Many GVSU connections thread throughout ArtPrize

The influence of Grand Valley is threaded throughout ArtPrize , with students and faculty sharing their work with the community. This year’s competition runs September 13-28 in downtown Grand Rapids. Here are highlights of Laker-related contributions.

GVSU Art Gallery as host

Since the start of the Art Prize in 2009, the university and the GVSU Art Gallery have served as sponsors and venues for the art competition.

This year’s Grand Valley venue is outside the Eberhard Center on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus. On the west bank of the Grand River, the venue offers a premier location in the heart of Grand Rapids and adjacent to the Blue Bridge, near the new home of the Blue Dot Project .

“This year GVSU is honored to host artist Daniel Roberts and his sculpture, Gathering Currents ,” said Joel Zwart, curator of exhibitions and collections for the GVSU Art Gallery.

A 2011 graduate of Cranbrook Academy of Art, Roberts lived in Michigan for a short time before moving to New York, where he is based in Long Island.

“The two years I lived in Michigan were very special and I was able to explore much of the state," Roberts said. 

Roberts' piece, Gathering Currents, is crafted from hand-bent stainless steel. Its knot-like forms capture the intricate and dynamic flow of the East River in New York City. Roberts described it as an eccentric duality, a tidal river that goes in two directions daily, continually reversing its course and flowing the opposite way.

“Recently I saw a swimmer pulled out of the river by the NYPD,” said Roberts. “He seemed to be crossing from Queens to Manhattan and the police looked alarmed that someone would have the audacity to attempt such a voyage. The swimmer, equally alarmed at their interference, tried to evade their help. It's oppositional moments that make me admire the river, like it is continually tying itself up in invisible complex knots.”

The piece originated from drawings of nylon lifting slings, a looped rigging tool used to lift heavy objects, he said. Roberts described how the slings will come under tension as it lifts but then it folds like soft fabric as it relaxes. 

“Steel has the same lifespan as people, it feels like this permanent thing, but its skin is aging (rusting) the same as ours, and 75 years of corrosion can turn it into a pile of dust,” said Roberts.

Roberts has shown recently at Brittany Gallery in Vallejo, California; Good Weather Gallery in North Little Rock, Arkansas; and Bethany Arts Colony in Ossining, New York. He received a master of fine arts degree from Cranbrook in 2011, and a bachelor of fine arts degree from Oregon State University in 2008.

Megan Klco Kellner, visiting professor of studio art and foundations, will show work at the Kendall College of Art and Design Spark Gallery as part of the “Coming Home,” exhibit, highlighting Michigan’s diverse landscapes, industrial innovation and resilient spirit as sources of creative inspiration. Her piece, "Pretending," is a 40-inch by 46-inch oil on canvas painting.

Katya Grokhovsky, Padnos Distinguished Artist-in-Residence, also will show work at the Kendall College exhibit. "Is There a Place" is a neon sign, which displays a handwritten phrase, purposefully omitting a question mark, exploring displacement and English as a second language.

Les Raebel, School of Communications and former professor in the Visual and Media Arts Department, will present a project of fused glass faces meant to reflect the diversity of humanity. This entry will be found at The B.O.B.

Stafford Smith, associate professor of photography, will present his work, "Me So Calgon," at the Kendall College Spark Gallery in the “Coming Home” exhibit. Smith’s piece addresses racism in pop culture against Asians under the New Media category.   

Joel Potrykus, assistant professor of film and video production, will present "Vulcanizadora," a feature film he directed, which will be shown at Wealthy Theatre on September 21 as part of both Art Prize and the Grand Rapids Film Festival.

Zachary Trebellas, visiting professor, will present "Grand Rapids Ruins," a series of photographs taken from the demolition of the 99-year-old Kensington School Building. Their work is on display at the ArtRat Gallery on South Division. 

Jill Wolfe, former director of the Military and Veterans Resource Center, and Nate Schragg, Navy veteran and art student, will present "Mission, Tribe & Grace: Veteran Stories of Purpose, Belonging & Resilience," as part of Kent County Veterans Services’ “Art for Honor” program. These 22 aluminum tiles of veteran photographs can be found at Grand Rapids Veterans Memorial Park.

Jasmine Bruce, adjunct professor of illustration, will present "Rewire." This mural, on display at Cherie Inn, will take viewers on a journey of self-reflection, acceptance and recreation. 

— Thomas Garrett earned a bachelor's degree in writing from GVSU in April.