GVSU hosts critiques at UICA

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Art and design students from area colleges will have an opportunity for professional feedback during the fourth Crit-O-Rama, hosted by Grand Valley State University's Department of Art and Design. This year’s event will include students and faculty from the art departments of Aquinas College, Calvin College, GRCC, Grand Valley, Kalamazoo College, The Kendall College of Art and Design and Western Michigan University.

The opportunity to form creative connections is also a big appeal to students. Artists from around the country will meet with students and faculty during events throughout this critical open house, held March 23-27 at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art, 41 Sheldon Blvd., SE, in Grand Rapids. The public is welcome to the lectures given by the visiting artists and several of the faculty from participating art programs.

There will be two different sets of lectures: First, art faculty from participating schools will give ‘mini-lectures’ about their artwork on Tuesday, March 24, from 7-8:30 p.m. The lectures by the six visiting artists will be on Wednesday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and one on Thursday at 10 a.m. The critique session on Thursday, from 12-5 p.m., is open to sophomore, junior and senior art students from the participating schools’ art departments.

“One of the rules of Crit-O-Rama is that all visiting artists be housed by faculty in their homes, rather than put up in hotels,” said Bill Hosterman, an associate professor of art and design at Grand Valley and event organizer. “This helps create an ongoing intensive week of art dialogue, both in and out of work, for the faculty as well as the students.”

Visiting artists here for the events include speakers, Loren Schwerd, a sculptor from the Louisiana State University, and artist lecturers Christine Carr, a photo and video artist who teaches at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA.; Endi Poskovic, a printmaker of large-scale woodcuts who teaches at The University of Michigan; Tim Berg, a ceramic artist who teaches at Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif.; Lora Fosberg, a Chicago printmaker, and Gabriel Akagawa, an environmental sculptor who teaches part time at The Art Institute of Chicago. Several faculty members from participating colleges are also giving lectures.

For a complete schedule or more information, contact Bill Hosterman at (616) 331-3562, or visit http://look.gvsu.edu/public/content/critorama-2009.