Tag Archives: Grand Rapids Art Museum

Legacy Trust announces eighth annual competition for artists with disabilities

Adult artists with disabilities have a chance to win $500 and have their artwork displayed in the Grand Rapids Art Museum and entered in ArtPrize 2017 – thanks to the Legacy Trust Award Collection.

 

Back for its eighth year, the Legacy Trust Award Collection is soliciting artwork from Michigan artists with disabilities for its popular mini-competition in advance of ArtPrize. Four winning artists will each receive $500 and sponsorship in ArtPrize, the radically open art competition, scheduled this year Sept. 20 – Oct. 8 in downtown Grand Rapids.

 

The statewide competition is open to all Michigan artists with disabilities and seeks paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, collages, mixed media and other works of art. Four winners will be chosen by popular vote, a panel of celebrity judges and the LTAC Advisory Committee.

 

Artists must register with LTAC by April 24 to be considered for the 2017 competition.

 

Sponsored by Grand Rapids-based investment advisory and wealth management firm Legacy Trust, LTAC will be held this year in the Grand Rapids Art Museum May 22-23. A private reception for all artists, judges and LTAC supporters will be held on the evening of Monday, May 22.

 

The public will have a chance to view and vote for its favorite entry May 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the GRAM, which is located in downtown Grand Rapids.

 

Winning artists will have their work displayed during ArtPrize at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. Last year, 101 artists from around the state submitted artwork to LTAC, its seventh straight year of growth.

 

 

Winners of LTAC 2017 will be announced 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 fourth year – has secured DeVos Place venue for the winning artists during ArtPrize.

 

Artists from all genres are invited to participate in the competition. All artists must submit an artist registration to Legacy Trust by April 24. All artwork must be completed and available for showing in Grand Rapids by 5 p.m. on April 28.

 

Following is a list of guidelines for submitting artwork:

  • All participating artists must be a resident of Michigan and at least 18 years of age by April 3.
  • All artwork must be original, attributable to the applicant and completed within three years prior to September 21, 2017.
  • All artwork is subject to the “Official Rules for Artists-ArtPrize,” which can be found at www.artprize.org.
  • The top four artists will retain ownership and all rights to their artwork, subject to the rules and restrictions of ArtPrize 2017. The artists agree to make themselves and their artwork available to LTAC and all partnering agencies and sponsors prior to and during ArtPrize for promotions and marketing efforts.
  • The top four artists who receive the award will be entered into ArtPrize 2017 as a Legacy Trust Collection Award winner.
  • LTAC artists agree that if their artwork wins any ArtPrize award, they will donate 25 percent of any award to create a special Legacy Trust Endowment Fund to continue arts programs for adults with disabilities in greater Grand Rapids.
  • Winning artists will be notified by Legacy Trust by May 30 and will be entered into ArtPrize.
  • There are no restrictions on artists who are not part of the Collection from entering ArtPrize on their own.

 

Artwork may be delivered by mail, UPS, FedEx or in person to Legacy Trust, 99 Monroe, Suite 600, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503 by 5 p.m. on April 28. See the registration form for additional rules and details at http://ltacarts.org.

 

More information on LTAC is available at www.LTACArts.org. Join the conversation on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/LegacyTrustAwardCollection and on Twitter with #LTAC.

The Weekend Edition: Things to do Oct. 20 – 23

 

Susan Fair
Author Susan Fair

Genealogy of the American witch

As Halloween is just around the corner, Schuler Books gets everyone ready with a visit from “American Witches: A Broomstick Tour through Four Centuries!” author Susan Fair Thursday, Oct. 20.

 

Fair will be at the store, located 2660 28th St. SE, at 7 p.m.  In her latest book, Fair explores the history of American witches, which is way wilder than what most people can even imagine. From bewitched pigs hell-bent on revenge to gruesome twentieth-century murders, “American Witches” reveals strange incidents of witchcraft that have long been swept under the rug as bizarre sidetones to history.

 

fall-harvest-14140189458ag

Pumpkins and treats

 

It’s a celebration of everything fall as the City of Kentwood marks is Fall Festival Saturday, Oct. 22.

 

From 10 a.m. – noon there will be all kinds of family fun events including hayrides, a bounce house, pumpkin races, face painting and other games all at the Kentwood Department of Public Works, 5068 Breton Rd. SE.

