(106) Gallery and Studio (Calvin College)
106 S. Division, Grand Rapids
calvin.edu/centerartgallery/studio, (616) 526-6271
This fall, (106) Gallery will kick off with Stirring the World: German Printmaking in the Age of Martin Luther. The exhibit marks the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Told through the lens of 16th century prints, the exhibit presents a glimpse at some of the concerns, uncertainties, and anxieties explored during the era.
At the same time, as part of its ninth ArtPrize season, the gallery will present EQUITY NOT EQUALITY, an exterior art installation by quilt artist Eliza Fernand. The recipient of an ArtPrize 9 Artist Seed Grant, Fernand takes a look at present-day questions of equity and equality, taking into account the place, history and space of the downtown Ladies Literary Club.
Other exhibits being presented this season include West of the Imagination - Frank Speyers, a sabbatical painting exhibition featuring large-scale paintings of the American West, and The Beautiful, a curated exhibition of works by Christians in Visual Arts.
Stirring the World: German Printmaking in the Age of Martin Luther, Sept. 5-Oct. 14
EQUITY NOT EQUALITY, Sept. 13-Oct. 8
West of the Imagination - Frank Speyers, Oct. 26-Dec. 20
The Beautiful, Jan. 5-Feb. 17
Senior Exhibitions, May 4-19
Broad Art Museum
547 E. Circle Dr., East Lansing
broadmuseum.msu.edu, (517) 884-4800
From September through October, the Broad Art Museum has loads of exhibits on display. There’s The Transported Man, a group show inspired by a magic trick described in Christopher Priest’s 1995 novel The Prestige, and TOILETPAPER, an interactive immersion in the magazine of the same name’s aesthetic. Also on display in October is Another Country, which examines some of the complex history that shapes the current American landscape.
Other shows throughout the 2017-2018 season include Michigan Stories: Mike Kelley and Jim Shaw, the 2018 Master of Fine Arts Exhibition, and Department of Art, Art History, and Design Faculty Triennial.
The museum’s Field Station series — which features work by artists at different moments in their careers, all focusing on new terrain — will showcase five artists throughout the year. Artists include Daniel G. Baird, Duane Linklater, Kathryn Andrews, Michael E. Smith and Lawrence Abu Hamdan.
TOILETPAPER, Through Oct. 22
The Transported Man, Through Oct. 22
Daniel G. Baird, Through Oct. 1
City Cigarette Butts, Through Oct. 1
Giulia Bowinkel + Friedemann Banz, Sept. 5-Oct. 1
Duane Linklater, Oct. 1–Dec. 10
Kate Cooper, Oct. 3-29
Rashaad Newsome, Oct. 31-Dec. 3
Michigan Stories: Mike Kelley and Jim Shaw, Nov. 18-Feb. 25
Andrew Norman Wilson, Dec. 5-31
Kathryn Andrews, Dec. 16-Feb. 11
Micah Hesse, Jan. 2-Feb. 4
Another Country, Through Jan. 7
Andy Warhol, Jan. 13-May 13
Keren Cytter, Feb. 6-March 4
Michael E. Smith, Feb. 17-May 6
Wilf Speller, March 6-April 1
Master of Fine Arts Exhibition, March 17–April 8
Department of Art, Art History, and Design Faculty Triennial, March 17–April 8
Institute for New Feeling, April 3-29
Michel Parmentier, April 28–Sept. 9
Lawrence Abu Hamdan, May 12-July 29
Hold, Control, Repeat, May 19–Aug. 12
David Lamelas, June 2–Oct. 28
The Fed Galleries at KCAD
17 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids
kcad.edu/galleries/fed-galleries, (616) 451-2787
Known as an epicenter for creative exploration, the Fed Galleries at Kendall College bring the solo and collaborative work of students and professionals from all over to the heart of Grand Rapids. With a variety of artistic series kicking off the new season, there are so many reasons to get out and appreciate all the creativity it has to offer.
Society of Spectacle, Aug. 29-Oct. 14
Conversation with the Curator, Sept. 12
Yarn, Sept. 12
Gallery Talk with Jonathan Brilliant, Sept. 21
Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present, Oct. 10
F for Fake, Nov. 7
Resort, Nov. 7-Jan. 31
Knockoffs, Nov. 7-Jan. 31
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
1000 East Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
meijergardens.org, (888) 957-1580
Rodin and the Contemporary Figurative Tradition will take a look at the work of Auguste Rodin, one of the most revolutionary figurative artists in history whose influence is still felt today. The exhibit — which was timed to coincide with the centennial anniversary of his passing — will feature several of his works, as well as sculptures by contemporary artists whose work is in dialogue with and perhaps even indebted to the great French master.
This winter will have another annual exhibit for guests to enjoy, Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World. With the glow of more than 400,000 lights, strolling carolers, rooftop reindeer, and more than 40 international trees and displays, few exhibits will give you this holiday spirit. Also on display will be the companion Railway Garden exhibition.
