Experience some art this summer, in Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Lansing and Kalamazoo.
Ken Stevens: Life in Photography
Muskegon Museum of Art
296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon
Through July 24
Adults: $8, Students 18 & older: $5 with school I.D., 17 & under: Free
Ken Stephens (1963-2014) spent 28 years producing photos for The Muskegon Chronicle and MLive. Check out Ken Stevens: Life in Photography to see how his photographs “brought drama and emotion to a visual record of the day’s news, sharing moments that have become part of Muskegon’s history.”
The Artist as Activist: Tayeba Begum Lipi and Mahbubur Rahman
MSU Broad Art Museum
547 E. Circle Dr., East Lansing
Through Aug. 7, FREE
Bangladesh’s foremost contemporary artists Tayeba Begum Lipi and Mahbubur Rahman share this exhibit of reflective and antagonistic art. Their work questions the values, conventions and expectations that are abundant in everyday life. The result is effective both universally and personally. Worth the drive to East Lansing.
Festival of the Arts Regional Exhibition 2016
UICA, 2 W. Fulton, Grand Rapids
June 1–26
Free for June 3-5; Other dates — Members: Free; Adults: $5: Children 5 and under: Free
The annual Festival of the Arts Regional Exhibition features paintings, jewelry, photographs and sculptures. The pieces are created by artists hailing from Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Muskegon, Newaygo, Montcalm and Ottawa counties. The whole family can enjoy food, performances and activities at this year’s event. Admission is free June 3-5. For more information, visit festivalgr.org.
CIRCUS!
Lowell Arts, 149 South Hudson St., Lowell
Through Aug. 13
LowellArts! exhibits circus-themed artwork now through Aug. 13. This juried collection aims to be filled with curiosity, wonder and astounding magic. Also, there’s a Meet-the-Artists Reception in the LowellArts! King Gallery from 2-4 p.m. on June 5. The event is free and light refreshments will be provided. All ages are welcome.
Maureen Nollette: Honorable Ordinaries
Grand Rapids Art Museum
101 Monroe Center St. NW, Grand Rapids
Through Aug. 14
Adults: $8, Seniors/Students: $7, Youth (ages 6-17): $5, Children 5 and under: Free
Exploring the use of pattern and repetition, Maureen Nollette uses household materials to mimic both textiles and the often-used geometric grid in modern art. Through this process, Nollette addresses the perceived differences between the two and questions why one has been historically dismissed as “women’s work.” On June 2, you can catch Nollette at the GRAM for a Gallery Talk from 7-8 p.m. Visit artmuseumgr.org for more details.
The Land of Here and Now: Five Years of Artists at Shared Space Studio
Kendall College of Art and Design
The Fed Galleries, 17 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids
June 8–July 23
Set in rural West Michigan, Shared Space Studio has been providing a creative environment for visiting artists and artists-in-residence since 2011. This exhibit displays the work of 27 artists from the U.S. and Canada and what they’ve created in collaboration with the local community of Pentwater. The artwork ranges from music, zines, choreography, design, illustration, animation and photography, among others. Some of the featured artists include Rose Beerhorst, Eliza Fernand, Evan English and Elijah Jensen-Lindsey, to name only a few. The free opening reception happens June 9 from 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Barbara Takenaga: Waiting in the Sky II
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
314 S. Park St., Kalamazoo
June 18–Sept. 18
Abstract painter Barbara Takenaga creates work reminiscent of the cosmos. Her paintings give a nod to the Big Bang, with their rippling movements of dots and dense, saturated colors. Catch her speak at the KIA reception on June 30 at 6:30 p.m. Also at the reception will be Chul Hyun Ahn, whose own exhibit, Reaching Into Infinity, opens July 2.
Eternal Beauty: Egg Tempera Paintings by Fred Wessel
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
314 S. Park St., Kalamazoo
June 25–Oct. 2
The process of mixing pigment with egg yolk and water is one that goes back to the first century. The process lives on today through artists like Fred Wessel, who’s been applying layers of egg tempera to wood to create “images of great detail and luminescence.” Stop by Eternal Beauty at the KIA to see his work in person. And if you’d like to learn the process yourself, Wessel will be offering an egg tempera workshop from July 17-21 at Kirk Newman Art School.
