A New Crew

There are some new kids on the block; particularly, at 1111 Godfrey in downtown Grand Rapids. ArtServe Michigan has described them as a "dynamic arts movement," and Con Artist Crew, a collective of recent Kendall grads turned local artists, agree with this description. They further explain themselves, "We are a multifaceted gallery that is creating an artistic community. Bringing to the forefront new emerging artists keeping in mind the artists that came before us." Though they've been on the radar since their tenure at Kendall, I'd like to point out that there is still an element of mystery behind Con Artist Crew. I say this because, despite being well-known within both the Kendall and local art communities, many have yet to discover the recent efforts and ideas co-founders Magdalene Law and Reuben Garcia have contributed to this recent collective. Just weeks ago, Con Artist Crew celebrated its Grand Opening. They celebrated with a show featuring works from several area artists, as well as a few from abroad.

I was not able to attend, but I can imagine the show was quite impressive. It would come as no surprise, as both co-founders have previous gallery experience; Law interned at a gallery, providing her with framing knowledge and hanging techniques; while Garcia has had a studio and showcase at 1111 Godfrey.

Galleries Galore

Con Artist Crew hopes to continue having shows and featuring artists from the area and abroad. They also have future plans and shows with the city of Detroit. Their aim is to host or curate shows and events at their space between 3 and 4 times a month. With that said, you should have plenty of chances to see their work, their style, their studio, and the many artists they're endorsing. They say of this, "We are open to all themes and styles of artwork, including high conceptual art to visual arts. We are looking for harder-edge work that relates to audiences on more than just one level."

We are looking for harder-edge work that relates to audiences on more than just one level." – Con Artist Crew

They work both alone and in conjunction with many local groups, organizations, and causes alike. Their shows are examples of the character the Con Artist Crew is demonstrating. And they're curated down to the last detail. On the 19th of May, they contributed to a special show at the Winchester, along with Spectrum Health, titled Reprint - Causing Artistic Creation. It featured work by artists from a continuing care center. What's more, is that even the menu was tailor-made for the show.

The Crew's summer schedule reveals scores of shows, many of which are still being developed or finalized. All of them seem to carry a true sense of grass roots initiative. And, as a result, the community will play a large role in the outcome of these shows. Though, while maintaining this word-of-mouth mysteriousness, Con Artist Crew also hopes to expand its digital and online presence.

Con Artist Crew co-founders, Magdalene Law and Reuben Garcia

But the Crew promotes and supports more than just their shows; they also lease studio spaces, and have already leased five. The group is still finishing construction on the gallery and studio spaces. Once that's complete, they intend to concentrate on shows. Con Artist Crew is establishing a strong presence within the Grand Rapids art community. They've even mentioned taking shows "on the road" in the future. Sunday they completed a photo shoot, and will be featured in July's issue of Grand Rapids Magazine. Best of luck to Con Artist Crew.

Video: A Visit to Black Cloud Gallery

I hope that alumni will stay in touch with me, and let me know what they are up to. Recently, one of our alums in Chicago, who is involved with a gallery called Black Cloud Gallery, told me about it. He told me about the area of Chicago where the gallery is located. He told me about the kind of revitalization that's going on there. And, as a result, I had an opportunity to go and visit.

I found it fascinating. And it's fascinating for several reasons. For one, it is a way in which a person is following a career path that involves the arts. But secondly, it involves the way in which young artists are connecting with the community and enriching the place in which they live. Black Cloud Gallery was a real find. And I know that many alumni are involved in a variety of other interesting projects. I hope they will let me know about them.

- Oliver

MFA Graduate's Show Opens In Northern CA

Kelly Allen (photo via kellyallen.com)

Tonight is the opening of Make It All True, a show featuring a collection of paintings and mixed media works by Kendall MFA graduate, Kelly Allen. The show, held at Humboldt State University's First Street Gallery, will run until March 4th. Kelly came to Kendall in 2006 as a Scholarship of Merit recipient, and earned her MFA in Drawing in 2008. Though she is a Michigan native, Kelly now lives in San Francisco, where she has been a part of many shows along California's coast, as well as abroad.

"A Star Is A Seed" by Kelly Allen (via kellyallen.com)

One of the more recent shows, titled Dig For Fire, took place in Venice, CA. It included the works of several artists, and, though I did not attend, I found the show's theme to be particularly interesting because the entire collection of works was inspired by music from the band, The Pixies. Kelly has been featured twice in Hi-Fructose; once for her painted collages, and again for a studio visit.

