The Grand Rapids Art Museum recently played host to an extraordinary celebration of creativity, resilience, and community: the 2024 ACTion Art Exhibition. This annual event, organized by ACT, unfolded over three vibrant days from March 19th to 21st. It was a comprehensive showcase that not only displayed the remarkable talents of artists with disabilities but also highlighted the significant role art plays in fostering community and understanding.
To kick off the exhibit, ACT hosted an Artist Talk with three panelists, two of whom are ACT teaching artists and one of our 2023-2024 Apprentice students. The panel spoke about their artistic influences, tips for new artists, and how art can create community. Following the discussion, the exhibit officially opened to the public!
Day two of ACTion Art was dedicated to field trip visits from over 50 students from Sparta, Lowell, KISD Empower U, and Grandville. Since the GRAM was closed to the public on the day of ACT field trips, our students were granted special access to the entire museum.
During their time in the ACTion Art Exhibition, students had the opportunity to play a game called, "What Would You Call It?”. To play, they would find a piece of art in the exhibit, observe it and consider the original name the artist gave the piece. Then, they could come up with a title of their own, based on their experience with the art.
Upstairs in the art studio, students expressed themselves through colorful pastel drawings. To create the drawings, students followed a few simple prompts, such as: trace a border along the outside of the page, trace your hand, turn your paper and trace it again! It was fun to see each drawing take on its own character, especially as students added color.
The Final day of ACTion Art included a special fundraiser event and an artist reception. Attendees enjoyed snacks & drinks, and heard from guest speakers including An ACT Board Member and one of ACT’s incredible teaching artists. All the while, guests were serenaded by the musical stylings of K Rock, a local music duo made up of 2 former ACT students.
This year's exhibition was unprecedented in its scale, featuring the works of over 130 artists. The participants ranged from students of ACT classes to 25 individual artists and groups from five organizations across lower Michigan. The diversity and richness of the artwork on display were a testament to the incredible talent and unique perspectives of the artists, making it the largest and most varied exhibition in the history of ACTion Art.
We were glad to have so many people vote for the People's Choice award this year. Over 1,000 votes were cast! Congratulations to all of this year's awardees and all participating artists.
Thank you to the Grand Rapids Art Museum for hosting us, and to ITC Solutions and Hope Network for sponsoring our event. We'd also like to thank any volunteers, teaching artists, staff, and community members who brought this exhibit together.
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