George and Barbara Gordon began collecting work by Mathias Alten more than 50 years ago. As an outdoor enthusiast who traveled much of the state as a self-employed Oil and Gas Landman, George was particularly fond of Alten's landscapes. As their collection grew, the Gordons sought an opportunity to share their love of Alten's work with others. A partnership with GVSU was soon formed and the George and Barbara Gordon Gallery was constructed as part of the Richard M. DeVos Center in Fall 2000. Soon after, as demand and the collection increased, additions to the space were made resulting in the now roughly 2,500 square foot gallery space, spanning two floors. 
 

George and Barbara Gordon Gallery, Room 103E and 203E
Richard M. DeVos Center, Building E
401 Fulton St W E
Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Hours: Fridays and Saturdays 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. or by appointment with the GVSU Art Gallery

Closed: November 29-30, December 20-21 and 27-28, 2024

The German-born American artist, Mathias Joseph Alten (1871-1938) is often referred to as the Dean of Michigan Painters. Working in a traditional representational style, Alten incorporated the aesthetics and techniques of the Impressionist Movement in paintings infused with light and punctuated with deft brushwork. Based in Grand Rapids, Alten created more than 3,800 works over a forty-plus-year career including landscapes, seascapes, portraits, florals, and still-lifes.  Alten began as a naturalist scene painter, eventually transitioning from Barbizon and Tonalist traditions to an Impressionistic style. His painting style evolved according to his audience and personal preferences. And while he avoided embracing the “modernist” style of the early Twentieth-Century, he was sympathetic to it.

The landscape of Michigan is unique and varied, sculpted by glaciers thousands of years ago and altered by humans over centuries through various agricultural, urban, and industrial practices. The state is divided into two large peninsulas totaling nearly 60,000 square miles, bordered by four Great Lakes, giving it the longest freshwater coastline in the United States. These two landforms are marked by rolling hills, mountains, fields, forests, dunes, urban centers, and numerous lakes, rivers, and marshes. This incredible amount of land and water, cast across a geologically diverse area, has continued to serve as fertile ground for artistic interpretation of the place many call home.

This exhibition, drawn from the collection at Grand Valley State University, features over 30 artists from the last 150 years. These artists have spent time directly engaging with the Michigan landscape and creating works that reflect their experience. Many have been drawn outside because of the dramatic seasonal changes that impact the color, density, and atmosphere of Michigan throughout the year. Others have sought to portray the intersection of the natural world and human development, focusing on urban centers and evidence of our impact that divides, shapes, and alters the landscape.

Some of the works are realistic depictions earnestly relaying what the artist sees. Certain pieces are imaginative creations with isolated and exaggerated colors, lines, and shapes that focus our attention on different qualities of the land or blur our perception. Viewed as a whole, these works inform and illuminate our understanding of artistic engagement with landscape. They remind us that the lure of Michigan’s landscape continues to captivate and inspire new generations of artists.

Artists: Nathan Abramowski, Mathis J. Alten, Stewart Ashlee, Rick Beerhorst, Stephen Duren, Jane Everhart, Carolyn Fehsenfeld, Amber Felicioni, Jim Fitzpatrick, Douglas R. Gilbert, Alynn Guerra, Ladislav R. Hanka, Dellas Henke, Geoffrey Holstad, Debra Reid Jenkins, Foster Jewell, James Karsina, Claudia S. Liberatore, David Lubbers, Michael Maitner, Cheri McClain-Beatty, Mike McDonnell, Armand J. Merizon, Rory Miller, Dylan Nelson, Jeanne Rockett, Jason D. Rutter, Arthur Serth, Tom Stade, Mariel Versluis, Reynold H. Weidenaar, Diane Zeeuw

Grand Valley State University holds the largest public collection of Alten’s work in the world. The George and Barbara Gordon Gallery, in conjunction with GVSU’s Special Collections of Alten Family Archives, serve as vital resources for the study of the Alten’s work.

• Read Mathias Alten at 150 from GV Magazine
• View Mathias Alten paintings in the GVSU art collection database
• Visit the Mathias Alten Catalog Raisonné (pictured at right, or below if using a mobile device)
• Purchase or check-out the 2017 printed publication "Mathias J. Alten: An Evolving Legacy"
• Mathias J. Alten Timeline (Now on view on the Richard M. Devos Center's 2nd Floor, outside the gallery)
• Download the Gordon Gallery Brochure (pdf): page 1 | page 2
• Download the Mathias Alten Poem (pdf): page 1 | page 2

Location:

Richard M. DeVos Center, Building E, Room 103 and 202
401 Fulton Street West, Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus

Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus Map

Gordon Gallery Hours:

Open Fridays and Saturdays 1:00-5:00p.m.

Closed on holiday weekends:  
New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

The Gordon Gallery will also be closed Friday, May 17th, 2024 due to an all staff retreat.

Private tours and special open hours may be arranged by contacting the Art Gallery Department.