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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

Color photograph of a pitcher getting ready to throw a ball on a green stripped baseball field.

Artist Profile: Walter Iooss

Walter Iooss Jr. is an American photographer best known for his award-winning images of some of the world's greatest athletes,

Contemporary Photography GVSU Art Museum Collection Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Highly colorful photograph of the side of a building with rainbow colors being reflected.

Artist Profile: Robert Koropp

Through his photography, Robert Koropp combined his backgrounds in science and art in experimental ways.

Contemporary Photography GVSU Art Museum Collection Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Scene includes a stove along the right side. Near center is a table of three men, all wearing hats. Bright windows look out into the street in the background.

Artist Profile: Stewart Ashlee

Throughout his childhood, Stewart Ashlee read adventure stories. These stories and the vibrant illustrations fostered his equally vivid imagination, something he embraced in his artwork throughout his career.

GVSU Art Museum Collection Michigan Artists Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Brightly colored photograph of a closeup of an orange flower with lots of petals.

Artist Profile: Joyce Tenneson

Joyce Tenneson's portraits, floral or human, strive to expose the inner life of her subjects.

Contemporary Photography GVSU Art Museum Collection Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Color photograph of a child wearing ballerina clothing against a blue wall.

Artist Profile: Sarah Wong

From 2003 to 2018, Dutch photographer Sarah Wong followed and photographed the lives of cross-gendered children.

Contemporary Photography GVSU Art Museum Collection Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Black and white photograph, top half is white sky with birds, bottom half is dark water with small waves.

Artist Profile: Sally Gall

Throughout Sally Gall's career she has focused on the natural world, using her keen eye for composition to create abstractions of familiar subjects.

Contemporary Photography GVSU Art Museum Collection Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Color photograph of a man carrying to baskets on his shoulders walking up a set of stairs in the snow.

Artist Profile: Ruiyuan Chen

Ruiyuan Chen's photographs reflect the artist's many travels throughout China and Mongolia.

GVSU Art Museum Collection Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Black and white photograph of glass.

Artist Profile: Ralph Gibson

Ralph Gibson's images are often high-contrast, black and white, abstract photographs that feature everyday objects.

Contemporary Photography GVSU Art Museum Collection Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Color photograph of a woman wearing all black raising her hands towards the sky.

Artist Profile: Peter Turnley

Peter Turnley's photographs drawn attention to the plight of those who have suffered great hardships or injustice, while finding that many aspects of life are also beautiful, poetic, just, and inspirational.

Contemporary Photography GVSU Art Museum Collection Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Black and white detailed photograph of a large, gnarly tree on the beach.

Artist Profile: W. Howard Bond

A former student of Ansel Adams, Ann Arbor, Michigan-based photographer W. Howard Bond has been regarded as a master of large-frame film photography.

Contemporary Photography GVSU Art Museum Collection Michigan Artists Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Black and white photograph of an aerial view landscape.

Artist Profile: Douglas Gilbert

Douglas R. Gilbert has been a serious photographer since the age of 14, when he could be found taking pictures of his local Michigan neighborhood and friends.

Contemporary Photography GVSU Art Museum Collection Landscapes Michigan Artists Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Black and white photograph of a lighted sign that reads "Men Don't Protect You Anymore"

Artist Profile: Donna Ferrato

Donna Ferrato is an internationally recognized photojournalist and activist best known for her documentation of the hidden world of domestic violence.

Contemporary Photography GVSU Art Museum Collection Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Black and white photograph of a flower.

Artist Profile: Dick Dokas

Ann Arbor, Michigan-based photographer Dick Dokas' black and white images are most frequently of landscapes and flowers.

Contemporary Photography GVSU Art Museum Collection Michigan Artists Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Colorful photograph of a female figure nearly camouflaged against the background holding up two decorative porcelain plates while another covers her face and other float agains the background around the figure.

Artist Profile: Patty Carroll

Chicago- based photographer Patty Carroll has become known for her use of highly intense, often life-size, saturated color photographs that address women and their complicated relationships domesticity, identity, and excess.

Chicago Artist Contemporary Photography GVSU Art Museum Collection Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Black and white photography of a mountain with snow covered trees.

Artist Profile: David Lubbers

Through his black and white photography, Grand Rapids-based photographer David Lubbers strives to capture a moment in time that may never be captured the same way ever again.

Contemporary Photography GVSU Art Museum Collection Landscapes Michigan Artists Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Color photograph of an indigenous person kneeling on the ground.

Artist Profile: Brita Brookes

Brita Brookes has pursued careers in architectural design and graphic design, but always comes back to her passion for photography and photojournalism.

GVSU Art Museum Collection Michigan Artists Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Color photograph of a crouched nude man with wires on his arm and hand.

Artist Profile: Patrick Millard

Patrick Millard was a photographer from Lamont, Michigan and an alum of GVSU. His work in photography addressed ideas about human beings within their own synthetic environments.

GVSU Art Museum Collection Michigan Artists Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Black and white photograph of a man turned to look out a window. He wears a large brooch.

Artist Profile: Alen MacWeeney

Born in Dublin, Ireland, at the beginning of World War II Alen MacWeeny became a photographer known for his street photography and portraits of travelers.

Contemporary Photography GVSU Art Museum Collection Photography

Published January 1, 2017 by Nicole Webb

Page last modified April 29, 2026