 

This is the second year the Fall Festival takes place at the same time as the Trunk or Treat, which is happening at the same location. Area businesses and organizations will have decorated their car trunks and will be passing out treats. Participants are encouraged to dress up and vote for their favorite decorated trunk. Also River City Cup & Cake will be on hand with coffee and hot chocolate available. For more, click here.

 

Grand Rapids Civic Theatre gets ready for its upcoming production "Holes." (Photo courtesy of GRCT)
Digging in

“Things aren’t always as they seem,” said Grand Rapids Civic Theatre guest director Jason Marlett. “Stanley believes his life is unfairly destined to be full of bad luck.  It isn’t until he is taken out of his home environment, his comfort zone, that he begins to see life a different way. You might say he starts digging deeper into his past and present – his destiny. It’s no coincidence this storyline is built like an onion, layers and layers of hidden meanings, messages, and treasures”.

 

Louis Sachar adapted his novel “Holes” with his story coming to life on the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre stage Oct. 21 – 30.  To stay true to the storytelling, production designers tackled two significant lighting and set design challenges. The first is how to create a stage full of holes? The second is creating a unique time period transformation. Three stories from separate time periods in history are combined in “Holes” to create one story. It is important for the audience to react to the changes without feeling awkward because while in the past we continue to reference the present, and no matter where we are in time, we never forget where the story is ultimately headed.

 

“Holes” is playing at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, 30 N. Division, October 21-30 and is recommended for ages 8 and older.  Please note, this play does contain violence. For tickets and other information, click here

 

peterpan

Returning to Neverland

Peter Pan comes to life in Grand Rapids Ballet School Junior Company’s rendition of the classic story. Choreographed by Junior Company Artistic Director Attila Mosolygo, this one-hour performance includes pirates and mermaids and the vividness of a child’s imagination.

 

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23 at the Peter Martin Wege Theatre, 341 Ellsworth Ave. SW. Tickets are $18. For more information, click here.

 

 

Refinery Smoke, Dress, July 2008: Untreated woven metal gauze, cow leather, cotton, Groninger Museum. Photo by Bart Oomes, No 6 Studios
Refinery Smoke, Dress, July 2008: Untreated woven metal gauze, cow leather, cotton, Groninger Museum. Photo by Bart Oomes, No 6 Studios

Say yes to the dress

It you have not heard, the designer behind some of Lady Gaga’s fashion,  Iris van Herpern, will have an exhibit featuring her work at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, 101 Monroe Ave. NW.

 

The exhibit, “Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion,” features 45 haute couture outfits carefully selected from 15 of van Herpen’s collections designed from 2008 through 2015: 18 pieces from the designer’s most recent lines and a selection of her shoe designs, and 27 pieces from van Herpen’s solo exhibition at the Groninger Museum, Netherlands.

 

The exhibit runs Oct. 23 – Jan. 15 at the museum. For more information, click here.

 

‘Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion’ exhibit at GRAM Oct. 23-Jan. 15

Refinery Smoke, Dress, July 2008: Untreated woven metal gauze, cow leather, cotton, Groninger Museum. Photo by Bart Oomes, No 6 Studios
Refinery Smoke, Dress, July 2008: Untreated woven metal gauze, cow leather, cotton, Groninger Museum. Photo by Bart Oomes, No 6 Studios

 

Hacking Infinity, Shoes, 2015. In collaboration with Noritaka Tatehana and 3D Systems Laser-cut cow leather, 3-D printed photopolymer, and stereolithography resin Collection of the designer Photograph ©NORITAKA TATEHANA
Hacking Infinity, Shoes, 2015. In collaboration with Noritaka Tatehana and 3D Systems Laser-cut cow leather, 3-D printed photopolymer, and stereolithography resin
Collection of the designer
Photograph ©NORITAKA TATEHANA

Fashion takes center stage at the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) as more than 50 sculptural masterpieces by Dutch designer Iris van Herpen make their Midwest debut this fall. Since interning for legendary fashion designer Alexander McQueen, van Herpen’s designs have been featured on the runways of Paris, Amsterdam and London and in the galleries of museums from Paris to New York.

 

 

Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion, on view at GRAM in Grand Rapids from Oct. 23 to Jan. 15 will fill the entire third floor of the Museum. The exhibition features 45 haute couture outfits carefully selected from 15 of van Herpen’s collections designed from 2008 through 2015: 18 pieces from the designer’s most recent lines, a selection of her shoe designs and 27 works from van Herpen’s solo exhibition at the Groninger Museum, Netherlands.

