The biennial Kirk Newman Art School Faculty Review features new works by Kirk Newman Art School faculty members who work and teach in a wide variety of artistic media. During this extended Gallery Gathering, explore the exhibition with a few of the talented artist-educators whose work is included in the show. Program facilitators will include…
The Washi Transformed exhibition includes an exciting variety of works in paper by contemporary Japanese artists, ranging from delicate two-dimensional pieces to dramatic installations. During this Gallery Gathering, we'll take a closer look at a selection of artworks from this breathtaking exhibition. Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper was organized by Meher McArthur and…
Taekyeom Lee: Designed, Printed & Fired showcases the artist's innovative reimagining of the world of graphic design in three dimensions. Bringing conventional design elements off of the page or screen, Taekyeom blends them with ceramics using a variety of materials. During this Gallery Gathering, we will discuss select works in this exhibition, examining Taekyeom's unique…
During this Gallery Gathering, we will take a closer look at Charles Henry Alston's Untitled (Couple), said to have been inspired by Langston Hughes' 1925 poem "The Weary Blues." An original member of the Abstract Expressionist movement, Alston was a painter, muralist, sculptor, illustrator, and educator, as well as the founder of two major African…
Join us for a closer look at some of the shoes featured in Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks! This provocative exhibition considers how cutting-edge technologies, unexpected materials, and new ideas are transforming footwear today. This program will be facilitated by fashion historian Iris Carney Cooper, who teaches at Western Michigan University and manages…
Join us for a family-friendly exploration of some of the shoes featured in Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks! All ages are welcome to join in the conversation as we observe shoe designs of the past, present, and future. Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts…
Immerse yourself in shades of blue as we explore selected works from the exhibition From Cobalt to Indigo: The Power of Blue in East Asia, on view in the Joy Light Gallery through July 12. Together we will learn more about the cultural significance and wide-reaching influence of the color blue in the art of…
During this Gallery Gathering, we will take a closer look at Manierre Dawson's Mother and Child and Henry Ossawa Tanner's The Visitation. While both early 20th century paintings depict religious scenes, the artists approached their subject matter in distinctly different ways. Dawson, credited with being America's first abstract artist, employs Cubist techniques, while Dawson, considered…
Tour the West Michigan Area Show with some of the talented local artists whose work is included in the exhibition! During this extended Gallery Gathering, we will hear from artists working in a variety of media, offering insights on the pieces they contributed to the show, their points of inspiration, their approaches to the creative…
For the People, By the People brings works of historic significance into conversation with bold contemporary voices in an exploration of the symbols, struggles, and aspirations that have shaped and continue to inform American life. During this special extended Gallery Gathering, learn more with exhibition curator Rehema Barber, the KIA’s Director of Curatorial Affairs. Together…
Join us for a conversation on how Roger Shimomura and other contemporary artists have responded to the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, using multiple artistic media to communicate messages of pain, protest, and perseverance. We will begin this Gallery Gathering by looking at Shimomura’s Nisei Triology in the For the People, By the People…
Photographer Sheila Pree Bright’s series Invisible Empire foregrounds the tension between the pastoral beauty of the American South and the historical exploitation of Black lives and labor that stains the landscape. In her series The Real Story of the Superheroes, Dulce Pinzón centers immigrant workers whose everyday heroism takes the form of quiet sacrifice and…