GRAM

It’s not that we’re on an art museum kick as of late, but it just happened to be Business Partner Dollar Day. As a supporter of the arts and the Grand Rapids Art Museum, GFS’s partnership afforded its employees (that would be Mark) and his guests (that would be me and Faith) admission for only $1 per person. How could we pass up an opportunity like that?

We had taken advantage of the same invitation last year (my first visit to the museum’s new building) and thoroughly perused the permanent collection then. This time around, however, we had just two missions: to view the winning entry from ArtPrize 2009 and to check out the temporary exhibit.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see Ran Ortner’s Open Water No. 24 during the ArtPrize 2009 event. I was pleased to discover, however, that the 6-foot by 19-foot painting will remain on temporary loan to GRAM; contest organizers hope to build and maintain a permanent collection of the top ArtPrize entries. Even though Ortner’s piece was not the one which ultimately received my vote during last year’s competition, it is an amazing work of art. I’m glad I finally had a chance to see it in person.

And sure, I knew Alexander Calder was a sculptor, painter, and artist well-known for inventing the mobile; his La Grande Vitesse resides in my own backyard. Yet I had no idea he also designed and created jewelry.

By using scraps of copper wire he found in the streets, Calder first began making jewelry for his sister’s dolls. As an adult, he made hundreds of gifts for his wife, Louisa, the first of which he crafted after the couple met on a cruise ship. She had unruly hair and he fashioned for her a bracelet which read, “Medusa.” (I love that story!) He also created other wearable art for friends such as Peggy Guggenheim and Georgia O’Keeff, and went on to produce more than 1,800 pieces of jewelry during his lifetime. Each was designed in the same free-flowing form as his other works, and constructed by hand from brass, silver or steel.

The collection on display consisted of an array of items: necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets, belts and tiaras. Like his sculptures, they ranged from the delicate and fragile to the weighty and bold. I had to chuckle at Faith’s comment, “Oooooooooh … that looks painful!” as she inspected the exotic pieces. She loves museums, really pays attention to detail and reads the placards. Every. Single. One. Nevertheless, I think it’s great that art is already having such an impact on her as it fosters an appreciation and understanding of various cultures. Still, she often shakes her head and states, “Some art I just don’t get!”

Don’t worry, Faith. Neither do we!