The commitment to an inclusive education is reinforced by a visiting speakers program. Every year the Department of Visual and Media Arts brings nationally and internationally known artists, designers and critics to campus for public lectures. Visiting artists frequently conduct small group critiques of student work, practicum workshops, and roundtable discussions during their visits. This diversity allows students to learn from professionals practicing in a variety of media.

Jaime Anderson

Jaime Anderson is an illustrator who creates concept driven, colorful, and detailed illustrations for magazines, advertisements, posters, surface design, and more. Based in Minneapolis, MN, Jaime has illustrated for a range of editorial and advertising clients including: The Bicycle Alliance of MN, The Saint Paul Classic, The Growler, Dish Network, Hour Detroit, The Wall Street Journal, American Express, The Star Tribune, MinnPost, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Eugene Weekly, and Oregon Business Magazine. Her work has been recognized in DPI Magazine, Applied Arts Magazine, American Illustration, CMYK, Creative Quarterly, and the Society of Illustrators West. She has had the honor of participating in various poster exhibitions throughout the Twin Cities and loves the challenge of visual problem solving.

Heather Corcoran

Heather Corcoran is director of the College and Graduate School of Art and the Jane Reuter Hitzeman and Herbert F. Hitzeman, Jr. Professor of Art at Washington University in St. Louis. She also holds a courtesy joint appointment in the Brown School of Social Work for 2016-17. She is a graphic designer whose work explores relationships of information and expression, spanning collaborative projects for social impact and self-generated projects for exhibition. She works on questions of informational density, clarity, and audience understanding, while also addressing how elements such as image, text, and graphic form create voice, and how data can provoke an emotional response.

(Corcoran's visit to the Department of Visual and Media Arts was facilitated by Erin Fisher, Library Programs Director at GVSU University Libraries.)

Kyle Eby

Kyle Eby is a Chicago-based art director and designer who loves to create beautiful, concept-driven design solutions, delivered with meticulous detail. He studied graphic design and advertising at the Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD), where he received an education rooted in the Bauhaus model, fusing art, craft, and technology. Since moving to Chicago he's been working for Sapient Razorfish, currently on the role of Design Lead, designing digital experiences with the best in the business. In his free time he enjoys traveling, record collecting and listening, quality food and beverage, deep dives into Wikipedia and Google Maps, watching the great sport of basketball, strumming his guitar, and cooking elaborate weekend breakfasts.

Connie Harvey

Connie Harvey is a San Francisco-based graphic designer whose experience ranges from traditional to emerging media. He specializes in user-centered web/interactive design and development, branding and identity, strategy and research, print and environmental design. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Virginia Tech, and his Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Rochester Institute of Technology. He's worked with Crosby Associates, IDEO, Ogilvy & Mather, SapientNitro, VSA Partners, and Fjord, among others. His current role is Associate Creative Director at Salesforce for their Experience Design team.

He has pursued continuing design studies at the Basel School of Design Summer Program in Switzerland, and has taught design at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 

Keith Golinski

Keith Golinski is Director of Photography, Editor and Producer for Fulvew Productions, a creative media production & services company in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He captures light through lenses, decides which tools to use on each job and is the company's senior chopping block specialist.

Adam Khalil (Ojibway)

Adam Shingwak Khalil (Ojibway) is a filmmaker and artist. His practice attempts to subvert traditional forms of ethnography through humor, relation, and transgression. Adam's work has been exhibited at UnionDocs, e-flux, Maysles Cinema, Microscope Gallery (New York), Museo ExTeresa Arte Actual (Mexico City), Spektrum (Berlin), Trailer Gallery (Sweden), Carnival of eCreativity (Bombay), and Fine Art Film Festival Szolnok (Hungary). Khalil is a UnionDocs Collaborative Fellow and Gates Millennium Scholar. In 2011 he graduated from the Film and Electronic Arts program at Bard College.

Jason Lewandowski

Jason Lewandowski is a Group Creative Director at Sapient Razorfish in Chicago, IL. Jason builds brands through the use of technology by creating useful, seamless experiences across all channels. As a strategic and empathetic creative leader, he uses a strong foundation in graphic design, empathy driven customer insights and a never-ending thirst to learn to create sustainable digital experiences that can adapt to the ever-changing digital world.

Adam Mikrut

Adam Mikrut is owner and creative director of Keen Studio, a select group of artists, designers, musicians, illustrators and developers—constantly pushing boundaries and questioning the status quo. He received a BFA in Visual Communications from Kendall College of Art and Design and specializes in creative strategy, marketing communications, advertising design, brand development. He is a winner of 1 Silver and 2 Gold Addy Awards for his work for Brewery Vivant, a Grand Rapids local business.

