Dutch art on exhibit

A collection of prints by contemporary Dutch artists marks the first exhibition held at Grand Valley State University's Meijer Campus in Holland. 'Honoring the Brooks Family: The Dutch Collection of Prints' pays tribute to the longtime Holland residents who have made the exhibit possible.

'The Dutch Collection of Prints' opened September 30 and will be on display through fall 2003 at the Meijer Campus, 515 S. Waverly Rd. in Holland. Building hours are Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

The 30 prints on display are a sampling of a collection of 500 prints by contemporary Dutch artists recently acquired by Grand Valley. Works by the 200 artists represented in the collection can be found in major museums of contemporary art throughout the Netherlands and Europe, according to Henry Matthews, director of Galleries and Collections at GVSU.

The museum-quality collection depicts the best of graphic art produced in the Netherlands over the past 50 years. It was amassed by Amsterdam artist Cyril Lixenberg, who over the decades acquired works by Dutch colleagues he admired -- many times exchanging his own artwork for that of his colleagues and friends. His resulting collection is a showcase of the many styles, movements, and controversies characterizing Dutch works on paper over the last half century.

That the prints are exhibited first in Holland serves as a tribute to longtime Holland residents James and Donna Brooks, whose financial gift to Grand Valley facilitated the purchase of the collection. More selections will be exhibited at Grand Valley's Art Gallery in Allendale in January, and in a collaborative exhibit at galleries throughout Holland in September 2003.

Donna Brooks, former chair of the Grand Valley Board of Trustees, now serves as a trustee of the university until 2009. In 1991 she was honored with the Grand Valley Leadership Award. James and Donna Brooks also have established two scholarships for students at GVSU and serve in other leadership roles.

The couple's community involvement includes serving on the boards of the Holland/Zeeland Community Foundation. James, the retired owner of the former Beverage America, is now managing partner with Alpha Genesis, a medical and biotech education firm, and chairs the West Michigan Strategic Alliance, a group that works to promote the pooling of resources between Grand Rapids and Lakeshore communities. In 2001 he was inducted into the West Michigan Business Hall of Fame.