artist. He does oil and pastel paintings, sculptures, relief prints, saltwater etchings and wood door etchings. Two of the pieces in the show were previously at Art Prize.
“I create art from events and places that inspire me,” says O’Mara. “Some of my work tells a story and other work lets the viewer fill in the story. The doors in this show were created because of what I saw when visiting an older patient when she had a bout of depression. The steel etchings were a result of watching people bring their children and their parents to see the doors when they were on exhibit at Art Prize. The other pieces are a result of places I have visited.”
O’Mara grew up on a West Michigan farm. He attended Olivet College where he studied sculpture and print making. He also received his masters from Olivet with a focus on print making. He was an art teacher at Hastings High School for 30 years, and taught an art appreciation class at Kellogg Community College. He returned to creating art in a more serious fashion in 2000.
He is a member of the Great Lakes Pastel Society and Grand Valley Artists.
The Pine Rest Leep Art Gallery exhibit will be on display at the Postma Center located at 300 68th Street, SE, Grand Rapids, Mich., from July 2 to October 1, 2019. The Leep Art Gallery is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 616.222.4530 or go to www.pinerest.org/leep-art-gallery .
The Mendel Center delivers a new take on the local music festival scene by bringing the party indoors. Indie Fest 18 celebrates original music, local beers, wines, and art on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 4–10pm.
The festival is anchored by three, nationally touring bands – Switchback, The Accidentals, and The Hunts. Each band will perform a full, 90-minute concert. Attendees can also enjoy mouthwatering culinary variety from some of the area’s favorite food trucks, an inviting selection of Michigan craft beers and local wines, and creations on display and for sale from up to 20 local artists!
The schedule includes:
Switchback
Switchback – 4pm
As seen on PBS, SWITCHBACK’s music is energetic, soulful, and versatile, combining elements of Americana, country, rock, and Celtic. Music Connection Magazine said: “The words ‘American Roots & Celtic Soul’ only begin to describe this unusual act, whose vocal prowess is as pure as it is unique. There is no denying the stunning vocal blends that are achieved by this duo.”
The Accidentals
The Accidentals – 6pm
THE ACCIDENTALS have affirmed their place among contemporary music’s most original and adventurous new bands. This Michigan-based band has crafted a genre all their own, fueled by their uniquely limitless approach to musicality and songcraft. “Musically, their songs sift together folk, bluegrass, alt-rock, and even classical music.” 10 Artists to Watch in 2017 – Yahoo Music.
The Hunts
The Hunts – 8pm
Known for their harmony-laced take on alt-folk, THE HUNTS are seven siblings from Chesapeake, Virginia, who’ve been playing music together almost their entire lives. That unified approach infuses their music with an irresistible richness of spirit. Their songs reveal their sophisticated sense of melody and undeniably dreamy innocence while capturing heartache and wonder with a wide-eyed but wistful elegance.
The Mendel Center is located on the Lake Michigan College campus at 2755 E. Napier Avenue, Benton Harbor, Michigan, one mile east of I-94 (Exit 30) and one mile west of the US 31 Bypass (exit 24).
Join the artists of the Tanglefoot studios on the near West side as they celebrate the cultural legacy they’ve built throughout the years: a testament to the power of beauty, the necessity of art, and the importance of gathering community around you. This year marks the 27th annual open studio sale in the historic warehouse, making it the longest-running open studio event in the greater Grand Rapids area.
In a yellow brick warehouse on the near West Side, a former flytape factory has been taken over by some of the city’s most well-known working artists. Nearly 30 years ago, as spaces in the building began to be rented as studio space for artists, early artists like Elaine Dalcher, Michael Pfleghaar, and Nikki Wall decided to welcome the public into their working creative “homes” for an intimate, celebratory chance for friends and family to purchase artwork, right before the holiday gift-giving seasons began. That was just the start of what was to become one of the Grand Rapids art scene’s most important events of the year.
This fall, on Friday, Nov. 16 and Sunday, Nov. 18, artists will open their studios once again for the 27th Annual Tanglefoot Artists Open Studio event. Full of chances to meet accomplished local artists, sip a glass of cheer, and find just the right piece of art for yourself or a loved one, the yearly event is known for its hospitality and its variety of price points, allowing for all to support their local artists in meaningful ways.
The longest-running open studio event in the greater Grand Rapids area began in 1990, with artists Elaine Dalcher and Michael Pfleghaar opening their studios and inviting fellow artist Nikki Wall, who would soon be a resident artist at the Tanglefoot building herself, to join them. The event was so popular it became a yearly tradition.
