By Ashley Fuller – Collegiate Staff
Thursday nights at the Grand Rapids Art Museum is a great way to have a fun night, with free general admission and great exhibits on display with family and friends.
Starting at 5 p.m. and lasting until 9 p.m., visitors can explore the featured art or get lost in the current galleries on display, “Water” and new to the museum, “Stop Motion”.
Taking up a little more than two floors of the museum, “Water” is a series of photos taken by Canadian artist Edward Burtynsky. The exhibit portrays the World’s relationship with one of our most important resources, water.
Photos from all over the globe are on display including India, China, and Western America.
“The art has a message (that’s) more than just surface level,” Yoseph El’ali, 21, said. “(The “Water” exhibit) really opens your eyes to what people use water for and how much we do use water …water is actually becoming really scarce.”
The “Stop Motion” gallery comes to the GRAM from Michigan artist David Greenwood. Greenwood taught Sculpture & Function Art at Kendall College of Art & Design for over three decades and there are currently six sculptures of his on the top floor of the GRAM. He describes himself as trying to create “a bunch of little mysteries” for the viewer to work through and creates the titles as a way to let viewers know where to begin.
The atmosphere is set to be very relaxing, providing a cash bar and a pianist playing music that sets a sort of trance while viewing the art. The museum changes exhibits every few months, allowing visitors the opportunity to emerge into different types of art.
“It’s different all the time,” said Lauren Farris, 21, when asked what she liked about the exhibits. “I like that it filters in and out pretty regularly and each exhibit is really different…it feels like a different GRAM every time.”