Nicole McQuade

Nicole is a freelance designer, illustrator and co-owner of The McQuades. She has recently been featured in Print Magazine's regional design annual, Rockport's Letterhead and Logo Design 12 book, Logo Lounge Master Series Book 4, on Design Work Life, For Print Only, Logo Lounge 6, Logo Lounge 5, Creative Quarterly magazine, CMYK magazine and the Creativity 37 Annual. She works with clients in a variety of locations including Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City, Washington DC and across the US. Her specialties include infographic design, long format design such as annual reports or books, branding and collateral design and illustration.

Ryan Molloy

Ryan Molloy is an inter-disciplinary designer, artist, and educator. Ryan has an MFA in Design and a B.Arch. degree, he has worked professionally as both an architect and a graphic designer. He is also an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, MI.

Chris Randall

Chris Randall is a Director, Writer and Producer.  He is the wordsmith and captain of the productions carried on by Fulvew Productions, a creative Media Production & Services company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Chris is known for his work on America's Most Haunted (2013), Talking Dead (2005) and Postmark Paradise (2000).

Shanna Shearer

Shanna Shearer received her BFA with an emphasis in Painting from Grand Valley State University in December 2004. She works at Ox-Bow School of Art, in Saugatuck, Michigan, as the Campus Director. Shanna lives on a farm in Pullman, Michigan where she has her painting studio.

Teresa Thome

Teresa L. Thome is an accomplished performer, writer and Emmy award-winning producer.  Her credits include: 

As Producer: Emmy Award (Come On Over!), Telly Award (Come On Over!), National Daytime Emmy Award Nomination (Come On Over!) As Producer/Director/Writer: Telly Award (Backstage Drama), Eclipse Award (Backstage Drama), Emmy Award (Backstage Drama)

As Performer: MartiniMOTH night award.... others as Director of Grand Rapids Children's Museum and the West Catholic Alumni Award for contributions to the arts and finally... the 5th Grade Spelling Contest (a very proud moment!

George Wietor

Wietor is an artist, curator, publisher and organizer who has worked industriously for over 15 years to shape the cultural landscape of Grand Rapids in myriad meaningful ways. Wietor has garnered international attention for his work with Issue Press and the use of Risograph printers to produce art books and zines. He is recognized as a leader in the development of this technology, which is booming in design circles, museums, and art schools all over the world. Wietor was a keynote speaker at the 1st RISO biennale at the Jan van Eyck Academie in the Netherlands and returned to participate in a week-long version of the biennale in 2016. In March he was invited to give a three-day workshop at Duplica 2017 in São Paulo, Brazil. For several years, Issue Press has been included in major art book fairs from NYC to Bergen, Norway, and Wietor is one of the organizers of the North American Riso Conference, held concurrently with the Chicago Art Book Fair. His prodigious work in the Riso world has also taken the form of Stencil, a Riso wiki for Artists, Designers, and Printers, and an Atlas of Modern Risography.

In addition, Wietor is co-founder of the Division Avenue Arts Collective (DAAC), a DIY music and visual art venue, and is currently on staff at Community Media Center. At CMC, he was part of the core team that developed The Rapidian - an online, hyperlocal news source - with funds from the Knight Foundation, and in partnership with the Grand Rapids Community Foundation.
 

2015-2016

Mary Brodbeck, Printmaking Artist
David J. Haskins, Author and Musician
Michael Jay McClure, Author and Professor of History and Contemporary Art
Paul Miller, a.k.a. DJ Spooky, Artist, Writer and Musician
Dylan AT Miner, Artist, Activist and Scholar
L.J. Roberts, Artist and Writer
Casey Sheppard, Jewelry artist/metalsmith, mountain biker, freelance writer, adventure seeker and community gatherer. 

Event Poster Archive
For a gallery of the event posters and title lectures by the guest speakers, refer to: 2015-2016 VA Flyers

2014-2015

Calef Brown, Illustrator
Max Haiven, Art and Economics Theorist
Gwynne Ruckenbrod-Smith, Metalsmith and President of the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG)
Deke Weaver, writer, performer, video and graphic artist
Caroline Woolard, artist, activist and organizer

2013-2014

Wendy Calman, Printmaker and Installation Artist
Tiny Circus, Animators
Sara Cwynar, Designer and Photographer
Caroline Gore, Metalsmith
Chele Isaac, Visual and Installation Artist
Cyril Lixenberg, Sculptor
Kelly Kaczinsky, Sculptor