Tanglefoot building (Credit: Tiffany Szakal)
“We Xeroxed the hand-drawn announcement, folded it in half and sent it out to our friends, families, colleagues and clients,” said Dalcher.
Nearly 300 people showed up that first year, and as word spread the event grew to welcome thousands upon thousands of art lovers over the years.
This year, the event promises to include some new surprises for regular attendees, as resident artists are welcoming in select guest artists to participate in the annual open studio event.
“It’s the truth: every year is special. Why? Because we consciously try to add new things to the show,” said Jason Villareal, long-time resident and participant in the fall event. This year, resident artists are inviting guest artists to join them in their space.
“We’ve had guest artists in the past but not this many. It’s a lot of new additional work to enjoy!” said Villareal
Visiting artists like Deborah Rockman, Holly Bechiri, and Sung Yi will help eight of the year-round residents fill room after spacious room within the rambling old warehouse with beauty.
Over the years, the annual celebration of artists and community has built a legacy for itself as a leading example of how to support local artists, creating an intimate and welcoming opportunity to build community. With artwork for sale, starting as little as $3, from some of the most well-established artists in the area, attendees may want to bring their pocketbook for a chance to support their local creatives while taking home quality work for themselves or for upcoming holiday gift needs.
Available for purchase will be paintings, prints, large-scale sculptures, greeting cards, and photo-based art. Just as important as the chance to purchase art, though, these artists recognize the importance of finding chances to reconnect with their community as the holidays approach.
“Winter’s settling in, and people are ready to be festive,” said Dalcher. “If people are interested in the community of artmaking and the process of artmaking in our community, then this is a place to come and see working studios, and get a chance to talk to the artists.”
”We also have a reputation for good snacks,” she said.
The event is open and free to the public Friday evening and Sunday afternoon.
Tanglefoot Artists Open Studio Event 2018
Show Dates and Times: Friday, Nov. 16,5-9pm Sunday, Nov. 18, Noon-5pm
Location: 314 Straight Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
“Every good painter paints what he is,” Jackson Pollock said.
“Treat a work of art like a prince. Let it speak to you first,” said Arthur Schopenhauer.
And Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Art is the path of the creator to his work.”
Everybody has something to say about art. The good news is, you don’t have to be famous to have an opinion—and WKTV VOICES will have its mobile recording studio down at ArtPrize 10 all three weekends to invite and encourage artists and voters to share their own thoughts about art: Artists, what inspires you to create a work of art?
Voters, what compelled you to vote for a particular work of art?
Sofia Hernandez Ramirez
With hundreds of artists and hundreds of thousands of attendees expected at ArtPrize this year, we expect there will be a lot to say—and for us to collect and record.
Last year, VOICES debuted at ArtPrize Nine, introducing our 1958 Airstream trailer and collecting the stories of winning ArtPrize artists Daniel Oropreza and Sofia Hernandez Ramirez.
This year, VOICES will again collect stories from artists. Look for our Airstream on the corner of Lyon and Monroe NW. Look for the Voters Feedback Booth right next to the trailer where voters are encouraged to share what they voted on and why.
A free public service of WKTV, VOICES travels throughout the West Michigan region to encourage neighbors, friends and family to tell their stories—the narratives that make us human—of our lives, experiences, sorrows, triumphs and tragedies. We all benefit from knowing each other’s background; the shared bond that helps us build community.
VOICES’s comfortable, mobile video recording studio offers a relaxed atmosphere, and utilizes high-tech video and audio equipment to capture the narratives for posterity. Interviews usually take place between two people who know and care about each other. These can be friends, family, or mere acquaintances. Any topic may be explored, whether a specific event in a person’s life, a childhood memory, a family tragedy—no subject is off limits.
Oral history—the collection and study of individual histories, experiences of disasters, important events or everyday life—is a tradition as old as civilization itself. Using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews, oral history strives to obtain information from different perspectives, most of which cannot be found in written sources. Some academics consider oral history akin to journalism as both are committed to uncovering truths and compiling narratives about people, places, and events.
VOICES participants find the experience valuable and gratifying. Read and listen to people’s stories online on our Facebook page here and visit our website here for more information and important links.
All VOICES conversations are audio- and video-recorded to provide participants with a link to each conversation and for possible airing on Channel 25 in Wyoming, Kentwood and Gaines Township (U-Verse Channel 99).
