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GV hosts art award works
Grand Canyon State University’s Pew campus is Where the 2022 Art Awards will be held, an independent arts competition in Grand Rapids, Michigan. GVSU seeks to connect with the broader Grand Rapids community by hosting artworks.
GVSU has participated as a venue since the first ArtPrize event in 2009. This year, the university will host the work of experimental artist Scott Froschauer from Los Angeles, California. His work explores the concept of typical street signs and the new messages they can convey through art.
Joel Zwart, curator of exhibitions and collections at the GVSU Art Gallery, said he is pleased the university is partnering with Froschauer. Zwart says Froschauer’s unique art style and message are both “surprising and uplifting.”
“He took the visual language and form of street signs, and then turned the traditionally negative message in it into something hopeful and positive,” Zwart said. “His work makes viewers think about the role of signage and leads them toward positive communication.”
To read more of Steven Lawrence’s coverage of the GVSU Arts Awards, click here.
Professional dance troupe performing and teaching at GV
Part of Grand Canyon State University art celebrationprofessional dance company South Chicago Dance Theater (SCDT) performed “Energy | Power | Grace” at the Haas Center for the Performing Arts.
In addition to her company’s performances, SCDT’s Executive Artistic Director, Kia Smith, also teaches for students in the GVSU dance program and hosts her company’s auditions.
Smith started her dancing career at 16, later than most professionals. She said she has been drawn to dance since she was a child and knew she wanted to have a dance company.
Smith continued her dance journey and enrolled at Western Michigan University, where she earned a BA in dance. Smith later launched his own dance company in 2017 while studying for his master’s degree.
“I know for a long time, I’ve wanted to call my company ‘South Chicago Dance Theater,’ because my company has a long history on the (Chicago) South,” Smith said. “My family came to the South Side of Chicago during the Great Migration, so my family has been here a long time, so I feel very close to it.”
To read more of Allison Bair’s coverage of SCDT at GVSU, click here.
Art exhibition that breaks barriers opens on campus
“Convergence: Cracks in the Glass Ceiling,” an exhibit at Grand Canyon State University’s Haas Center for the Performing Arts, encourages students to push boundaries and engage in conversations about racial inequality. It is co-curated by Muse GR, an art gallery in Grand Rapids dedicated to inclusive and passionate creative spaces.
The exhibit includes work by 11 artists, including Grand Valley State University alumni. They use a wide range of media and styles to create vibrant artistic and cultural portrayals. Contemporary art in the exhibition blends pop, street and graffiti, fiber and urban genres.
According to the GVSU Art Gallery’s study guide for visitors, “The artists featured in this exhibition engage directly or indirectly with social and racial justice and economic issues. Stylistically, their work embodies both joy and anxiety, while It also captures the anxieties and excitement of living in 21st century America.”
Hailing from locations as diverse as Detroit, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and London, these artists piece together a story of experience and community. Three themes running through the entire exhibition are “Breaking Barriers”, “Breakthrough Boundaries” and “Art Activism”.
To read more about Convergence: The Crack in the Glass Ceiling by Hailey Hentz, click here.
Ignite Dance Co. Wins GV’s Got Talent
“GV’s Got Talent” organized by the Campus Activities Board (CAB) is an event for students to showcase their talents for a chance to win 1st, 2nd or 3rd place and receive cash prizes. The winner of the competition will have the opportunity to open CAB’s Spring Concert. This year, the event was held on March 15th.
“GV’s Got Talent is an opportunity for GVSU students to showcase their talents, whether it’s singing, dancing, poetry, comedy or playing an instrument,” said CAB member Chad Nowak.
Novak helped plan and build GV’s Got Talent. He said CAB took about a month to prepare for the talent show.
“About a month later, we hold auditions and do the prep work for the talent show—booking rooms and equipment, purchasing supplies, contacting the judges, making publicity requests for pictures, photos and video coverage,” Novak said. “On that day, we started setting up five hours before the event. We built the stage, chairs, balloon arches, decorations, etc. Three hours before the show, we rehearsed for the performers.”
To continue reading Haley Rosendale’s coverage of GV’s Got Talent, click here.
GV Baton Twirler joins Team USA for international title
Feature Twirler student Emelia Adam of Grand Valley State University will travel to Liverpool, England, to compete in the baton race against Team USA in the Nations Cup.
Being a Feature Twirler means Adam performs with marching and pep bands at GVSU sporting events for entertainment and school spirit. During games, she can be seen twirling on the court or field. The act of spinning a baton is the culmination of many aspects and determination – considered an art form in its own right.
Adam started learning to spin a baton at the age of 5 after being inspired by spinning sticks at a local event at the Burger Fest in her hometown of Hamburg, PA. Since then, she has known that spinning is her calling.
“From that moment on, I knew I wanted to spin,” Adam said. “I knew this was going to be my sport. After 15 years, I can proudly say it’s everything, beyond what that 5-year-old girl wanted.”
Continue reading Hailey Hentz’s coverage of Emelia Adam Rotate stories, click here.
Speakers at VMA Division Promote Diversity and Indigenous Arts
Last week, Grand Canyon State University’s Department of Visual Media Arts (VMA) welcomed design anthropologist and Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD) University College of Design Dori Tunstall. OCAD University is the largest art and design college in Canada and the fourth largest in North America.
Among those, Tunstall was also an author and educator. Her visit revolves around her new book, Decolonizing by Design: A Guide to Cultural Justice.
Tunstall’s book discusses important topics surrounding the gentrification of the arts and its persistence over the centuries. It highlights key elements of diversity and inclusion on any school campus.
During his visit, Tunstall attended a number of GVSU events, the first of which was a VMA luncheon held in the atrium of the Calder Center for the Arts on the Allendale campus. The event is open to all GVSU students, faculty and staff. The next event was a panel discussion with Tunstall on the topic of decolonizing design, academia and business.
To continue reading Omari Seaberry’s coverage of Dori Tunstall, click here.
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