2012-2013

Josh Bonadies, Designer
James Bove, Metalsmith
Undine Brod, Ceramist
Todd Chilton, Painter
Peter Everett, Painter
Kristen Hileman, Curator with the Baltimore Museum of Art
David Huang, Metalsmith
Sarah Kanouse, interdisciplinary artist and critical writer
Beth Lipman, Sculptor
Mary McDonell, Painter
Sean MacMillan, Metalsmith
Josh MacPhee, Printmaker, Activist, Curator
Susan Mulder, Painter
Patricia Nelson, Metalsmith
Yoshinori Tsudakate, Metalsmith

2011-2012

Elizabeth Baddeley, Illustrator
Preston Graves, Painter
Matthew McGovern, Ceramic Artist
Bruce Metcalf, Metalsmith
Ryan Spencer Reed, Photographer
Michael Rees, Sculptor
Stan Strembicki, Photographer
Sydney Walker, Educator
Sarah Wong, Photographer

2010-2011

Conrad Bakker, Conceptual Object-Maker (Sculpture and Painting)
Tulu Bayar, Photographer
Susan Carr and Gary Ciadella, Photographers, American Society of Media Photographers
Sonya Clark, Sculptor and Interdisciplinary Artist
Marc Fischer, Temporary Services, Public Collectors, Half Letter Press
Kathryn Hixson, Critic
John Holtzman, Educator
Endi Poskovic, Printmaker
Lambert Zuidevaart, Professor of Philosophy

2009-2010

Adrienne Little, Photographer
Ginger Owen-Murakami, Photographer, Western Michigan University
Terry Winters, Printmaker
Mimi Kato, Photographer
Sant Khalsa, Photographer

2008-2009

Lynda Barry, Illustrator
Paul Duncum, Educator
Jane Hammond, Painter, Printmaker and Photographer
Karen Kunc, Printmaker
Mariko Kusomoto, Metalsmith
Karen Milbourne, Curator
Dennis Oppenheim, Conceptual Artist and Sculptor
Russel Phillips, Photographer
David Plowden, Photographer
William Pope L., Performance Artist
Erin Sotak, Photographer

2007-2008

Beehive Design Collective, Collaborative Group and Printmakers
Chip Kidd, Designer
Oli Goldsmith, Painter and Collage artist
Beauvais Lyons, Printmaker
Joe Sacco, Author and Graphic Journalist
David Shapiro, Printmaker
Kevin Tavin, Art Educator
Hamza Walker, Curator

2006-2007

Liz Bachhuber, Sculptor
Melinda Beck, Illustrator
Andy Cooperman, Metalsmith
Dennis Nahabetian, Metalsmith
Douglas Rushkoff, Author
Carlo Sammarco, Ceramist
Tara Stephenson, Metalsmith

2005-2006

Michael Barile, Designer
Cat Chow, Wearable Artist
Mary Jane Jacob, Sculptor
Rikke Luther, Multidisciplinary Artist
Matt Madden, Author and Illustrator
Bruce Mau, Designer
Suzanne Ramljak, Editor
Steven Sorman, Printmaker

2004-2005

Richard Borge, Illustrator
Enrique Chagoya, Printmaker
Mitch Cope, Artist and Curator
Stephen Farrell, Designer
Nathan Fox, Illustrator
Scott McCloud, Illustrator
C.F. Payne, Illustrator
Alexis Rockman, Painter
Barron Storey, Illustrator

2003-2004

Jordin Isip, Illustrator
Heidi Kiddon, Painter
Joep Van Lieshout, Multidisciplinary Artist
Scott McCloud, Author and Comic Book Artist
Dan Peterman, Installation Artist
Alexis Rockman, Painter
Nato Thompson, Curator
Michael Walsh, Designer

2002-2003

Sue Coe, Artist and Illustrator
Elliot Earls, Artist and Designer
Julia Fish, Painter
Laurie Palmer, Artist, Writer and Activist
C.F. Payne, Illustrator
Buzz Spector, Book Arts
Rick Valicenti, Designer
Martin Venezky, Designer
Anne Wilson, Fiber Artist

2001-2002

Siah Armajani, Sculptor
Clive Dilnot, Design Theorist
George Estrada, Designer
Lisa Gralnik, Metalsmith
Steven Jib Hunt, Designer
Davey Rothbart, Author

2000-2001

Alexander Florensky, Multidisciplinary Artist
Olga Florensky, Multidisciplinary Artist
Carolyn Ottmers, Sculpture

1999-2000

Mike Essl, Designer
Robynne Raye, Designer
Michael Strassburger, Designer

1998

Lawrence Weschler, creative non-fiction author

1996

Barbara Maria Stafford, Art Historian