 

Voltage, Dress, January 2013: In collaboration with Philip Beesley Laser cut 3D polyester film lace, micro fiber. Collection of the designer. Photo by Bart Oomes, No 6 Studios
Voltage, Dress, January 2013: In collaboration with Philip Beesley Laser cut 3D polyester film lace, micro fiber. Collection of the designer. Photo by Bart Oomes, No 6 Studios

In addition to van Herpen’s designs, a hands-on “touch material” section of the exhibition will encourage visitors to explore some of the more unusual materials she uses including translucent stainless steel fabric and structures made from the tines of children’s umbrellas.

 

“Iris continues to redefine fashion and its place in the art world,” said GRAM Director & CEO Dana Friis-Hansen. “Like most artists, she continually experiments and tests new ideas to realize her artistic vision, be that capturing the movement of water or the visualization of sound waves. That creative spirit is central to all we do at GRAM and we’re excited to share such a breathtaking exhibition.”

 

“Iris’s designs have been described as having a ‘sublime beauty,’” said GRAM Chief Curator Ron Platt. “She accomplishes that by melding design, technology, fashion and science in a manner that seems almost effortless but remains deeply rooted in traditional craftsmanship.”

 

Radiation Invasion, Dress, September 2009. Faux leather, gold foil, cotton, tulle/ Groninger Museum. Photo by Bart Oomes, No 6 Studios
Radiation Invasion, Dress, September 2009. Faux leather, gold foil, cotton, tulle/ Groninger Museum. Photo by Bart Oomes, No 6 Studios

Van Herpen (Dutch, born 1984) produced her first collection in 2007, shortly after graduating from the ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in the Netherlands. Born in the small town of Wamel, she is now based primarily in Amsterdam. In 2012, she became a member of the exclusive Chambre Syndicale de Haute Couture, where her designs regularly appear in biannual Paris runway shows. Van Herpen divides her time between the contained world of her studio, her global network of collaborators and the international stage of fashion.

 

Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion is co-organized by the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, and the Groninger Museum, the Netherlands. The exhibition was curated by Sarah Schleuning, High Museum of Art, and Mark Wilson and Sue-an van der Zijpp, Groninger Museum.

 

The exhibition will be complemented by a series of presentations from special guests including Schleuning, who will provide anecdotes about working with van Herpen on the exhibition. GRAM members can take advantage of two member-only opportunities to preview Transforming Fashion before it opens to the public — a member preview party on October 21st and a member day on October 22nd.

 

For GRAM’s hours and admission fees, visit artmuseumgr.org or call 616-831-1000.

Popular Woodland Mall sculpture finds new home in downtown Grand Rapids

"Split Ring" at its new home, 300 Ottawa Ave. in downtown Grand Rapids.
“Split Ring” at its new home, 300 Ottawa Ave. in downtown Grand Rapids.

The 46-year-old building at 300 Ottawa Avenue, NW, received a facelift inside and out, just in time to welcome back a familiar sculpture that held court on its front plaza more than 40 years ago.

Split Ring, by noted contemporary sculptor Clement Meadmore, was installed at the 300 Ottawa Building, then known as the Frey Building, as part of a landmark exhibition called Sculpture Off the Pedestal that opened September 8, 1973. The event was the inspiration of Fred A. Myers, then director of the Grand Rapids Art Museum, and it was sponsored by the Women’s Committee of the museum.

Sculpture Off the Pedestal & the Women’s Committee of the Grand Rapids Art Museum

The Women’s Committee was formed in 1957 to support the museum and to raise money and promote the arts in Grand Rapids.

“It was a challenging outlet for talented women of various backgrounds,” says Peggy Bransdorfer, who served a term as its president and co-chaired Sculpture Off the Pedestal with Connie Oosting and Jerry Hazzard. “They could make use of their considerable skills at a time when it was frowned upon for women with children to work outside the home.”

Clement Meadmore chose "Split Ring" to be part of the 1973 "Sculpture off the Pedestal" exhibition in downtown Grand Rapids.
Clement Meadmore chose “Split Ring” to be part of the 1973 “Sculpture off the Pedestal” exhibition in downtown Grand Rapids.

