Congratulations extended to Prof Frank Speyers for his 25 years at Calvin! He and Prof Anna Greidanus (and also Prof Adam Wolpa for his 10 years) will be honored at the Calvin College Tribute Dinner, Thursday, May 16.
Check out his websiteto see some of his work.
There are six students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts program, two of which are seniors (Anna van Milligen and Stephanie Kang) and currently have work in the Center Art Gallery and Calvin’s 106 Gallery downtown. Caitlin Smits, Dania Grevengoed, Shanda Edsall, and Anna Hanchett had a review last week and spent the semester working to present a cohesive body of work to be critiqued by the art faculty on the last week of class.
Caitlin works in mixed media to tell stories of struggle while thinking about hands as portraits through her experiences in rock-climbing.
Dania is concerned with regaining the intimacy of portrayals of landscape, and turning grand vistas into something more delicate. She works to transform landscape into portrait, and portrait into landscape–all while placing emphasis on a sharp highlighting of color and texture.
Shanda’s present body of work deals with the insignificant, the residue of human life. The subject matter she has chosen to address is both the literal residue of actions or events as well as the stories left in the wake of experiences. Interaction has been important. Without the participation of others most of her works would be unachievable.
Anna works with material and subjects associated with nourishment and intimacy; namely bread, beets and thread. She places an emphasis on disintegration and fragility as the fading of memory and absence of the body suggest the passing of time.
Vendor Registration is now open! There are a couple of easy ways to register:
OPTION 1- As an Avenue for the Arts member, your fee to participate in the Market is waived. Login through your membership account, and go to the”Event” tab on the top of the page to register for one or both of the Markets.
OPTION 2- If you would like to become an Avenue for the Arts member FOLLOW THIS LINK. Once your membership has been set-up (allow 24 hours) you will be able to register for one or both of the Markets.
OPTION 3- Register for the Market, and you will automatically be enrolled in the membership program.
Follow this link TO DOWNLOAD A PAPER REGISTRATION FORM
Email avenueforthearts@gmail.com with questions
If you need any assistance registering or have any questions about the Market or Avenue for the Arts Membership, please join Taylor and Jess at the Lantern coffee bar for a drop-in on Tuesday the 14th between the hours of 12pm-2pm or 6pm-8pm or Saturday the 18th from 10am-noon.
Join them on FACEBOOK and check out their WEBSITE to learn more about the market.
via artdaily.org
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park announced the acquisition and permanent siting of a major piece by the eminent American sculptor, Richard Serra.
The sculpture, Equal Intervals, Equal Elevations, is a site-specific work and has been the focal point of significant research, furthering Fred Meijer’s vision and desire to build a collection of sculpture of international significance.
“Meijer Gardens has long been committed to the opportunity to introduce a work by Richard Serra— one of the most acclaimed and influential sculptors of our time— to the collection,” said Joseph Becherer, vice president and chief curator at Meijer Gardens.
Equal Intervals, Equal Elevations is composed of four large, weathering, forged-steel blocks placed at equal intervals in the hillside and valley in the very heart of the Sculpture Park.
Serra visited Meijer Gardens last fall to review the site and specifically place and orient each of the blocks in the landscape.
“The sculpture is sited so that the four blocks are set on the same contour equal distance apart in an arc so as to frame the pond,” explained Richard Serra.
According to the artist, placement of the four elements, and the relationship of the objects to the surrounding space, is critical to the work both physically and intellectually.
“Far more than four measurable steel blocks, the work is about our perceptions of a space that, in this specific instance, is the entire hillside,” described Becherer. “Most works of sculpture are about the measurable object or the object in space, but Serra pushes the boundaries of sculpture to help the viewer perceive the entirety of space.”
Equal Intervals, Equal Elevations will be unveiled on May 14th. A special open house will be held for media from 1-3 p.m. The site will be open for video and photography and Joseph Becherer will be available for interview.
The acquisition of Equal Intervals, Equal Elevations was made possible through the generosity of Fred and Lena Meijer. It was facilitated through Serra’s primary gallery, Gagosian Gallery.
“It is always inspiring when an important work of art is permanently sited in a public context,” said Larry Gagosian, owner and director of Gagosian Gallery. “We have appreciated the thoughtfulness with which Meijer Gardens has approached the re-siting project and we feel that it has been a very successful experience.”
Copyright © artdaily.org
The Visual Arts Guild would like to thank all who participated in Spring Arts Festival this year. It was a pleasure to end the semester with such an event! Although the rain came by surprise, the clouds were blown away just in time for the live music and student artwork was raised out of the basement! While there were several local Grand Rapids bands playing, a donation-based sale of ceramics for Feeding America occurred as well as a Sumi Ink Club and a ‘Story Exchange’ table was set up. The leaders of the Visual Arts Guild look forward to planning more events in the fall in collaboration with the Art Department and other student organizations.