The second Saturday of each month, VOICES parks its Airstream trailer at Marge’s Donut Den at 1751 28th St SW, Wyoming, MI for ‘Second Saturdays at Marge’s’. And, beginning Oct. 17, VOICES will be parked at Kentwood Public Library, 4950 Breton Rd. SE, the third Wednesday of each month.
“Art is never finished, only abandoned.”
~ Leonardo da Vinci
Fall Arts Celebration opens this year when Grand Valley State University’s Art Gallery showcases the historical fascination surrounding the planet Mars during the Mars: Astronomy and Culture exhibit. This exciting exhibit brings together photographs, drawings, movie posters, book covers, and video projections to show the impact of the “Red Planet” on popular culture, even before the 20th century.
Also, the internationally acclaimed Tesla Quartet partners with Grand Valley music faculty to perform a reflection of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s love of Italy through the composer’s famous String Sextet in D Minor, Op. 70 Souvenir de Florence.
Art–The Mars: Astronomy and Culture Exhibit reception is Thursday, Sept. 13, 5-7pm at the Art Gallery, Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts on the Allendale Campus. Exhibit dates: Aug. 24-Oct. 31.
Music–An Italian Journey: Tesla Quartet performs Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence on Monday, Sept. 17 at 7:30p at the Cook-DeWitt Center on the Allendale Campus.
In Deanne Basse’s classroom, portraits, paintings and drawings – serious, whimsical and thought-provoking – cover the walls. Sculptures rise from desks and countertops.
They were created by students who have learned to go deep with their feelings and experiences, to make art a reflection of themselves and their journeys.
“I encourage them to use art as a vessel for their voice,” said Basse, a 10-year Godwin Heights High School art teacher.
As a result, students sometimes put heavy themes into their work, Basse said, pointing out pieces that express their struggles with education, family, anxiety and other issues. One student used surrealism to express his conflict between going to college in the U.S. or returning to Mexico to reunite with his family.
“I do try to give them a good solid skill base, and then show them how to get out what they’re thinking,” Basse said.
Students, though, say Basse’s method of teaching goes beyond art and into making them feel good about themselves and able to grow their abilities.
“She is joy!” said senior Stephanie Lam. “She will fill your bucket if you are empty.”
Basse sees talent emerge from her students, including how they infuse their work with music and drama, or passion for advocacy or activism. Some have loose, free styles, others are very deliberate. All are reflective, a result of learning to think of art as more than lines, colors or clay.
Art teacher Deanne Basse challenges students to use ‘art as a vessel for their voice’
Perfecting Portfolios
Eighteen seniors, most of whom have had Basse as a teacher since ninth grade, showcased their portfolios recently at the school’s senior art show. They curated their own spaces, gallery-style, to display their work and growth as artists over the years. Though they had already completed final exams, several visited Basse’s classroom every day prior to the show to perfect and polish their work.
Basse is proud of how far her students have come and excited about what they will do next.
“This group in particular has a genuine thirst for more,” she said. “They are unafraid to experiment and they are unafraid to fix and try to reach out of their own comfort zones. Their work ethic is really outstanding.
“I am humbled by how advanced they are, and how much they push themselves and learn on their own by doing and doing and doing.”
At the back of class, two days before the show, senior Dino Celahmetovic worked on a drawing of a villain from Spider-Man. Being creative in Basse’s class always felt natural because of her “encouraging eye,” he said.
Deanne Basse chats with senior Kaitlyn McCourey in front of her work at the senior art show
“With Mrs. Basse, it’s not just about having the tools and environment; as a teacher she gives encouragement and compassion toward art. She helps nurture your art.”
Basse, who earned her bachelor’s degree at Wayne State University and master’s at Western Michigan University, has been an art teacher for 15 years. She taught for three years in Detroit and two in Battle Creek before starting at Godwin Heights.
“I got hired on Friday, married on Saturday and started on Monday,” she said. “So I say Godwin has been my honeymoon ever since.”
She teaches drawing, painting, ceramics, 3-D and calligraphy classes, as well as an introduction to art class. One of her goals is to write and illustrate children’s books.
“Ms. Basse has to be one of the most highly bright, influential teachers,” said senior Paul Kuchnicki, who is working on a graphic novel and hopes to become an animator. “She has very expressed ideas and knows how to lift someone up when they have a stormy cloud above them. She really knows how to brighten the room up… She seems to love her job and she seems to love her students.”
Basse starts assignments with personal-reflection questionnaires. She asks students to focus on vivid memories and feelings, even small things that have somehow shaped perceptions. They write and talk through their thoughts, considering how to symbolize them.
