Kendall News

Federal Building Remodeling Summary

2012-01-27T20:47:22Z

DON'T LOOK NOW! A transformation is coming to our campus.

If you're one who arrives and leaves campus in the dark, you may not have noticed. Or, if you're one who doesn't function well without three double lattes... let's just say we understand.

"So what's this transformation, you ask?"

For the past 12 months Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University has teamed with a private development partnership to restore and redevelop the historic Grand Rapids Federal Courthouse and Post Office building right across from us on Pearl Street. This partnership is transforming the building into art exhibition and studio space, classrooms, lecture halls and faculty offices. It doubles the amount of space we currently have, and when the work is complete this summer, the KCAD-FSU campus will link three consecutive city blocks from Fountain Street to Lyon Street.

The Federal Building was constructed in 1908 and is a National Landmark. For 70 years the building was part of the Federal Court system and at least one important legal decision was decided there; Major League Baseball's Reserve Clause. That's the ruling that says a player can only play for the team that drafts them. In 1978, the Federal Building became the home of the Grand Rapids Art Museum. Upon the GRAM's move into its new digs a few years ago, the now vacant structure caught the eye of the film industry for a movie set pertaining to orphaned children in Russia. KCAD-FSU recognized a greater potential and found a way to adopt this historical treasure. Is that poetic or what?

Soon you will be able to walk its halls enjoying its distinctive Beaux-Arts architecture, display your work in one of the many galleries, or model your next masterpiece in one of the 3D studios.

Get ready! It's coming sooner than you think.

Kendall Furniture Design Majors Sweep ASFD Student Design Challenge 2011

2012-01-10T17:35:32Z

The American Society of Furniture Designers and partner Stanley Furniture have announced the winners of the Student Design Challenge 2011—and Kendall Furniture Design majors swept the awards.

The Design Challenge was open to junior, senior, and graduate level students enrolled in an accredited college design program. The design goal for Challenge 2011 participants was to create a writing desk or an executive desk that could transition into one of four style categories within the Stanley Furniture product line. A panel of professional ASFD-member furniture designers and Stanley Furniture executives judged the entries on the criteria of presentation, creativity, originality, selection of materials and the feasibility of manufacturing.

First Place
Senior Jacob Court’s entry, “Driftwood Writing Desk” impressed the judges with the creative use of materials. The judging panel felt the design would easily fit within the Stanley product line in the Casual Artisan/Transitional category. Notable Judges Comments: “A stand out piece.” Stanley Furniture will manufacture a prototype of Court’s winning design and showcase the Driftwood Writing Desk in the Stanley Furniture Showroom during the April 2012 High Point Furniture Market. The desk will also be featured on the Stanley Furniture website.

Second Place:
Daniel Jacobs, Junior: “Shoreline Writing Desk”

Third Place:
Jacob Blok, Junior: “Cabinet Maker’s Executive Desk”

Honorable Mention:
Susannah Dirkse, Senior: “Cottage Style Writing Desk”
Christopher Eitel, Junior: “Criedor Writing Desk”

Cash prizes of $1,000 for 1st place, $500 for 2nd place and $300 for 3rd place were made possible by the ASFD scholarship fund and a sponsorship by Zenith Global Logistics. All winners and honorees will receive a free one-year membership to ASFD.

2012 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Competition - Jurying Completed!

2011-12-16T16:20:44Z

In partnership with the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to recognizing the nation’s most talented teen artists and writers, Kendall announced jurying has been completed for entries in the 2012 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (West Central Michigan Region). The Awards competition, entering its 89th year, is the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for student achievement in the visual and literary arts. For a listing of the West Central Michigan Region's award winners, please click on the following url: http://www.kcad.edu/art-educators/scholastic-art-awards/

Creative teens in grades 7-12 were invited to submit work in 28 categories of art and writing, including film and animation, video game design, sculpture, photography, fashion design, poetry, journalism, humor, dramatic script and science fiction. Kendall College of Art and Design, one of 115 affiliate organizations nationwide, administers The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in the West Central Michigan Region. The submissions are first judged locally with top winning works then presented to national panels of creative leaders to determine which receive the highest honors. This year, joining author Edwidge Danticat as a national juror will be curators from major museums, leading journalists, gallerists, artists and established alumnae. Past jurors have included Tony Hawk, Lesley Stahl, Wangechi Mutu, Bill Murray, Judy Blume, and Nikki Giovanni.

Fifteen graduating high school seniors will be awarded with Portfolio Gold Medals, which include a $10,000 scholarship for each winner (awards sponsored and funded by the Alliance at the national level). Additional scholarships are made available to Portfolio Silver Medalists and through sponsored awards and stipends to summer arts programs (sponsored and funded through the Alliance). The Alliance will offer more than $270,000 in direct scholarships and awards this year. Teachers of award winners also receive recognition, and hundreds of high school senior award winners are eligible for nearly $4 million in scholarships through a network of more than 60 colleges and universities that recognize the significance of the Awards.

