Grand Valley opens art exhibitions

Grand Valley State University kicks off the fall season with a fresh set of Art Gallery exhibitions in Allendale and Grand Rapids.

 - American Cuisine: New Paintings by Tim Fisher, is on exhibit now through September 23 in the GVSU Art Gallery, 1121 Performing Arts Center, Allendale Campus. The gallery’s hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday. An opening reception with the artist will be held on Thursday, September 8, from 5-7 p.m.

In recent years Fisher has been making paintings of food and people in a culturally diverse, working class, west side Grand Rapids neighborhood. The subject of each portrait is the primary or delegated household cook and the materials needed to prepare a dish that exemplifies their identity. The gender, presented cuisine, kitchen setting, various ingredients and presentation all signify actual or desired aspects of class, cultural background, aspects of assimilation, economic status and even beliefs system.

Each painting incorporates the dish’s ingredient’s weights and measures (still life), cooking locale (space), and the individual’s representation (portrait), which together reflect their history and culture(s). The paintings celebrate the subjects’ ethnic and economic position and allow the viewer to actively connect with the subject beyond passively observing the image as a likeness of the subject.

 - Robert Koropp (1924-2008): Photographic Art is on exhibit now through October 14 in the Red Wall Gallery, Lake Ontario Hall, Allendale Campus. The opening reception will be held on Thursday, September 8, at 4:30 p.m.

Koropp was a true creative in the field of photography. He received a master’s degree in chemistry but went on to study photography at the Art Center School in Los Angeles and realized it was his real passion. He had a successful career in advertising with numerous high profile clients including Kellogg’s, First National Bank, Amoco, Mobil, Honeywell and Pentax. With a background in science and a desire to experiment, he created multiple bodies of work including experimental and microphotography, land and cityscape, still life and motion images, and much more.

The artist published several photography books and produced limited-edition fine art prints for private and corporate collections. This exhibition is a selection from a new gift to the university, from Daryl Fischer, of 94 photos produced by her father, Robert Koropp, during his five-decade career.

 - Tjukurrpa: Aboriginal Dream Paintings Works from the Grand Valley State University Permanent Collection is on exhibit through December 9 in the Faculty/Staff Dining Room, Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus. This selection of Australian Aboriginal paintings was created as part of the ceremonies celebrating Tjukurrpa or Dreamtime. read more

 - Rudy Pozzatti: The Twelve Labors of Hercules on loan from Normal Editions Workshop, Illinois State University is on exhibit through December 9 in the West Wall Gallery, L. V. Eberhard Center, on the Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus. This suite is the culmination of Pozzatti’s career-long interest in this mythological subject and its relevance to contemporary society. Recently published by Normal Editions Workshop, these large-scale lithographs showcase Pozzatti’s mastery of drawing. Free and opening to the public.

All exhibitions are free and open to the public. For more information call the GVSU Art Gallery at (616) 331-2563, or visit www.gvsu.edu/artgallery.