Posts - Art Museum - Grand Valley State University

Strange, multi-headed skeleton against a red/orange/yellow background.

From Fruit to Color: The History of Orange

From pumpkins and leaves to candy corn and giant sunflowers, orange is a dominant color of autumn. A color seemingly all around us in nature, where did the name for orange come from? Maybe not surprisingly, the fruit came before the color.

Color GVSU Art Museum Collection

Published October 1, 2026 by Nicole Webb

Black and white photograph of a person covered in black fabric holding a skull.

Eternally Relevant: Memento Mori in Art

Artists have long been fascinated with the things we often try not to think about: death, decay, and our own mortality. Rather than simply frightening viewers, these images invite us to contemplate life, death, and our own mortality.

GVSU Art Museum Collection

Published October 1, 2026 by Nicole Webb

Painting of two women holding nets, surrounded by butterflies. House in background.

Borrowed Art: Bringing Collections Together

Having loans on exhibit is common practice for museums. It is rare for a single museum’s collection to contain all the works of art needed to adequately tell the story of an exhibition.

Exhibit Gender Women Artists

Published September 1, 2026 by Nicole Webb

Photograph of a hallway in Finkelstein Hall that shows artwork on display above benches.

Back to School: Exploring Art Around Campus

As summer ends and a new school year begins, step onto any GVSU Campus and explore the art all around!

Campus Art GVSU Art Museum Collection

Published August 1, 2026 by Elias Gemmen, GVAM Student Gallery Assistant

Painting of Mount Hood in Oregon at a distance, with trees in the foreground along the left corner.

Exploring America: Art from Across the Country

Check out views of the United States of America in the GVSU art collection, or go out this summer to create your own!

GVSU Art Museum Collection Landscapes

Published July 1, 2026 by Elias Gemmen, GVAM Student Gallery Assistant

Pastel colored print of the face of a cow with horns.

Cows In Art: A Reflection of Humanity

Sometimes, a cow is just a cow. Other times, a can tell a story of an entire society.

Animals in Art GVSU Art Museum Collection

Published June 1, 2026 by Nicole Webb

Painting of a blue bicycle against a brown background. Painted on board.

A Smooth Ride: Bicycles in Art

As new inventions and features to the bicycle were added, they became a more popular sight both on the street and in art.

GVSU Art Museum Collection

Published May 1, 2026 by Elias Gemmen, GVAM Student Gallery Assistant

Black and white print of a woman sitting on a platform in a flowing dress. A man lays sprawled at her feet

Inspired by Spring: The Bard of Avon

T.S. Elliot once wrote, "April is the cruelest month", but William Shakespeare certainly didn't agree with that.

GVSU Art Museum Collection Literature

Published April 1, 2026 by Nicole Webb

A broadside of a large bird with brown and white feathers and a passage of text below it. The bird's chest and extended wings are visible.

Celebrate National Poetry Month - Poetry in Action: Artists wrestled here!

April is National Poetry Month, and its the perfect time to pick up a pencil or quill and start flexing those creative muscles to write. Need inspirations? Use the GVAM collection as the starting point for your literary creativity!

GVSU Art Museum Collection Poetry

Published April 1, 2026 by Elias Gemmen, GVAM Student Gallery Assistant

Print with two leaves in two different shades of green.

Green: The Color of Life and Death

While green is the most common color in nature, historically, it has been one of the most difficult pigments for artists to recreate. So difficult, it's even been deadly at times.

Color GVSU Art Museum Collection

Published March 1, 2026 by Nicole Webb

Bird standing on an orange surface. His head and legs are normal, but the rest of his body is made of small pieces of white paper.

The Art of Attracting Birds: February is National Bird Feeding Month

National Bird Feeding Month isn't just for the birds- it also gives humans some backyard entertainment during the cold winter months as well!

Animals in Art GVSU Art Museum Collection

Published February 1, 2026 by Nicole Webb

A farm house is depicted in different shades of blue.

Interiors and Exteriors: Spaces Worth Remembering

What memories come to mind when you hear the word home? Do you envision the structure itself, or a meaningful space or object within it?

GVSU Art Museum Collection

Published February 1, 2026 by Nicole Webb

Black and white photograph of a group of men at a fire at night.

Brief Moments of Everyday America: Real Photo Postcards

The year 2026 is a year to celebrate those who have been part of major historical events, as well as to appreciate daily American life.

GVSU Art Museum Collection Historic Photographs

Published January 1, 2026 by Nicole Webb

Image of a print by Paloma Havlik of a small cartoon person holding up a large star in front of a blank polaroid picture, standing on top of many tiny stars.

Twelve Months in Stories: Reviewing 2025

Stories help us learn, connect, and feel like we belong. We hope that the stories we have shared through our collection, the art in our buildings, our exhibitions, and programs continue to spark empathy, curiosity, and understanding throughout GVSU.

GVSU Art Museum Collection

Published December 1, 2025 by Nicole Webb

Colorful ceramic sculpture that has three heads, a house, and a hand situated on a base with elements of a landscape, like trees and blue water.

Take Surrealism Seriously

Why should you take Surrealism seriously?

Collage GVSU Art Museum Collection Photography Sculpture

Published November 1, 2025 by Genna Sinclair, GVAM Social Media and Learning Assistant

Historic photograph of a man sitting in a chair outside in front of a bush, wearing a dark suit and hat with a white beard.

Fashion or Flop: The Art of Growing a Beard

Ungroomed facial hair was considered taboo until the Victorian beard movement, when people began to grow long, luscious beards and distinctive mustaches.

GVSU Art Museum Collection Historic Photographs Photography

Published November 1, 2025 by Elias Gemmen, GVAM Student Gallery Assistant

Painting of a figure with red hair, and white painted face like a clown. They also wear a white cake with recently blow-out candles on their head.

Untitled (That IS the title.)

Why would an artist choose to leave an artwork as Untitled? Dont they want you to know the message they are trying to portray through their art?

GVSU Art Museum Collection

Published October 1, 2025 by Nicole Webb

AI generated image of a Japanese night scene with the moon and boat on water.

Experimenting with an Artificial Intelligence Image Generator

We experimented with an artificial intelligence image generator as we prepared for our exhibition on art in the digital sphere.

AI and Art

Published September 1, 2025 by Nicole Webb

Artificial intelligence created image of a robot painting a portrait of a woman.

Art and Artificial Intelligence

Can Art and Artificial Intelligence Intersect?

AI and Art GVSU Art Museum Collection

Published September 1, 2025 by Nicole Webb

Digital painting of a woman with an afro. The afro is made of water and goldfish.

The Virtual Canvas: Storytelling in the Digital Era

Artists have also used storytelling as a tool to drive concepts that share and interpret their own lived experiences with others. Today, digital tools present new ways to enhance our narrative experiences.

Digital Art GVSU Art Museum Collection

Published August 1, 2025 by Nicole Webb