Since 1923, nine million students have been recognized through exhibitions and publications and have shared in more than $25 million in awards and scholarships. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards has a long list of distinguished alumni who rose to the top of their creative fields since they won their awards in high school, including Andy Warhol, Robert Redford, Sue Miller, Richard Avedon, Zac Posen, Joyce Carol Oates, Tom Otterness, Sylvia Plath, John Lithgow, Ned Vizzini, Philip Pearlstein and John Baldessari. As the program prepares for its 90th anniversary in 2013, the Alliance is calling all alumni to reconnect and join in the celebration.

Kendall Welcomes Original Art From The Traveling Exhibition Of Children’s Book Illustrators

2011-12-14T13:30:12Z

Kendall will welcome the traveling exhibition of original art from members of the New York-based Society of Illustrators in Kendall’s main Gallery from January 9 – February 4, 2012. This is a marvelous opportunity to examine – up close – the work of the best in the field. It is a chance to appreciate the enormous range of creativity in children’s books and to see the printed pages as well as the original paintings, drawings, prints, and collages they represent. To be included in The Original Art, books must be selected by a jury drawn from illustrators, art directors, editors and experts in the field.

This extraordinary collection will be enhanced by an appearance from visiting artist Wendell Minor, a member of the Society. Minor will speak to his audience on January 19 at 11:30 a.m. in the Kendall Gallery on the first floor. Kendall is located at 17 Fountain NW, Grand Rapids, Michigan. All presentations from visiting artists are open to the public and free of charge.

In addition to the exhibition in the Kendall Gallery, the Student Gallery will feature an exhibition of Kendall’s student illustrators from January 9 – January 16. Also, an Illustration Career Day is in the early planning stages for a date in March, and it will feature guest illustrator, C. F. Payne as the speaker.

MFA Drawing Student Takes First Place

2011-12-13T20:38:04Z

MFA drawing student Lance Moon took first place in Manifest Gallery's 6th International Drawing Annual. Manifest received 1308 submissions from 490 artists Lance's work will be featured in an award-winning, full color catalog that is produced in conjunction with each year's competition. The International Drawing Annual publication was conceived as an extension of Manifest's Drawing Center mission to promote, feature, and explore drawing as a rich and culturally significant art form. The goal of the International Drawing Annual is to support the recognition, documentation, and publication of excellent, current, and relevant works of drawing from around the world. It will include 115 works by 78 artists from 24 states and 9 countries including Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, England, Germany, Israel, Mexico, Spain, and the United States.

Eleven professional and academic advisors qualified in the fields of art, design, criticism, and art history juried the 6th International Drawing Annual. The process of selection was by anonymous blind jury, with each jury member assigning a quality rating for artistic merit to each work submitted. The entries receiving the highest average combined score will be included in this publication.

Graduate Students to Exhibit at DeVos Place

2011-11-23T15:34:20Z

Kendall graduate students will present their work at the 2011 MFA Juried Exhibition through Jan. 8 at DeVos Place, 303 Monroe Ave NW in downtown Grand Rapids.

This exhibition, juried by Professor Margaret Vega, showcases work from current MFA candidates and recent MFA graduates. Eighteen artists present a diverse body of work in Drawing, Painting and Printmaking.

Join the artists for an opening reception Thursday, November 17^th from 5–7 pm, and an artist meet-and-greet on Sat., Dec. 3 from 1–3 pm. The exhibition is open 9 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday. Admission is free and open to the public.

Participating artists include: Salvador Jimenez Flores, Miranda Graham, Lance Moon, Lydia Larson, Grace Scott, Steven Vinson, Alicia Wierschke, Megan Klco, Aneka Ingold, Linda Manguiat-Herzog, Heather Duffy, Beth Park, Sarah Knill, Hallie Dahlhofer, Nick Reszetar, Casey Snyder, Elizabeth Hubler and Dana Toader.

Continuing Studies Moves to Online Registration

2011-11-16T15:27:55Z

The Continuing Studies office recently moved to an online registration system and has decreased its paper consumption at the same time.

The new system went live in early October and already adult class sizes for the fall session have jumped 12% over last year.

Receipts and outlines are being sent electronically to students, and instructors are logging in to view class lists rather than having them printed. The Continuing Studies office had produced three catalogs a year, now prints fewer of them, as the catalog is also online. In addition, the new system expands the Continuing Studies’ office ability to market online. Its improving workflow systems, reaching more students, and helping to green Kendall.

Drawing Professor Writes Textbook

2011-10-31T19:34:49Z

Deborah Rockman,Chair of the Drawing and Printmaking programs has completed her second edition of “Drawing Essentials: A Guide to Drawing from Observation.”

Written for introductory studio art courses in drawing, Drawing Essentials: A Guide to Drawing from Observation, explains clearly and in depth the essentials of depicting form and space on a two-dimensional surface, focusing on the cultivation of observational skills, increased sensitivity, critical thinking, technical refinement, and knowledge of materials.

