Governor's art

The next time Gov. John Engler meets with state officials in his new conference room, he will be reminded of Grand Valley State University.That's because, as of last month, four etchings and paintings from Grand Valley faculty and alumni are adorning the walls of the Governor's Conference Room in the Milliken Building in Lansing.The origin of the GVSU display was serendipitous, according to Henry Matthews, director of Galleries and Collections at GVSU. He said he heard from a friend early in the summer that the governor's office was seeking artwork for the conference room in the building across the street from the state Capitol. Matthews began an email correspondence with the office, electronically sending to Lansing about 20 images of artwork from Grand Valley's collection.GVSU staff got its first look at the conference room on July 10, when Paris Tennenhouse, Galleries and Collections assistant, took eight pieces of artwork to Lansing for the final selection. The four that were hung were:

• Flower Market, color etching by GVSU alumna Sherri Wolf;
• The Quilt, copperplate etching on paper by William Hosterman, Art & Design assistant professor;
• Window in Aix, oil on canvas by Don Kerr, retired Art & Design professor, and
• Untitled, watercolor and charcoal by Patricia Constantine (Hendricks), visiting assistant Art & Design professor.

A fifth piece, Roadside Market by GVSU alumna Kathleen Kalinowski, will be hung in the near future, and several others are being considered for offices in Detroit, said Tennenhouse.The Lansing office has reported that Gov. Engler is delighted with the artwork, said Tennenhouse. The artwork will remain on display indefinitely.