Her breadth of work is very vibrant; it is full of color, and life. As Humboldt State Now puts it, Kelly's current works "portray the unity of life on earth." I always enjoy reading about Kelly and her work. I recommend this show to anyone in the Northern California area.  Kelly also has a lovely website and blog, where readers can learn more about her work.

KCAD Alum to be Featured in First Solo Show

Rebecca Green - Photo by Ryan Pavlovich

Recent Kendall graduate, Rebecca Green, will be featured in her first solo show this month. The show, titled We Live, will be housed in the Devos Center for Arts and Worship at Grand Rapids Christian High School. She explains that her show will be a "visual exploration of life's little happenings." It begins December 8th and will be up until February 10th of next year.Rebecca graduated from Kendall with a BFA in Illustration. Since school, she has created many works in illustration and painting. She had her first gallery show, a split with another local artist, on March of this year at Byrneboehm Gallery. If you visit Rebecca's website, My Blank Paper, you'll find an array of splendid paintings, most of which were featured in that Byrneboehm show.

She says of her work: "When painting, I always start on a colored board, then I lay down graphite and fill in bit by bit. All of the pieces are coated with a glaze to bring the whole painting together, and under the same 'light'."

"Fitting In" by Rebecca Green

Rebecca was involved with ArtPrize, as well as a show earlier this year at the GreenLion Gallery. This show was another split, featuring the work of both Rebecca and fellow Kendall alum, Peregrine Angthius. Throughout November, she was included in a group show titled Six by Six, at Byrneboehm Gallery.

What makes Rebecca's post-collegiate career particularly interesting is that she has been keeping as busy with commercial work as she has her personal shows. She currently has a full-time job making fine art and commercial illustration. She's an illustrator for Grand Rapids Community College, namely, its "GRCC Works" campaign. She also designs extraordinary paper dolls for each issue of CraftSanity. Rebecca also revealed that she will begin a new, larger project for CraftSanity. The project will be released this month, as well. By staying busy locally, Rebecca is influenced mostly by the many things that surround her.

"This Is Home" by Rebecca Green

She says of her influences: "I'd say I'm influenced most by my immediate everyday surroundings. Little pieces of color, tiles, animals, people. These days, I think we are overloaded by images, and thoughts about who we are or who we should be. It leaves a lot of people feeling attached to items and others outside of themselves, therefore, devaluing who they are, and how unique they are."

It is because of this that Rebecca says she does not watch television. Nor does she listen to the radio, or browse the internet. She considers herself a hermit, and believes it is because of this that her work "often seems simple and fit for everyday."

However, Rebecca maintains an online presence through a lovely blog on her website that she updates frequently. There, Rebecca sheds light on her process as much as her personality. It serves as a great way to stay up-to-date on her current work and illustrations, while viewing pieces from her body of work. Some of which is even for sale on her site. I hope to see Rebecca's first solo show this month.

Tenure of a Designer, Tenth Year of a Studio

Photo courtesy of Conduit Studios

Shortly after Neocon, I contacted John O'Neill of Conduit Studios to get his thoughts on this year’s showrooms. He was kind enough to share with me his story, his studio, and his thoughts on many subjects; including the importance and relevance design has in West Michigan; his process of integrating both business and creative; and his thoughts on pro bono work.

 

I learned a great deal about his process and have decided to write a piece about what I had learned. First, I'd like to share how he and I first met.I first became aware of John when he was a freshman, which would have been in 1997 or '98. I happened to see a student walking into the College, carrying a work that I assumed was for his 3-D class. Because I thought the work was interesting, I wondered if whoever this student was might consider selling it. So I did some checking, found out John’s name, learned from the faculty that he was a highly respected student even then (which is a good thing, because it is always awkward if I “latch on to” a student who is about to be dismissed from Kendall), and I asked someone to ask John if he might want to sell the work, which he agreed to do. It was the first student work I bought at Kendall, and it hangs in my office. Where I was wrong was in assuming that it was created for his 3-D class. It turns out that John created the work for his psychology class and that, from what he told me, the work represents his mind.

 

John has made some milestones since that psychology class. Upon graduation in 2001, he co-founded Conduit. This year happens to be the design studio's tenth anniversary. I am both proud and happy to hear of this achievement. I am also glad to say that, along the way, I have become a friend of John's.

 

I'd like to point out that John went directly from college to Conduit; upon graduation from Kendall, he stayed busy freelancing for various businesses. He worked in what I call "the coffee shop circuit." (It's remarkable - and fitting - that so many creatives, artists, and even musicians have gotten their start in cafes.) One day, at a Kava House in East Town, John ran into Tim Carpenter who shared a similar situation, creating print design while baristas served espresso. The two began to work together, and in a sense, Conduit was formed. The studio now has 5 full-time employees who create for some of the biggest companies in the area. The studio is housed in a beautiful space in downtown Grand Rapids. I hope to write about more about it in subsequent post, as I feel it deserves one.

