Artist Profiles: Bee Vrieland & The VEIL Collective

At least as far back as written history extends, veils have been worn. Sometimes they were used to mark status; in ancient Mesopotamia, they indicated high social class. In ancient Greece, they represented modesty and seclusion. In ancient Rome, a bride would wear a flammeum, an orange or red veil intended to scare off jealous ghosts, who, seeing it, would think the bride was on fire and flee.

What’s remained consistent about veils over time is this: they both conceal and reveal, and they’re only placed over something valuable.

Grand Rapids’ VEIL Collective was founded by Sydney Lingenfelter, Joe Velick, and Caralyn Jellison, students and alumni of Kendall College of Art and Design. The goal was to foster community and to prove spaces and opportunities for newer artists to showcase their work.

During 2025 ArtPrize, VEIL Collective created a month-long program of events as well as an exhibition, allowing the west Michigan community—and many visitors from outside the region—to experience a supportive midwestern arts environment could look like.

Revue recently spoke to Bee Vrieland, a young artist specializing in black-and-white film photography, about their art and about their work with VEIL Collective. The conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.

Could you talk a little bit about your work as an artist?

When I was 15 or 16, I felt like everybody around me had a thing: everybody had something they were just really passionate about. I loved photography, and I decided I wanted to develop those skills into a professional career. I’ve always loved seeing people bring their passion and art together.

For me, it’s about capturing moments. Capturing emotions more than anything. I’m a very emotional person, and my art reflects that. 

What does film photography offer you that digital doesn’t?

Originally, I did work in digital. But while attending KCAD I switched to medium format black-and-white. I just loved the process. There’s something about the actual chemical work. I’m very hands-on. And with film, you get your hands in there. But beyond that, there’s the surprise of not knowing exactly what you’re going to get. That brought a lot of joy, too.

And I guess I don’t like it being too easy.

Could you talk a bit about how VEIL came about?

It was started by KCAD alumni as a nomadic collective. They had this sense that there’s a lot of opportunity in Grand Rapids, but it’s also intimidating. They wanted to take spaces that had been underutilized, never used as art spaces, and put them to work. They curated events, including gallery events. They wanted to make spaces where everyone felt welcome.

What has the reaction in the community been like?

When we did ArtPrize last year, curating a space at Hermitage and Diamond, we had lots of great feedback. People felt the space had been beautifully arranged, that it had a great flow. Lots of people were happy to come and experience these deeply rooted histories and cultures.

Beyond preparing for ArtPrize 2026, what’s VEIL up to?

We have a lot of free events. We’re trying to make things as accessible as possible. We do accept donations, but those are totally voluntary.

We offer art exhibitions. Last month we had a block printing night, that was great. Through the One Oh Six Gallery from Avenue For the Arts, we’re offering critique nights.

What are critique nights?

This is something new. A lot of us, we’re younger artists. In school, we had opportunities for feedback. And we miss that! We all miss getting feedback. It’s important. You make art, but sometimes you miss things, things other people would catch.

So you can RSVP to be a critiqued artist. It’s first come, first served. We accept anyone, with any artwork. There is a $10 fee for that, which helps keep us up and running. But if you’re not bringing artwork to be critiqued, you can come and offer feedback, or just watch, and there’s no charge or that.

Artists come in, give a little speech, and get instant feedback. We ask that everyone’s respectful—no personal attacks. This needs to be constructive. No one’s looking to bash anyone. And sometimes the artist is looking for feedback on particular aspects.

Why is community important to you? You could be out there on your own, right, working as a solitary artist.

For me, personally, I find a real joy in community. It’s intimate, personal. There’s a bond being created. I could do my art on my own, but if there wasn’t anyone to share it with…I don’t know. There’s just a lot of love in doing things together. When VEIL came up as an opportunity, I was like, oh hell yeah. It really fulfills me. I’m being social. I’m not isolated. And I’m with like-minded people.

Learn more at veilcollectives.com or on Instagram @veil_gr.