Senior Dino Celahmetovic finishes a drawing, days before the senior art show
Walking the Walk
Her effort to bring students’ experiences into art has spanned the district. She collaborated with other district art teachers last summer for students to create a mural for the annual Grand Rapids art competition, ArtPrize. Their entry was comprised of 70 individually painted shoes in an art piece titled, “You Can’t Know Who We Are If You Don’t Know Where We’ve Been.” Students decorated shoes to share their unique walks through life.
Godwin Heights has a diverse population, with the majority of students coming from economically disadvantaged families. Their stories are filled with hope, grit, heartbreak and everything in between.
“These kids are so full already, and I think it gives them a sensitivity to each other… a sense of family, beyond their immediate family, which is what Godwin becomes,” Basse said. “They genuinely will show they care if you open up. They hold you, just as much as you would hold them.”
Basse shares her own personal stories with her classes, creating a safe place for them to reflect. For example, she had a longtime struggle with infertility. But her students were like her own children, she said. “They fulfilled that part of my family for nine years.”
Then one of them changed her life forever.
Senior Laura Funes adds the finishing touches to a painting of sunflowers
She recalled the day a student came to her and shared that she was pregnant, asking if Basse and her husband would be open to adopting her child. It was an easy yes, she said.
The young woman miscarried, but the situation started Basse and her husband, Matt Basse, on a new path.
“It changed our mindset, and from that day forward we had adoption in our sights. Godwin changed our lives that way.”
They adopted their daughter, Emily, 4, one year ago.
Deanne Basse has helped senior Paul Kuchnicki develop his drawing skills
Along with art, Basse is passionate about baking. Each year, she leads students in an apple pie-making session so they can each have one to take home to their families for Thanksgiving.
“I love to entertain,” she said. “I am happy if people around me are fed, taken care of and healthy.”
While she has endless pride in the seniors who leave school with a portfolio of years’ worth of art, Baase said some of the best moments are reaching the reluctant art students. She finds inspiration when they first walk into her classroom and say they don’t like art and didn’t want to take the class.
She’s ready to encourage them, to open doors, to give them the chance to be successful and take pride in their work, To those students, she has a message:
“I say, ‘You are exactly where you need to be.”
Check out School News Network for more stories about students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan.
An example of art by senior Paul Kuchnicki at the senior art show
Deanne Basse and other district art teachers led a collaborative art project for which students decorated shoes to reflect their identities and journeys
By Matthew Makowski, Grand Valley State University
Tony Fitzpatrick was born in 1958, and raised in and around Chicago as a member of a large middle-class Irish Catholic family. His father worked as a burial vault salesman, and often took Tony along to appointments around the city when he was suspended from school. Drawing was a pervasive part of his life, and he’d sketch anything that caught his eye. He graduated from Montini Catholic High School in 1977, untrained in the arts. Over the years, Fitzpatrick spent time as boxer, bartender, actor, waiter and tattoo artist. These experiences, coupled with an insatiable appetite for drawing, had a profound effect on his work.
This exhibition features 21 etchings by the artist. They are drawn out of a recent gift to Grand Valley State University’s permanent art collection of more than 120 works on paper. Filled with strange and magical beasts, they draw on his childhood imagination, Catholic upbringing and immersive experience in street culture.
What: ‘Strange & Magical Beasts: Etchings by Tony Fitzpatrick’
When: Exhibit on display through March 2
Where: West Wall Gallery, L. V. Eberhard Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
By Matthew Makowski, Grand Valley State University
Virginia Jenkins is a professor and former chair of the Department of Visual and Media Arts at Grand Valley State University. Landscape forms and images have been the primary focus of her work for more than two decades, and her areas of specialty are in painting, drawing and mixed media. This exhibition is drawn from a recent series created in response to the landscape of the Northwest coast of the United States.
What: ‘Landscapes, Color & Light: Paintings by Virginia Jenkins’
When: Exhibition on display through March 2
Where: Red Wall Gallery, Lake Ontario Hall (first floor), Allendale Campus
By Matthew Makowski, Grand Valley State University
Fall Arts Celebration will transcend the traditional dance floor and fly into the sky when Aerial Dance Chicago (ADC) presents a new world of athleticism coupled with an elegant showcase of dancing in the air.
A pioneer and an international leader in aerial dance, ADC is dedicated to presenting original choreography and performance in the field. The ensemble launches itself into the creative possibilities found in a vertical realm.
