New Art Venue: Church of the Servant ARTery Showcases Local Artists

March 18, 2008 - PRLog -- In Grand Rapids, Michigan, art lovers and artists have a new place to see and display two-dimensional visual art. Church of the Servant Christian Reformed Church now hosts exhibits by local artists in the ARTery, the main corridor through the church’s fellowship and education space.

“Simple Gifts,” 32 meditative photographs by Steven Huyser-Honig, runs through June 12, 2008. “The beauty of the Great Lakes region—the gentle touch of nature and heavy hand of industry—provide endless inspiration,” Huyser-Honig said.

“We see the ARTery as an opportunity to expand visual literacy. I want people to find the joy in visual expression,” said Virginia Wieringa, who coordinates ARTery exhibits. Wieringa is a mixed media artist and retired art teacher.

Church of the Servant will do four exhibits a year. Painters Wietze Adema and Mary E. Andersen will be featured later in 2008. An annual Epiphany exhibit displays art by congregation members of all ages.

Wieringa welcomes inquiries from local artists interested in doing solo or group shows. “We’re interested in different subjects, themes and techniques. We’re not set up to display sculpture or three-dimensional art,” she said.

See Steven Huyser-Honig’s “Simple Gifts” photography at Church of the Servant CRC, 3835 Burton St SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sunday.

To learn more about exhibiting in the ARTery, contact Virginia Wieringa, virginia@virginiawieringa.com, 616-245-1565.

PHOTOGRAPHY AVAILABLE: To request jpeg images to run with your story, contact Steven Huyser-Honig, stevehuyho@greatlakeseditions.com, 616-241-0931. See "Simple Gifts" images online at  http://stores.greatlakeseditions.com/-strse-Now-Showing-c... and http://tiny.cc/greatlakes.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

CHURCH OF THE SERVANT CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH

*Church of the Servant uses members’ artwork in liturgical furniture and banners, communion vessels, bulletin covers and more. Well known artists in the congregation include Carol Roeda and Mary and Don Doezema.

*Online slideshows by Steven Huyser-Honig show how Church of the Servant uses visual arts throughout the church year: http://www.calvin.edu/worship/visual_arts/art_in_worship/...

STEVEN HUYSER-HONIG: AN ENVIRONMENTALLY GREEN PHOTOGRAPHER

*Great Lakes Editions—Steven Huyser-Honig’s website—shows which photographs are on display at Church of the Servant. See http://tiny.cc/greatlakes and www.greatlakeseditions.com.

*Steven Huyser-Honig, a former science teacher, blogs on Great Lakes environmental news at Great Lakes for All, www.greatlakesforall.com, interprets Great Lakes environmental news. His blog Lighthouses Forever, www.lighthousesforever.com, reports lighthouse news from around the world.

*He prints his digital images with pigment inks on natural cotton rag papers, which is more environmentally friendly than traditional photographic processes and results in a longer archival life.

*Huyser-Honig donates 5% of every Great Lakes Editions purchase to organizations working to preserve the lighthouses, land and water resources of the Great Lakes region.

VIRGINIA WIERINGA

*Virginia Wieringa taught art in the Grand Rapids Public Schools and at Grand Rapids Community College. “I come from an elementary art background. That’s my aesthetic. I want to include people in making and enjoying art,” Wieringa said.

*Her painting and mixed media work ranges from landscapes and still life to “abstract imagery with faint storylines and open meanings.” See it at www.virginiawieringa.com and Fire and Water Gallery, 219 West Main, Lowell, MI.

*Virginia Wieringa and oil painter Mary Andersen have a joint exhibit, “Moving Spirit” from March 26-June 23. It is at Bruce and Mary Leep Art Gallery, in Postma Center for Worship & Education, Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, 300 68th St. SE, Cutlerville.

*Virginia Wieringa’s blog is Art Along the Way, http://vwieringa.blogspot.com.

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About Great Lakes Editions: Photographer Steven Huyser-Honig says, "Since vacationing along Lake Michigan as a small boy, I've been captivated by Great Lakes beaches and dunes, lighthouses and breakwaters, farms and orchards, forests and streams, small towns and big cities. My photography is devoted to the preservation of this region's beauty—for you, for me, and for future generations. 5% of every print you buy goes to nonprofits preserving Great Lakes lighthouses, land and water resources."

Website: www.greatlakeseditions.com