Visual Language Exhibit = Material & Message

We were really excited by the response to our juried regional call to artists for the Visual Language Exhibition which will be on display September 8 – October 24. All the chosen work showcases artists' creative and unique approaches to using words within their artwork. Some have chosen to use it boldly, others quietly and some have found a place in-between language and abstraction. Grand Rapids curator and juror for this show, Annamarie Buller, had the challenging job of reviewing the online applications of 51 regional artists submitting 81 works of art. Her review also involved reading all the artists’ statements which were part of their applications. After careful deliberation of the submissions a vision emerged for the overall look of the exhibit and Ms. Buller selected 21 diverse works of art by 25 artists.

Ms. Buller had this to say about the artwork selected for the exhibition, “This exhibition gathers original 2D, 3D, and digital works that use text, words, language, and poetry as both material and message. Together, the works ask what it means to be human in the United States right now – at a moment shaped by political urgency, personal rupture, collective memory, and the steady presence of the natural world. The lens for this exhibition is the human experience: how we witness one another, how we carry history in our bodies, and how language can reveal what is fragile, defiant, wounded, and still becoming.”

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L-R, top-bottom: Megan Daniels, Loren Bach, Chester Winowiecki, Elizabeth Van Ark, Sarah Lynn B., Lori McElrath Eslick

We will be hosting a free closing reception for the artists on Saturday, October 24 from 1:00pm – 3:00pm. There will be an award recognition for the artist receiving the $200 outstanding artwork prize and Ms. Buller will be leading a discussion about the artwork in the exhibit with community members and artists starting at 1:30pm.

The ACWL-Nuveen is very grateful to the White Lake Community Fund of the Community Foundation for Muskegon County who have generously sponsored this exhibit. Sponsorship of this exhibition enabled us to stretch beyond White Lake and attract new and diverse regional artists to our gallery - thank you!

Any questions about the show and/or reception give us a call 231-893-2524 or better yet stop and and see this dynamic show in person - 106 E. Colby - downtown Whitehall.