News
When roadside treasures become relics
February 13, 2017
Human beings have always had an urge to collect things. Overtime, this collection reveals personality traits and interests in an often tactile fashion.
From sneakers to roadside found objects, passing through rocks and minerals, the Grand Rapids Art Museum curated and opened earlier in February the exhibition titled Finders Keepers: West Michigan Collects. In their original words, the show "celebrates the passion and drive that fuel the collecting bug. Organized by our curatorial team in collaboration with community scouts, the exhibition includes hundreds of diverse objects drawn from both private and institutional collections in a lively and unique gallery setting."
Part of this exhibition is the collection assembled by Brett Colley, Associate Professor of Printmaking, Drawing and Foundations at the Department of Art and Design. Over his 18-year tenure at GVSU, Colley collection consists of hundreds of broken toys, cigarette lighters and other discarded objects collected in his runs and bicycle rides throughout the city of Grand Rapids.
Chief Curator Ron Platt believes Brett's inspiration for collecting items is that these objects function as physical evidence of how these rejected or forgotten pieces showcase ideas of of one's culture and habits.
A small portion of Colley's collectables is exhibited in a neatly organized grid where the items are separated per similarity of color. in the display, you will be surprised with the eclectic nature of the collection and elevates these rejects to the status of art pieces.
The exhibition Finders Keepers: West Michigan Collects is on display at the Grand Rapids Art Museum (101 Monroe Center St NW, Grand Rapids), from February 5 to April 30, 2017. The museum is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. On Saturdays, the museum is open form 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free for museum members.