During the company’s Fall Arts Celebration performance, ADC will incorporate a variety of apparatus, including suspended fabrics, bungee cords, hoops, swings and ropes.
When: November 6, at 7:30pm
Where: Louis Armstrong Theatre, Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts, Allendale Campus
*Concert will be preceded by a carillon concert at 7:10pm featuring Julianne Vanden Wyngaard, university carilloneur, and followed by a reception.
ArtPrize Labs offers hands-on contemporary art experiences to event visitors of all ages, encouraging them to not only experience the event but also to create works of their own.
ArtPrize, the independently organized art competition recognized as the world’s largest annual public art event, today announced 2017 programming for ArtPrize Labs, sponsored by Grand Valley State University, Herman Miller Cares, and Switch—which will encourage ArtPrize visitors to not only experience the art, but also to unleash their creative spirits at the ninth annual event and create works of their own. ArtPrize Nine is slated to return to Grand Rapids, Michigan from September 20-October 8, 2017.
“ArtPrize provides opportunities for people of all ages to discover, learn and create in a city transformed by art and overflowing with creative energy ,” said Becca Guyette, ArtPrize Education Director. “Through ArtPrize Labs, we seek to offer hands-on contemporary art experiences—and spark the curiosity of the next generation of art lovers.”
Returning for a third year are the ArtPrize Labs Studios—with two locations for ArtPrize Nine, inside the ArtPrize HUB/HQ and at Rosa Parks Circle. The drop-in studios provide materials for visitors of all ages to rest, unwind and explore their creative inspiration in a self-directed way. The studio at Rosa Parks Circle will be open daily from Noon-6 p.m., and the HUB/HQ location from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., daily during the event.
Additionally, ArtPrize Labs will once again feature Studio Events with hands-on activities at Rosa Parks Circle each Saturday during the event from Noon-3 p.m. Each event will feature different creative experiments including, a large collaborative cardboard installation, a 20-foot sharpie mural and a paint catapult.
On September 23, visitors can join ArtPrize Labs and Herman Miller Cares in building a gigantic temporary cardboard installation at Rosa Parks Circle. On September 30, ArtPrize Labs and Newell Brands will present a fun-filled afternoon of drawing and coloring, with visitors working together to create a large-scale Sharpie® mural. On October 7, Air Zoo will join ArtPrize Labs to send paint flying from two catapult systems, launching paint-covered objects at a canvas to create colorful, collaborative impact art.
Returning for a second year is the ArtPrize Labs Mobile Workshop, presented by Herman Miller Cares. The ArtPrize Labs Mobile Workshop, which unfolds from a bicycle, will tour around the ArtPrize district throughout the 19-day event—bringing pop-up art-making activities to thousands of visitors, all done with repurposed materials.
Visitors are also invited to attend ArtPrize Labs Partner Programs, with a variety of hands-on art making programs produced by leading arts and cultural organizations throughout the 19-day event. ArtPrize Labs Partners include Artists Creating Together, GRKids.com, Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, and Lions & Rabbits.
Complete details on ArtPrize Labs events and programming is available at artprize.org/learn.
Experience the remarkable textures, range of color, and immediacy of 49 pastel works at The Great Lakes Pastel Society Juried Member Exhibition currently on display at the South Haven Center for the Arts. The exhibition, co-chaired by GLPS member artists Mary Ann Pals and Jim Henke, opened on May 26 and runs through July 8, 2017.
Award-winning master pastel artist William Schneider juried the exhibition and prizes were awarded at the opening reception on May 26. Edward Kennedy of Saline, MI won the Gold Award for Western Pastures; the Silver Award went to Susan Perrish of Livonia, MI, for The Mentor; and Barbara Wise of Ann Arbor won the Bronze Award for her piece, Sleeping with Nutmeg.
Gold award winner Edward Kennedy is a self-taught artist and has exhibited his artwork at the Butler Institute of American Art. His piece, Winter’s First, was featured in the February 2017 issue of the Pastel Journal. Inspired by pastel artist Albert Handell, Kennedy sketches daily and continues to expand his understanding of color, values and edges to create his works of art.
Silver award winner Susan Perrish has been working in pastels since 2014, using small sticks of vibrant color to capture the unique story of each of her subjects. “I’ve found jewels in every painting, every drawing I’ve done. It is all joy.” Susan has exhibited in numerous shows and is the recipient of many awards for her work.
