Artposts are five outdoor, miniature art galleries organized in collaboration with the Avenue for the Arts that provide the public with an opportunity to see small-scale artworks in an unconventional venue. Artposts debuted in Grand Rapids for ArtPrize 2021 and two artposts were installed on the GVSU Pew Grand Rapids campus in November 2021. 

Artposts will feature multiple works of art by a variety of artists beginning with work curated by the students of the Fall 2021 Curatorial Studio course. The additional artposts can be found throughout downtown Grand Rapids, as indicated on the map. Read on to learn more. 

"We Could be the Enemy" by John Sproul
September - November, 2024

John Sproul Artist Statement:

I make colorful figure paintings, drawings, monoprints and sculptures.

I make work that explores who we are and what lies behind our actions. This interest began with a personal desire to grow emotionally, socially, and psychologically and let go of those things that have kept me from moving forward. That journey has led to an understanding that we are all connected and share basic human emotions and desires even though they may manifest differently.

Gaining understanding of myself has helped me to understand others.

In my art, I work through what it is to be human – addressing fear and needing to be loved as they manifest in myself and in others. This includes subjects such as body image, loneliness, isolation, ego, etc. in an effort to find healing and acceptance of myself and others.

I work between the primal/subconscious and the narrative/consciousness often putting the figure in unusual situations. My other worldly colors reflect and emphasize the abnormal normalcy of these questions. In the work, I am not looking for answers so much as I am posing questions to lead to understanding.

Visit Avenue for the Arts exhibitions for more information.

Robyn Smith
June - August, 2024

Robyn Smith is a ceramic artist from Grand Rapids, Michigan, whose work is centered around capturing the essence of the natural world while encouraging others to explore their relationship with the earth. She believes in pushing the boundaries of ceramics with a sense of playfulness, exploration, and reflection of her true self.

Her focus is mainly on hand-building techniques and either using various tools to sketch drawings onto her pieces, sculpting, or both, then painting glazes on like watercolors. Working with clay is a meditative practice that brings her a sense of emotional peace and physical healing Overall, her aim is to celebrate the beauty and magic of the world around us and to encourage others to rediscover their own connection to nature. Through her art, she hopes to inspire creativity, reminding us to approach life with a sense of wonder and joy.

Visit Avenue for the Arts exhibitions for more information.

Winter Lanterns
December 10, 2023 - February 10, 2024

Matthew Goetska
Goetska began this piece with the desire to work with the color blue. Over time a larger theme emerged: hot and cold, fire and water, the transition from fall to winter. While working on this piece, Goetska’s friends were without a hot water heater or furnace, and he began fundraising for them. Their lack of heat during the cold months was heavy on his mind. For Goetska, art is life and life is art. His lived experiences bleed naturally into his paintings. Each feeling, song, conversation, meal, etc. end up reflected in his work.

Annabelle Vergara Brinks
Pasko is the word for Christmas in the Philippines and is marked by family celebrations. The parol, a star-shaped lantern, symbolizes the season. Crafted with vibrant materials, it decorates homes, streets, and brings a festive glow to Filipino Christmas.

Visit Avenue for the Arts exhibitions for more information.

Ephemeral Nature
September 1 - December 14, 2023

Ephemeral Nature is an exhibition of four artists getting to know each other through a small-scale exploration of the fleeting qualities of the natural world. The artists, Taylor Bultema, Melody Hoffer, snicka, and Alanna Christy, are part of the Avenue Art Club, the volunteer core of the Avenue for the Arts. Alanna Christy is featured at the L. William Seidman Center ArtPost, and snicka is featured at the Richard M. DeVos Center ArtPost.

The other three ArtPosts are located in downtown Grand Rapids at Fountain Street Church (24 Fountain St NE), Verne Barry Place (63 Division Ave S), and Ferguson Apartments (Just south of the 52 Sheldon Parking lot LaGrave entrance in the small park.).

Visit Avenue for the Arts exhibitions for more information.

New work by Mandy Cano Villalobos
May 15 - August 19, 2023

Opening: Friday 5/19
The Gluttony series stems from my personal hoarding obsession, American consumerism, and a desire for belonging. Each vitrine is laden with everyday detritus that evokes memory and cultural identity conditioned by the things we collect. Each item — bought, consumed and discarded — tells our personal stories, and at the same time, unites us as communal adherents to global capitalism. We buy stuff to create personal space that is uniquely ours. But, thanks to mass production, all we can muster is a different combination of the same store bought things. Viewers are invited to recognize familiar items. The inundation of quotidian castoffs teeters between comfort, tantalization, and repulsion.

New work by Kristin Casaletto
August 18 - November 18, 2022

Opening: Thursday 8/18
Kristin Casaletto’s art explores socio-political challenges facing the United States in its role as a twenty-first-century super power.  Her work presents nuanced scrutiny of the precariousness of contemporary American life.  Casaletto uses drawing, painting, printmaking, and at times sound, sculpture, video, monumental scale, or collaborations to confront issues of class, race, gender, power imbalances, and conscience that stem from her position within a working-class, mixed-race family.

New work by Karen Hain
May 18 - August 6, 2022

Opening during the launch of a new downtown event series, Third Thursdays, this exhibition will be curated by local artist Craig Merchant and show the work of Detroit-based fiber artist Karen Hain.

New Work by Bridgette McGee and snicka
January 14 - March, 31, 2022

McGee and snicka are two Grand Rapids artists exploring the artposts as sites for miniature installations.

Bridgette "B" McGee is a multimedia artist based out of Grand Rapids, MI. She has a BFA in Illustration from Kendall College of Art & Design. Bridgette specializes in detailed ink drawings, watercolor, and murals. Her work centers around themes from the natural world and is often influenced by Art Nouveau and Art Deco design.

snicka is a printmaker, papermaker, and muralist working in Grand Rapids, MI. While earning her Bachelor of Arts in Printmaking from Grand Valley State University, she worked at a thrift store where she sifted through donated items to determine which were salable. This job informed much of her artwork during this time, as she began to playfully explore the ideas of decay, consumption, and waste—themes that continue to feature prominently in her work. Artists who influence her work include Ben Shahn, Yoshitomo Nara, and William Kentridge.

Flux: A Project by the Students of ART 392 Curatorial Studio
November 19 - December 5, 2021

Curatorial Studio is an upper-level studio art course within the Visual & Media Arts Department. The course has experiential and collaborative learning throughout, including a culminating exhibition practicum. The students of Curatorial Studio in the Fall 2021 installed their exhibition titled Flux in two ArtPosts on GVSU's Pew Grand Rapids Campus; one outside the Richard M. DeVos Center and the other outside the L. William Seidman Center. 

Curatorial Statement Excerpt:
"Change is inevitable. It simultaneously prompts every new beginning even when we don’t feel ready for one. FLUX is an exhibition organized by Curatorial Studio that explores life, death, and the cyclical nature of change in society. The exhibition includes pieces ranging from micro-level examinations of the relationship between nature, vitality, and science; to pieces commenting on gender roles, traditionalism, and environmentalism."

Events:
Opening Walk: 11/19/2021 4-5pm
Closing Walk: 12/03/2021 4-5pm
Both walks start at the west side of the Blue Bridge.

To learn more visit the Curatorial Studio webpage. 

Location

January - December 2023

Outside the Richard M. DeVos Center
Outside the L. William Seidman Center
Pew Grand Rapids Campus
 

Contact

For special accommodation, please call:
(616) 331-3638

For exhibition details and media inquires, please email:
Joel Zwart, Curator of Exhibitions
[email protected]

For learning and engagement opportunities, please email [email protected].