General Call for Proposals – Fall 2013 Exhibition
UICA is seeking proposals for work that address contemporary issues and concerns, and/or work that pushes traditional boundaries in its treatment of materials or subject.
Exhibitions spaces available include site-specific locations, areas for large suspended work, and a dedicated sound/video gallery. Proposals for individual work as well as group exhibitions will be considered. Diagrams of exhibition spaces can be found here.
UICA’s Fall 2013 Exhibition coincides with ArtPrize, the world’s largest art competition, in downtown Grand RapidsSeptember 18 to October 6. UICA will work with artists accepted for a Fall Exhibition to get them registered for this art festival where $560,000 in prize money is awarded, including juried Awards in the following categories: 2-D, 3-D, Urban Space, and Time/Performance. In 2012, UICA was the venue for the 3-D and Time/Performance award winners. Visit artprize.org for more information.
Eligibility: Must be 18 years or older, exhibition opportunities are for emerging, mid-career, and established artists.
UICA strongly encourages artists review gallery specifications available on the website, and to include a site-specific diagram with their proposal. Please contact Elizabeth Goddard, Director of Exhibitions and Interpretation at elizabeth@uica.org with questions or to arrange a site visit.
Submission Deadline: 11:59PM EST May 26, 2013.
For more information and to complete an application, visit: uica.slideroom.com.
Anna Elizabeth Greidanus
Show and tell is one of the greatest games we play in grade school. Unfortunately, in the academic world, its pedagogical merits are easily forgotten. Professors tend not to fail when it is comes to using words, but we are sometimes at a loss when it comes to communicating with visuals. Anna Greidanus does not merely lecture or lead discussions, she demonstrates. Rather than teach from a podium, she sits at the wheel, producing ceramic vessels as she informs her students. In and out of the classroom, Anna regularly reveals the gift of show and tell.
Anna is the youngest child of Frisian immigrants. Born and raised in Delavan WI, she spent her childhood on a dairy farm, daydreaming and helping to care for animals. Anna attended Calvin College, where she majored in art education. Only a few months after her graduation in 1979, Anna began teaching at Grand Rapids Christian High. During this time, she also began her M.F.A. degree at Michigan State University in the ceramic arts. After teaching high school for four years, Anna returned to her alma mater as an instructor.
During her tenure at Calvin College, Anna has taught numerous courses in the visual arts, ranging from sculpture to bookmaking. She has also led off-campus interims to China as well as to Russia. Nonetheless, ceramics has remained her passion. Some people have clay of feet; Anna has clay all over her hands. She revels in caressing the earth as she searches for ways to convey its spiritual significance.
In her teaching, she effectively reveals the tactile dimension of sight. Anna not only encourages her students to make meaningful objects, she shows them how their studio work can help shape the experience of materials and place.
As one might expect, Anna enjoys opening “Big Bertha” (the kiln) with her students. Many of them speak of the pleasures of touching recently fired pieces, still warm from potter’s oven. Anna’s students also voice their appreciation for inviting them into her home for a dinner served on ceramic tableware of their own making at the close of each semester.
Her compassion for students and her service to the community have been exemplary. Anna has made liturgical vessels for many churches. She and her students have also produced handcrafted soup bowls, donating them in support of the hungry.
Anna’s enthusiasm for teaching extends well beyond the classroom. She has literally led workshops across the country, from New Jersey to Washington. Anna has participated in numerous juried exhibitions throughout the United States. One of her most memorable achievements, however, was a one-person exhibition at the Sint Joseph Galerie in Leeuwaarden (NL), where Anna was able to show and tell about her work in Frisian, a language she learned in her childhood.
In 2010, Anna was diagnosed with breast cancer. While undergoing treatment, she developed a collaborative art project to support all those touched by the disease. The installation, entitled The Survivors Project, offered therapeutic healing as it revealed various responses to living with cancer. The exhibition, which included objects produced by patients as well as caregivers, was displayed at the Lemmen-Holton Cancer Pavilion of Spectrum Hospital as part of ArtPrize. Throughout this project, Anna not only presented her story of battling the disease, she has also given others opportunities to show and tell their experiences. Thankfully, her own health prognosis is good. Nonetheless, Anna is continuing her efforts and is planning to repeat this collaborative installation with new work and new participants. Calvin College has been truly blessed to have Anna Greidanus among its faculty.