Upon retirement, Bronze award winner Barbara Wise began to seriously put her artistic talent to work and has won numerous awards. Of her work Barbara said, “I have always been particularly fascinated by the uniqueness of individual people, and the nuances of form and expression that enable that to be captured in a work of art. With very little exception, my art is portraiture.”
Melody Allen of Kalamazoo, MI, Laurel Kuehl of Portage, MI, and Louise Pond of Kewadin, MI received Merit Awards for their pieces Golden Pears, Take Wing, and The Faithful, respectively. And Mary Ann Pals of Chesterton, IN received the Terry Ludwig Pastels Award for her piece, Dancers from the Deep.
SHCA Executive Director Thea Grigsby commented that, “These are exceptionally professional and beautiful works of art. We’re amazed at the affordability of the artwork created by the Great Lakes Pastel Society and hope people will consider purchasing one of these wonderful pastel paintings.”
Juror William Schneider will present a live pastel portrait demonstration at the exhibit’s closing reception, Saturday, July 8 from 1-4 pm. William trained at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, is a member of the International Association of Pastel Societies’ Master Circle, and has won numerous awards for his artwork. The event is $5 at the door and SHCA members are free.
Visitors from around the world are familiar with the tulip display at Windmill Island Gardenseach May. However, many are not aware that the gardens are reborn each summer. After Tulip Time, staff removes tulips and replaces them with thousands of annuals in themed beds for visitors to enjoy. This summer Windmill Island Gardens is proud to offer ‘The Artful Garden’.
Using garden beds as their canvas, horticulture staff designed the annual beds to mimic famous paintings. From Piet Mondrian’s modern colorful abstract work to Vincent van Gogh’s sunflowers, each bed features a floral nod to a featured painter. Beds contain informational signage about the artist and their work. Artists include Picasso, Degas, Pollock, O’Keefe, Warhol, Monet and more.
Guests will notice the beds change as the season progresses. Many will only appear for a short time as flowers mature, bloom, and recede. In addition, there are a handful of sculptural works by local artists that build on the art theme.
In conjunction with the garden displays, Windmill Island Gardens will be hosting ‘Art on the Island’ — a summer-long plein air painting competition. Artists are invited to bring easel and canvas to the Island to capture the beauty of the windmill, flowers, and natural setting. Prizes will be granted to the winners and announced at an Art Gala and Sale on Thursday, September 7th.
Information on these events and more is available at windmillisland.org. Visitors and artists alike are invited to experience the artistic beauty of Windmill Island Gardens this summer seven days a week through October 1st.
This year’s Legacy Trust Award Collection will feature nine Wyoming area residents among the 143 Michigan artists who will showcase their art for a chance to be sponsored in ArtPrize.
For the eighth consecutive year, Legacy Trust is sponsoring a statewide art competition for adult artists with disabilities in an effort to bring their voices and vision to ArtPrize, an international art competition that draws hundredss of thousands of visitors to Grand Rapids each year. Dates for this year’s ArtPrize are Sept. 20 – Oct. 8. Artists from Ada to Zeeland, the Lower Peninsula and into the UP have submitted artwork.
Artists from Wyoming include:
David DeBoer, Head Chef, mixed media
Adam Reidsma, The Workshop, mixed media
Jill Lindgren, Dogs, mixed media
Ryan Oosterheart, Fishing at the Cabin, mixed media
Mary Helmic, Abstract Geometry, mixed media
Jeffery Baar, Spring is in the Air, marker
Carole McDonald, Sapphire, mixed media
Jerrilynn Anderson, Getaway Place, acrylic
Tyler Riley, Bird’s Eye View, acrylic
Four winners will be chosen – one by a panel of celebrity judges, two by public vote and one special juried award – and sponsored in ArtPrize, the world’s largest art competition.
The public will have a chance to view and vote for its favorite entry on Tuesday, May 23, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, located in downtown Grand Rapids. Votes can also be cast online at LTACarts.org.
Along with the nine from Wyoming, there are 51 Grand Rapids residents whose pieces were selected. For a sneak peek at all 143 pieces, visit the Legacy Trust Awards Collection Facebook page.
Winners of LTAC 2017 will be announced on May 30. Along with having their artwork entered into ArtPrize, the winning artists will each receive a cash prize of $500. All entry fees and promotion expenses for ArtPrize will be paid by Legacy Trust, which, for the fifth year, has secured the high-profile DeVos Place venue for the winning artists during ArtPrize.