 

From the discussion, I learned that John is no stranger to small business; his father, and several uncles owned and operated their own businesses. It seems the entrepreneurial spirit is strong among his lineage, which may explain, to some degree, his level of success for someone his age. That and a passion for design, which seemed to develop early. He said of his design interest: "It's not like I chose design; it kind of felt like design chose me. Even when I was a kid. It seems like it was always there."

 

John is passionate about the design community in West Michigan. He is a board member of both Design West Michigan and AIGA West Michigan. He promoted the idea that West Michigan is design-centric because designers in the area are asked to perform many different roles. He expressed that designers do more than design; they also consult more regularly with clients. And maybe this role of consultant is becoming more prominent because, as John puts it, design "doesn't always have an aesthetic outcome."  John said of design in West Michigan: "It just seems like there's a lot of us." While putting together the new AIGA West Michigan chapter, John was excited to see the amount of interest designers displayed to join. "There's a real critical mass of people here," he said.

 

If you visit Conduit online, you can see that they have designed and consulted for a wide (and long) list of reputable clients. I was especially interested in his pro bono work, particularly curious of his studio's process working with pro bono clients. He shared his thoughts, using his work with the UICA as an example.

 

In 2004, he volunteered to help the UICA promote the first annual Live Coverage event. Conduit has helped out every year since, designing all the of the event materials. He says of the work, "[we] use it as a chance to express our creativity." He expressed that pro bono work offers more flexibility. He said of doing pro bono work: "If we can fit it into our schedule, we'd love to."

A Place for Printmaking

A view of Dinderbeck Studios' 2,000 sq ft studio space.

When I came to Kendall, I had an affection for printmaking and was impressed with the facility that existed then. Unfortunately, the numbers of students who registered for printmaking were not large; and although I hate to admit it, I do watch enrollment numbers and was beginning to wonder about printmaking’s future. And given the size and weight of the presses in the third floor print lab, I was not anxious to have to try and have them moved out. My understanding is that to move them in the College had to have a crane lift them to the third floor. If you know the building, you know they could not have come up the stairs or up the elevator. As I recall, a number of years ago, Kendall conducted a search for a number of faculty to teach drawing. One of those selected, Mariel Versluis, brought great strength in drawing to the College. But then she sort of “volunteered” to teach printmaking courses as well. Of course, I was delighted; and she began teaching printmaking.

Enrollments in printmaking grew. I am at a loss to explain why a person of Mariel’s ability and achievement as a printmaker, coupled with her commitment to printmaking should result in a growth in printmaking enrollments. But then I do not try to explain mysteries—I just accept them.  The long and short of it is that printmaking has become remarkably viable and some current and former students have done extraordinary things.

One that quickly comes to mind is a collective known as Dinderbeck Studios. I'd first like to point out that the partners at Dinderbeck, which I believe the list has increased to eight partners, are all affiliated with Kendall - either as graduates or current students. Most of whom studied printmaking while at Kendall, taking courses taught by Mariel.

Alison Horn, of Dinderbeck Studios.

Initially conceived as a printmaking collective and studio, the group has received small grants and donations allowing them to fund a larger space, which they have begun to renovate for shows, workshops, and gatherings.

The group has displayed a great work ethic, along with an ability to manage projects, tasks, and duties while each maintains a 9 - 5 day job. Each member is quite driven in his or her craft, planning to contribute to the group as much as possible. Co-founder, Brandon Alman, says of the group’s process, "I wouldn't say it's delegated. When things need to get done, we pull together and get it done." I think they possess a certain chemistry that proves them a true collective. Whether they're hosting a show for local artists, or tuning up a print press from the 1950's, they have been keeping busy.

A collection of type: Finding type for antique printing presses can be an arduous task.

Community is an important part of Dinderbeck Studios. I favor their gumption to reach out to other groups and clubs seeking funding, and offering their space and talent. Alman says of this, "A lot of kids graduate from any school in printmaking and they just can't do it. It's hard to access the equipment." He also mentioned that a more distant goal is to allow the community to benefit from the use of their studio space and actual printing equipment. In the meantime, they will continue to host shows, curating their space for others to enjoy.

Last Saturday, on the 1st of the month, Dinderbeck Studios hosted a collective show titled “Fortified,” featuring forts from more than thirty artists. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend. However, based on this Flickr set I found, it seems the show was a splendid one. I would like to continue a series on printmaking by following the work of Mariel, the printmaking department at Kendall, and the Dinderbeck group.