[VISUAL ARTS]
PREVIEW
Local art galleries are off to one heck of a start this month, opening numerous exhibitions across the area. January brings the opening of a Calvin College alum’s solo exhibition, one museum concluding its yearlong celebration, and another show that will make you want to write a very kind letter to the teachers who were nice to you. BY DANA CASADEI
CALVIN COLLEGE CENTER ART GALLERY 106 S. Division, Grand Rapids calvin.edu/centerartgallery/studio, (616) 526-6271
PRINTS FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION, Through Jan. 23
DYLAN MINER: WATER IS SACRED // TREES ARE RELATIVES, Through March 3
native will showcase a selection of original artwork from her books that celebrate and honor educators that made a difference in her life. Polacco’s books all address different parts of her childhood, including bullying, pushing through difficulties and those teachers who pushed her to be her very best.
CONDUCT BECOMING: A SURVEY OF DISTINCTION, Through Feb. 17
KENDALL COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN 17 Fountain St. NW, Grand Rapids, kcad.edu, (616) 451-2787
SHE STARES BACK, Through Jan. 26
LOWELLARTS!
A DECADE AT THE CENTER: RECENT GIFTS AND ACQUISITIONS, Jan. 26-April 28
223 W. Main St., Lowell, lowellartsmi.org, (616) 897-8545
KALAMAZOO INSTITUTE OF ARTS
WHO’S WHO: LOWELLARTS MEMBERS EXHIBITION, Jan. 5-Feb. 9
314 S. Park St., Kalamazoo kiarts.org, (269) 349-7775
SAUGATUCK CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Jan. 7-Feb. 23
INKA ESSENHIGH: A FINE LINE, Through Jan. 6
400 Culver St., Saugatuck sc4a.org, (269) 857-2399
ELAINE TOLSMA HARLOW: SOLO EXHIBITION, Jan. 7-Feb. 23
DO IT, Through March 3
ABSURD IMAGINARIES, Jan. 11-March 1
WATANABE: JAPANESE PRINT ENVOY,
OF EARTH, SEA AND SKY, Jan. 11-March 1
Through March 10
Taking a deep look into abstract expressionism, The Expressionist Figure examines a large group of the leading artists of the 1940s. First developed in the 1940s, abstract expressionism was arguably the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence. Some of the prominent artists featured include Deborah Remington and the leading feminist painter of the late 20th century, Nancy Spero.
The SCA is highlighting Ohio-based artist Adrienne Slane this month. Working with collage, drawing, printmaking, photography and animation, she uses sources ranging from the 1500s to mid-1900s to create her pieces. Slane’s hand-cut collages and cyanotypes combine images of plants, insects, animals, human anatomy and planets. Her works are inspired by the history of the curiosity cabinet, traditional women’s crafts such as folk quilts and paper silhouettes, alongside Christian and Eastern iconography.
MUSKEGON MUSEUM OF ART
URBAN INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS
WAS GOD DEAD? BIBLICAL IMAGINATION IN GERMAN EXPRESSIONIST PRINTS,
This Calvin College alum works out of a studio in West Michigan and has been in local galleries such as LaFontsee Galleries, where her work has hung in countless exhibitions dating back to 1999. She’s well-known for her encaustic paintings. For those who don’t know, encaustic paintings involve heating beeswax, to which colored pigments are added, which is how it also got the name “hot wax painting.” The liquid, or sometimes paste, is then applied to the canvas. We just have to wonder where she gets all that beeswax.
HAGUE SCHOOL PAINTINGS, Jan. 28-July 31
FREDERIK MEIJER GARDENS & SCULPTURE PARK 1000 East Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids meijergardens.org, (888) 957-1580
PROCESS AND PRESENCE: CONTEMPORARY DISABILITY SCULPTURE, Through Jan. 6 CHRISTMAS AND HOLIDAY TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD, Through Jan. 6 ORCHID SHOW, Jan. 26-27
GRAND RAPIDS ART MUSEUM
101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids artmuseumgr.org, (616) 831-1000
WHO SHOT SPORTS: A PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY, 1843 TO THE PRESENT, Through Jan. 13
THE EXPRESSIONIST FIGURE, Jan. 19-May 5
296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon muskegonartmuseum.org, (231) 720-2570
2 W. Fulton St., Grand Rapids uica.org, (616) 454-7000
ARMAND MERIZON: HIS LIFE AND ART,
WARM WATER: NEW WORKS BY CHARLES EDWARD WILLIAMS, Jan.
Through Jan. 6
FANTASMENAGERIE: THE SCULPTURE OF NAT ROSALES, Through Jan. 13 SONS: SEEING THE MODERN AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE, Through March 10 AD MAN: JOSEPH GREY II, Through March 10 A + FOR EDUCATORS: ILLUSTRATIONS BY PATRICIA POLACCO, Jan. 31-May 12 Did you ever have one those teachers who made a lasting impression? Patricia Polacco sure did — in fact, the author and illustrator has a whole exhibit dedicated to them. The Lansing
11-April 28 Based on the event that sparked the Chicago Race Riot of 1919, Charles Edward Williams’ Warm Water is a collection of re-narrated visual works, telling the story of what caused the death of Eugene Williams in Lake Michigan on the South Side of Chicago that year. This event proved to be the tipping point, leading to a string of riots across the U.S. In this show, Williams — a contemporary visual artist from South Carolina — references the psychological racial constructs and the human state of the five teens during the event.
REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | JANUARY 2019 |
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