Artist and art educator Donna St John explores the provocative question, “Who do we consider worthy of the title ‘hero?’” in her assemblage exhibition at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts (400 Culver Street). She asks the viewer to consider whether we truly honor the people who have made extraordinary contributions in our society.
Tributes of Authentic Heroism: Investigation of Grace, Vision, Clarity, and Purpose highlights nine men and women from around the globe, who have been labeled as heroes. This exhibition will be available for viewing from Nov. 11- Jan. 14, Mon.–Fri. during business hours. There will be an opening reception for the exhibition on Nov. 11 from 5:30 pm-7:30 pm. For more information please visit sc4a.org or call 269.857.2399.
Some of the “heroes” in St. John’s exhibition have been internationally recognized and some are unknown to the average American. Each subject is blemished with doubts, imperfections, frustrations and the very same human qualities that are balanced within their own lives. Yet each individual was capable of seeing beyond their personal existence and was determined to improve the human condition.
As our world continues to blur the lines between simulated and authentic realities, St. John poses questions about the value and perceptions of honor and heroism in our contemporary society, as we struggle to cultivate social justice and recognize interconnectivity.
Donna St. John is currently an Associate Professor for Art Education at Kendall College of Art and Design. Before becoming a professor she taught in the K – 12 setting for 27 years. She has been named ‘Teacher of the Year’ by two separate districts and has been named ‘Most Inspirational Teacher’ nine times by Coopersville Public Schools.
St. John’s pieces will be on display in the gallery until December 15. Then half of her exhibit will be removed to make room for student-created pieces. After working with St. John, students from Hope College, Black River and Saugatuck High School will create assemblages based on their own “heroes” or social justice issues searching for champions to elevate awareness.
This exhibition is sponsored by Allegan County Community Foundation & Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs.
About the Saugatuck Center for the Arts
The Saugatuck Center for the Arts, located at 400 Culver Street, Saugatuck, is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a more vibrant lakeshore community in West Michigan and beyond. For more information about the SCA and upcoming events, visit www.sc4a.org or call 269.857.2399.
When one thinks about “Grand Rapids” and “art,” it’s impossible not to think about ArtPrize. The event helped put Grand Rapids on the map and into the national art discussion. However, before and after the crowds leave, the art community of Grand Rapids is still here, and has been here for a while. Organizations like the Grand Valley Artists are providing valuable opportunities for area artists of all skill levels to connect, learn, provide critique and improve.
Founded in 1955, Grand Valley Artists is one of the oldest art organizations in Michigan. According to Bob Kraai, it was founded in response to a greater emphasis being placed on modern art in the city. Grand Valley Artists sought to bring more awareness to Realism and traditional art. Members would meet to draw, discuss and share their art with each other.
This volunteer-run organization currently meets in a space north of Leonard on Monroe in the Coopers Landing building. A quick look at the group’s monthly calendar shows a plethora of opportunities for artists of all medias. A photography group meets twice a month and there are recurrent meetings for figure sketching, plein air/still life, still life studio and portrait sketching. Plein air painting, for those curious, is the act of painting outside, in the open air. Be on the lookout for this group out and about town. The organization also offers monthly critique sessions that take place the first Thursday of each month. Artists are encouraged to share their work and thoughts. These are great opportunities to see one’s work through a different lens. In addition to the meetings, the organization produces a monthly newsletter highlighting artists, showings, and art events around town.
Perhaps the Grand Valley Artist’s most well-known event is the annual Reed’s Lake Art Festival. 2017 marks the 52nd year of the popular festival that takes place along Wealthy Street in East Grand Rapids. Each summer hundreds of people visit the festival to experience and purchase art from fine artists from all over the country. One quick note, if you’re interested in participating this year, you can fill out an application – the deadline is March 1, 2017.
The organization isn’t just for artists. Those with an interest are welcome to attend events and most of the programming is available to non-members for a minor fee. With that in mind, the Grand Valley Artists are hosting a Photography Group Artists Reception this Saturday Nov. 5, from 4 – 8 p.m. Examples of “photographic composites, hand colored black and white silver gelatins, tin types, collodions and metallic prints” will be on display as well as refreshments. The reception will be taking place at the Grand Valley Artists’ space at 1345 Monroe Avenue Suite 140, in the Coopers Landing building.
For more information about the Photography Group Artists Reception and Grand Valley Artists in general, visit www.grandvalleyartists.com.
Visitors to the RE-exhibition inside Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University’s (KCAD’s) The Fed Galleries @ KCAD during the opening weekend of ArtPrize Eight will have the chance to leave with more than just their impressions of the art.