Though the 1969 installation of Alexander Calder’s La Grande Vitesse, on the plaza surrounding Grand Rapids City Hall and the Kent County Building, received widely mixed reactions, Fred Myers proposed to members of the Women’s Committee that they organize and sponsor an unprecedented downtown exhibition of large contemporary outdoor sculpture in public spaces. Undaunted by the huge effort it would require, members of the committee voted to take it on. They researched and recommended the artists who would be invited to participate, located sites for the artwork, and set themselves up as liaisons between the artists and local government, business and industry in order to overcome obstacles of money, space, transportation, permits and acceptance of the artists’ work. All fifty committee women were involved from the beginning, and they had a budget of $17,800, which included a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts that the committee had matched.

The selected artists were asked to loan one of their sculptures or to create a new piece for the exhibition. Clement Meadmore chose Split Ring, which he had created three years earlier. Robert Murray’s contribution titled Windhover, a steel structure 16 feet long, 14 feet high, and 9 feet wide, had been fabricated in 1970. When it arrived, it was clear that it needed painting. The artist relayed his color selection and Peggy says she and Connie, “…got our ladders and rollers and painted it!”

Each artist was assigned a team of two or three members from the Women’s Committee. With their far-reaching contacts, the women recruited local businesses to provide fabrication for seven sculptures, using processes supervised by the artists, and to provide transportation for both the artists and five sculptures already created, all of which greatly reduced costs.

“We knew the local businesses were very receptive,” remembers Peggy, “and we got nearly everything donated, including flights on corporate planes to bring the artists to town.”

“These women were so courageous,” says Joseph Becherer, vice president and chief curator of sculpture at Frederik Meijer Gardens. “A project of this scope is absolutely monumental, and it was an extraordinary undertaking!”

In addition to all of their liaison work, members of the committee generated tremendous enthusiasm for the exhibition, produced a fine catalog, and housed the artists in their homes. In late summer of 1973, some 35 years before ArtPrize would come on the scene, the public watched the remarkable process of installing twelve contemporary public works of art clustered on and around the block bordered by Lyon, Monroe, Michigan and Ottawa. Some were temporary sculptures made of wood and designed to be taken down at the end of the exhibition. Grand Rapids Project “X”, the first permanent large-scale outdoor work by artist Robert Morris, was completed in Lookout Park in 1974.

There was a bit of discord about the art, and that was to be expected. It was more avant-garde than many of the city’s residents were used to. Peggy remembers that some thought it didn’t complement the Calder. Still, the exhibition was tremendously popular, and the Women’s Committee was asked to extend it. The initial three-month commitment stretched into eleven months.

After the "Sculpture Off the Pedestal" exhibition, "Split Ring" was sold to the Taubman Group, which owned Woodland Mall, and was installed inside the mall in a pond in front of what was then Hudson’s. Some years later, the sculpture was moved to another location in the mall.
After the “Sculpture Off the Pedestal” exhibition, “Split Ring” was sold to the Taubman Group, which owned Woodland Mall, and was installed inside the mall in a pond in front of what was then Hudson’s. Some years later, the sculpture was moved to another location in the mall.

All the works that were not temporary were for sale. Committee members encouraged the purchase of what Connie Oosting described as the “innovative and daring art” so the sculptures could remain in Grand Rapids. In Connie’s message in the 1973 catalog for Sculpture Off the Pedestal, she wrote, “These sculptures offer the man on the street an epiphany, the surprise of the uplift of the spirit in the midst of an otherwise pragmatic environment…an alternative to the usual visual pollution encountered in most American cities.”

Three of the sculptures stayed in Grand Rapids. Untitled by Dale Eldred, is located on the main campus of Grand Valley State University. Project “X” is a permanent installation in Lookout Park that prevents the hillside from eroding and provides a path connecting the hilltop with recreational facilities below. Split Ring was sold to the Taubman Group, which owned Woodland Mall, and was installed inside the mall in a pond in front of what was then Hudson’s. Later, when new mall owners talked of removing Split Ring, there was public outcry from many who had come to enjoy it and think of it as “ours.” Split Ring was, instead, moved to another location in the mall.

“I am thrilled that Split Ring is coming back downtown,” says Mary Ann Keeler, who joined the Women’s Committee in the early 1970s upon learning that its members were organizing Sculpture Off the Pedestal. “It is important that people see contemporary sculpture around them, that they see the art of today, as they go about their life and their everyday tasks.”