Rodin and the Contemporary Figurative Tradition, Sept. 15-Jan. 7
Chrysanthemums and More!, Sept. 15-Oct. 29
Christmas and Holiday Traditions Around the World, Nov. 21-Jan. 7
Grand Rapids Art Museum
101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids
artmuseumgr.org, (616) 831-1000
For more than 100 years, the Grand Rapids Art Museum has been bringing art to downtown, and this year the museum will have five exhibits on display. First up is ArtPrize Nine at GRAM, and then Christian Marclay’s Video Quartet arrives. The exhibit — which is made up of more than 700 individual fragments of film and sound from popular movies in which characters play instruments, sing or make noise in some way — took the Swiss-American artist a year to create. The 17-minute installation consists of four synchronized videos shown on adjoining screens, each with its own soundtrack.
Andy Warhol’s American Icons will showcase the iconic artist’s vision and celebration of America through his paintings, prints, photographs and films. Yes, his infamous Green Coca-Cola Bottles painting will be on display.
Her Purse Smelled Like Juicy Fruit and Other Tales tells the life story of the artist’s mother through a series of linoleum prints with narrative text. This will be Detroit native and former auto worker Carl Wilson’s first solo museum exhibit.
Beginning in January is Alexis Rockman’s The Great Lakes Cycle, which will explore the past, present and future of the Great Lakes. Initiated in 2013, the multifaceted project began when Rockman embarked on a research tour of the Great Lakes region. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a suite of five mural-sized paintings that explore separate themes that emerged during Rockman’s travels. Several large-scale watercolors and field drawings will also be on display.
ArtPrize Nine at GRAM, Sept. 13-Oct. 8
Christian Marclay: Video Quartet, Oct. 28-Jan. 14
Andy Warhol’s American Icons, Oct. 28-Feb. 11
Carl Wilson: Her Purse Smelled Like Juicy Fruit and Other Tales, Nov. 3-Feb. 11
Alexis Rockman: The Great Lakes Cycle, Jan. 27-April 29
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
314 S. Park St., Kalamazoo
kiarts.org, (269) 349-7775
On a collective mission to spread the appreciation of visual arts through the whole of West Michigan, the Kalamazoo Arts Institute has been hosting exhibitions and lectures for almost 100 years.
Circular Abstractions: Bull’s Eye Quilts, Sept. 23-Jan. 21
Kirk Newman Faculty Review, Sept. 30-Dec. 31
LaFontsee Galleries
833 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids,
410 W. Center St., Douglas
lafontsee.us
Concluding their 2017 summer season is the group show TOAST, taking place at the Douglas location. On Sunday, Sept. 3, there will be Art Demos from noon-4 p.m. by four LaFontsee Gallery artists: Elaine Tolsma Harlow, encaustics; Kate Bourdon, handmade paper with embossing and painting; Jean Allemeier Boot, drypoint and intaglio; and Kathy Mohl, oil painting. While there, guests will be able to snack on some toast and toast artists (wordplay is fun). Also at the Douglas location will be the Annual Gallery Stroll in early October.
TOAST, Sept. 3-Oct. 8
Annual Gallery Stroll, Oct. 7-8
LowellArts!
223 W. Main St., Lowell
lowellartsmi.org, (616) 897-8545
Since 1977, LowellArts has been connecting regional artists and audiences through visual and performing arts in the greater Lowell community, and this fall the group will kick off its 2017-2018 season with Between Turbulence and Tranquility. Nine Michigan artists will have works on display, highlighting each of their unique perspectives and mediums, from Sept. 6-Oct. 28.
Up next is the annual LowellArts Holiday Artists Market, starting in November. The Market will feature artwork and handmade items by more than 50 area artists, all of which will be available for purchase. Gift items include everything from pottery to candles to glasswork.
The last confirmed exhibit on the schedule is another annual event, Lowell-Arts West Michigan Art Competition. This will mark the 31st year for the competition, which showcases pieces by Lower West Michigan artists.
Between Turbulence and Tranquility, Sept. 6-Oct. 28
LowellArts Holiday Artists Market, Nov. 7-Dec. 23
LowellArts West Michigan Art Competition, March 10-April 21
Muskegon Museum of Art
296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon
muskegonartmuseum.org,(231) 720-2570
The Muskegon Museum of Art has a very busy schedule coming up, with more than a dozen new exhibits opening over the next year. The last few months of 2017 will see the openings of Points of Resonance: The Museum Project Gift, an exhibit combining recently acquired contemporary photography with similarly themed works from the museum’s permanent collection; works by glass artist Daniel Clayman in Shift; the 13th annual Festival of Trees; an exhibit featuring artist Winfred Rembert, who works in carved and dyed leather, a trade he learned in prison after being arrested during a 1960s civil rights march while escaping from threat of a lynching; and sculptor Sarah Wagner’s Vegetable Lamb of America, which will feature a new work inspired by the history and cultivation of cotton.