Organized as part of KCAD’s partnership with Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids (Goodwill) for ArtPrize Eight, a ‘Pop-Up Shop’ of handmade goods will be open for ArtPrize visitors to shop from September 23-25. The shop will primarily feature one-of-a-kind artwork, clothing, jewelry, furniture and other goods created by KCAD students and staff from The Fed Galleries @ KCAD using reclaimed materials from local Goodwill stores. The goal is to engage visitors in a conversation about the opportunities for more sustainable living in places and everyday things that exist all around us.
Many of the included artists use reclaimed materials to create work that confronts the ways in which humanity produces and consumes, so Goodwill stepped up and provided free access to donated materials from area stores.
Photo courtesy of KCAD
“The Pop-Up Shop extends our exhibition’s exploration of environmental and social responsibility because it gives both ArtPrize visitors and those who created the goods another way to confront the way we produce and consume,” said Curator of Exhibitions Michele Bosak. “By working with Goodwill to showcase the tremendous versatility and value of reclaimed materials, we can help further the conversation around ways to work toward a more sustainable future.”
A number of unaltered items specially curated from Goodwill stores will also be available for purchase, as will t-shirts commemorating the partnership between Goodwill and KCAD. Silkscreened t-shirts, pillows, and washcloths featuring designs by artists Michael Peoples and Heather Joy Puskarich, both featured in the RE· exhibition, will also be for sale.
All proceeds from the sale of goods created by KCAD students will go to the student organizations they represent — the student fashion alliance Bodies of Art, the KCAD Green Council, the KCAD Game Club, the student chapter of the Interior Designers Society of America, and the student chapter of the International Interior Design Association — while Goodwill will retain the profits for all other goods sold.
The Pop-Up Shop’s retail space was designed by a KCAD Collaborative Design class taught by KCAD instructor and Goodwill Director of Friends and Corporate Relations David Abbott. The space will be located outside The Fed Galleries @ KCAD, in the Woodbridge N. Ferris building at 17 Pearl Street NW.
The Pop-Up Shop will only be open on the following days/times:
September 23 11:00am-8:00pm September 24 11:00am-8:00pm September 25 12:00pm-6:00pm
For more information on the RE· exhibition, visit kcad.edu/artprize.
ArtPrize begins in just under three weeks, and we want to make sure you have all the details on how to plan your ArtPrize Seven experience and make the most of this year’s event. Scroll down to get the lowdown on transport, ArtPrize Tonight, education programming, this year’s jurors, and how you can help out this fall. Be sure to follow us on Facebook + Twitter for the most up to news and announcements.
We can’t wait to see you all soon for ArtPrize Seven, right here, in Grand Rapids, Michigan!
ArtPrize Tonight
Every year, we hear the question, “What’s happening at ArtPrize tonight?”. That’s where ArtPrize Tonight comes in — designed to offer local and visiting ArtPrize-goers alike a comprehensive rundown of what’s happening every evening during the event this fall.
Get details around ArtPrize Tonight’s three facets — On Stage, On Screen and Critical Discourse — and the partnerships that make it all possible.
Alternative ArtPrize Transportation
To help you plan your ArtPrize experience, we revealed the affordable, accessible alternative transportation options that local and visiting ArtPrize-goers alike can take advantage of to get to, and around, ArtPrize with ease — whether it be by bus, bike or on foot.
The entire ArtPrize event is a hands-on contemporary arts experience, filled with opportunities to experiment, discover and create. Learn more about how ArtPrize and our partners will engage youth from PreK to 12th grade this fall.
Artprize Labs
Families are encouraged to check out the new ArtPrize Labs — year-round programming supported by Amway, Grand Valley State University and Herman Miller Cares, launching at ArtPrize Seven. All programming offers hands-on, experiential learning opportunities for all ages — including events, educational resources, workshops, and more. And it’s free!
Interivews with ArtPrize Jurors
Kevin Buist, ArtPrize Exhibitions Director, chatted with this year’s jurors — sharing his conversations on the ArtPrize blog.
Last month we held our annual Volunteer Kick Off Party | Seven Neighborhoods, Seven Stories — to celebrate the upcoming ArtPrize season and the many volunteers that make the event possible, with the support of Lake Michigan Credit Union. Volunteer registration is open, as well as the self-scheduling system.
ArtPrize Seven begins this year on Sept. 23 and runs until Oct. 11. Check out the artprize.org Events Calendar for a comprehensive rundown of all ArtPrize Seven events.