Mary Ann remembers being inspired by the image of Alexander Calder’s large red sculpture against the backdrop of the tall black buildings downtown. “The Calder was the start of bringing contemporary sculpture into downtown Grand Rapids, and Sculpture Off the Pedestal got the momentum going,” she says, and adds with enthusiasm, “It’s amazing how one thing leads to another!”

The 300 Ottawa Building

The office building at 300 Ottawa was built by Edward Frey three years before the launch of Sculpture Off the Pedestal. It was designed to be the “back of the house” to support operations at the Union Bank Building at 200 Ottawa Avenue, now the Chase Building.

DP Fox Ventures, the holding company of Dan and Pamella DeVos, purchased the side-by-side 200 and 300 Ottawa Buildings in 1998. Because 300 Ottawa lacked a clear identity and purpose in recent years, DP Fox launched a stunning renovation that pays tribute to the building’s mid-century roots and includes the addition of a dramatic two-story lobby; updates to the entrances and exterior facades, common areas, restrooms and elevator cabs; and integration of technology.

Partway through renovations, a discussion arose about the possibility of Dan and Pamella acquiring Split Ring from the Woodland Mall owners and returning it to the plaza at 300 Ottawa where it made its Grand Rapids debut. Both Dan and Pamella are recognized locally and nationally for their support of the arts, so the connection was logical. Pamella has served in many capacities with the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM), including co-chairing major exhibitions of artists ranging from Picasso to Perugino to the Dutch masters. She and Dan served as co-chairs of the GRAM’s Inaugural Ball and Centennial Gala in 2010, where Pamella was honored as one of the ten most influential women of GRAM’s first 100 years. Moreover, in recognition of her many years of service to GRAM, Pamella was named an Honorary Life Trustee in 2010. Pamella also serves as Vice President on the Board of Trustees at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, playing a key role in the planning and development of the new Whitney Museum in Manhattan.

With their strong background in the arts, both Dan and Pamella were excited about the prospect of acquiring Split Ring, and so were the mall’s owners. An architect and structural engineer confirmed that the plaza site would support the 4,000 pound structure. Agreement was reached, and plans were put in place to move Split Ring from Woodland Mall to the 300 Ottawa plaza in June.

“Pam and I are delighted to be able to bring Meadmore’s wonderful sculpture back downtown, to a prime location right across from the Calder, and to honor the pioneering work of the Women’s Committee,” said Dan DeVos. “The timing coincides with significant renovations to 300 Ottawa, and it all came together perfectly.”

“As a city, we embrace the value and importance of public art,” said Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss. “The return of this beautiful sculpture to its original location further enhances our downtown and continues our strong tradition of providing access to art for everyone.”

David Frey, whose father built 300 Ottawa, agrees. “There is growing recognition of the role of public art in the urban experience, and this is another way in which this great Midwestern city is distinguishing itself!” he says. “Public art brings intellectual and visual stimulation to an area. It is provocative, and it adds variety and energy. Public art is an investment, in a very real way, in the economic development of a city.”

Split Ring has been a distinct part of Woodland Mall’s indoor landscape for more than four decades. Those who were introduced to Split Ring while shopping there as teenagers grew up to share its striking presence with their children.

“We are thrilled that the Split Ring sculpture will remain in the local Grand Rapids community,” said Tony DeLuccia, general manager of Woodland Mall. “We hope that area residents will enjoy and appreciate its beauty as Woodland Mall shoppers have over the years.”

Clement Meadmore and Split Ring

Clement Meadmore was born February 9, 1929 in Melbourne, Australia and spent most of his life in the United States. He began his career as a furniture designer and evolved into a sculptor who was recognized most for his massive outdoor steel sculptures. He was also an amateur drummer and he loved jazz, which is evident in the names of many of his sculptures. The artist’s work is characteristic of the minimalist school of sculpture that thrived in the 1960s and 1970s in the U.S., when artists were striving to pare back art to clean lines and basic shapes.

“Minimalism followed the commercialism of Pop Art and the visual chaos of Abstract Expressionism,” says Joseph Becherer. “It was seen as a way of cleansing the art world and bringing it back to its most straightforward forms. Artists worked with geometry and with a very limited color basis. Black became a signature for Clement Meadmore.”

Split Ring was fabricated of Corten steel, which is a weathering steel that will not corrode. While Clement Meadmore’s works were usually designed to sit flat on the ground, Split Ring will be installed on a new base on the 300 Ottawa plaza to ensure it can be seen from the street.

Clement Meadmore died in Manhattan in 2005.