According to the publisher, “the book serves as an exceptional, all-in-one resource on basic drawing, perspective, figure drawing, and color drawing, with more color and black-and-white illustrations by both students and professionals than any other drawing textbook”

Professor Rockman’s book will be published in December, 2011.

Kendall Furniture Design Student Wins Big

2011-10-24T20:15:06Z

Furniture Design student, Jacob Court, won the Hickory Chair Design Challenge (student category) last night in High Point, North Carolina. To view his featured work, pleae visit the following link:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.276062905745336.74785.191503347534626&type=3#!/photo.php?fbid=276063332411960&set=a.276062905745336.74785.191503347534626&type=3&theater

In addition, Kendall Furniture Design students Lane Risdon and Christopher Eitel, were also finalists, the eight finalists are featured on the link below.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.280104038674556.75909.191503347534626&type=3

Congratulations to our Furniture Design program!

Student, Professor Win

2011-09-26T15:24:04Z

Senior Illustration major Taylor Mazer was recently awarded the Vi Fogel Uretz Award for his pen and ink drawing at Chicago’s 57th Street Art Fair, the oldest juried art fair in the Midwest. He is currently showing work in Byrneboehm Gallery in Grand Rapids, MI and continues to show his work at art fairs.

Assistant Art Education Professor Donna St. John had two assemblage pieces "If Only I Had No Guilt" and "If Only My Heart Had Wings" selected out of almost 600 entries for the 83rd Muskegon Museum of Art Regional Show. 190 works of art were chosen for the show. Her piece, "If Only I Had No Guilt" was awarded third place. The award winning pieces were selected on the following considerations: Aesthetics, craftsmanship, technical skill, and proficiency in handling of the medium, presentation, originality, and innovation.

Photography Grad Shoot Celebrity Destination Wedding

2011-09-23T15:23:50Z

On September 10th, MFA photo graduate Ben Harrison (MFA Photography, ’08) and his wife Laura of Harrison Studio photographed the wedding of actress Amy Smart and HGTV handyman Carter Oosterhouse. The photographs were featured in magazine Us Weekly. Ben and Laura have developed an international destination wedding business.

Illustrators Find Their Calling in Comics

2011-09-22T15:21:40Z

In November, Marvel Comics' the Fantastic Four turns 50 years old. To celebrate, Dearborn's Green Brain Comics, organized a team of artists to redraw the entire first issue of the comic for display in the store's Headspace Gallery." Justin Rose, (Illustration, ’99) is a contributor to the gallery. Rose, a life-long comic book fan, is the design director for Detroit publication Metro Times. The exhibition will be displayed through December 31.

Ron Maxwell (Illustration, ’05) is one of the comic creators appearing at the Detroit Fanfair Comic Book Convention, September 24 & 25 in Detroit. His current projects include The Journal of Maxwell Fogelsonger, The Book of Spirits Coloring Book, The Zombie Coloring Book, The Vampire Coloring Book, and The Legends of Akara. He is co-owner of Red Anvil Books.

Freshman Wins Scholarships

2011-09-19T17:33:19Z

A graphite pencil drawing, “Squirt” by freshman Isaac D. Smith has won the 2011 graduate of Bowling Green High School two scholarships: The 2011 Krylon® Clear Choice Scholarship, and a scholarship from the National Art Materials Trade Association Foundation.

Smith is pursuing a degree in Fine Arts/Art Education and aspires to become a high school or university art teacher. "I want to teach other students art so they can feel that sense of satisfaction, achievement, and confidence that putting your thoughts, feelings and ideas on paper, canvas, or into clay can bring. I feel that art broadens and deepens the education experience."

Digital Media Alumnae Accepted in Festival

2011-09-16T17:28:02Z

Angie Hauch, a 2011 Digital Media major and Studio Excellence winner has had her short film, “Cuckoo for Two,” accepted in the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival. The film, a senior thesis project on which fellow Digital Media alumnae Angela Tidball collaborated, is a 3-D animated short about a bird that falls in love with a cuckoo clock.

Currently living in Chicago and freelancing for the University of Chicago, Hauch is using digital media and animation in a pilot program, teaching reproductive health to students in grades 8–12. She is working on an app for the iPad, which would be put in clinic waiting rooms. “It’s going to appeal to a teenager much better than a brochure or poster,” she says.

Interior Design Alumni Hired

2011-09-13T15:28:45Z

Progressive AE of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has added two new interior designers to its staff: Sara M. Molina, senior interior designer; and Todd D. Emeott, interior designer.

Molina has more than 10 years of experience designing environments that inspire. She focuses on human factors combining practical knowledge regarding psychology of color, accessibility, wayfinding, and environmentally smart materials. Molina earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design in ’03.

Emeott has seven years of experience in a range of building types, including corporate office, retail showrooms, ecclesiastical, and educational environments. He works with the design team to provide integrated solutions accommodating client processes and operations. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design, with honors, from Kendall College in ’07.