May will have openings of three new exhibits: Up Close and Personal: The Ultra-Realistic Sculpture of Marc Sijan, featuring multiple full-size figures, accompanied by head and shoulder busts; and American Icon: The Art of the Motorcycle displays vintage and contemporary bikes from a Muskegon collection, along with photographs. There’s also Renaissance Ink, opening May 24, which will allow visitors to track the growing complexity in skill and concept in Renaissance printmaking. The last exhibit on the schedule is Perchance to Dream: The Sculpture of Michael Peoples. The artist creates cast wax sculptures of pop culture objects and icons, and this exhibit is an installation-based work featuring hundreds of cast circus peanuts.
Edward S. Curtis: The North American Indian, Through Sept. 10
89th Muskegon Museum of Art Regional Exhibition, Sept. 28-Nov. 8
Pictures of the Best Kind, Through Oct. 8
Points of Resonance: The Museum Project Gift, Oct. 5-Jan. 14
Shift: Daniel Clayman, Oct. 12-Jan. 21
Festival of Trees, Nov. 22-Dec. 3
Winfred Rembert, Dec. 14-March 18
Sarah Wagner: Vegetable Lamb of America, Dec. 14-March 18
Yuyi Morales: The Art of Thunderboy Jr., Jan. 25-May 20
POSTCARD SALON, Feb. 1-15
The Sculpture of David Barnhill and David Huang, March 1-June 10
Expressions 2017: 36th Annual Muskegon County Student Art Exhibit, March 27-April 29
Up Close and Personal: The Ultra-Realistic Sculpture of Marc Sijan, May 17-Aug. 12
American Icon: The Art of the Motorcycle, May 17-Aug. 12
Renaissance Ink, May 24-Sept. 8
Perchance to Dream: The Sculpture of Michael Peoples, June 21-Sept. 23
Saugatuck Center for the Arts
400 Culver St., Saugatuck
sc4a.org, (269) 857-2399
Opening Sept. 14 is the contemporary Native American exhibit Tomorrow’s Stories: Contemporary Native American Arts & Artists. Featuring two and three dimensional works by five contemporary Native American artists — Jason Quigno, Kelly Church, Jessica Metcalfe, Summer Peters and Jason Wesaw — this exhibit is the first time all five artists have been displayed together, and will showcase works both utilitarian (like clothes and accessories) and pieces that are strictly decorative. Each piece will interpret the modern indigenous experience and look at the place that Native culture has created within our own American popular culture. Also opening Sept. 14 is Camp Home, which will display photographs by Kevin J. Miyazaki. The exhibit documents the reuse of buildings from the Tule Lake and Heart Mountain Japanese internment camps where members of Miyazaki’s family were incarcerated during World War ll. Camp Home is also part of the gallery’s Corridor Series.
Stories of Us: Transforming Communities Through Art, Through Sept. 3
Corridor Series: Rebel Nell, Through Sept. 3
Corridor Series: Clarity After Clouds, Through Sept. 3
Tomorrow’s Stories: Contemporary Native American Arts & Artists, Sept. 14-Nov. 10
Corridor Series: Camp Home, Sept. 14-Nov. 24
Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts
2 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids
uica.org, (616) 454-7000
Using food as a lens to examine cultural history, social equity and the effects of globalization on communities, Cultivate is UICA’s ArtPrize Nine exhibition. The curated group show will have works by seven artists, including Grand Haven resident Michael Peoples and Grand Rapids native Kyd Kane.
Following Cultivate is Coming Home, a suite of exhibits featuring works by emerging and established Michigan artists. Featuring a diverse group of working artists, Coming Home celebrates both departures and reunions, and celebrates Michigan’s role as a platform for inspiration and exploration. Organize Your Own: The Politics and Poetics of Self-Determination Movements also opens Nov. 3, displaying works by emerging artists and poets who responded to the history of the Black Power movement to “organize your own” community against racism.
Up next is Enmeshed, a group of solo exhibits featuring works by artists who bridge the personal, political and spiritual. The artists explore how these relationships are related to both identity and action.
Last on the UICA’s schedule right now is Fresh Pick: Bohan Li, which will open in March. Li, a 2017 graduate of the MFA Printmaking program at Kendall College of Art and Design, was selected as this year’s Fresh Pick Award winner. The award is given annually to a member of KCAD’s graduating class who shows a high level of talent and potential.
ArtPrize Nine: Cultivate, Sept. 12-Dec. 10
Coming Home, Nov. 3-Jan. 28
Organize Your Own: The Politics and Poetics of Self-Determination Movements, Nov. 3-Jan. 28
Enmeshed, Jan. 19-March 19
Fresh Pick: Bohan Li, March 1-May 13
