The Magazine of Fun, Food and Fine Arts in Grand Rapids

Art & Exhibitions

April 1991

Projections in Public

The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts will present Projections in Public April 5- May 3 at two locations in Grand Rapids. Projections was the brainchild of two California women, Karen Atkinson, associate director of an alternative arts space, and Carol Hobson, director of the Public Arts Advisory Council for San Diego County. “The idea grew out of their interest in new ways to define public art, to involve a wider community,” says Atkinson, “in something more than precious artwork hanging on walls in a gallery or a museum that only a select few who dare to venture indoors would see.”  The two organized their first project in Los Angeles, asking artists to create slides to be rear-screen projected on storefront windows in well-traveled areas. The imagery in the slides is designed specifically for the project and its context of a public space.

Atkinson has since worked on Projections projects in San Diego and Cleveland. The theme of Projections in Public (Grand Rapids) is an exploration of this area as it was once described in National Geographic magazine, “a monument to middle-class comfort.” Participating in the local project, curated by Atkinson, will be eight artists who have been a part of previous projects.  Kerr + Malley, Santa Monica artists whose work What is Contraception? Is picture above, may be remembered by UICA audiences from their installation there last season. Others include Connie Hatch and ARTtorneys at Work ( whose How Do You Define Obscenity? Is pictured above,top) from Los Angeles, Margaret Crane/ Jon Winet from San Francisco, Robyn Einhorne from Cleveland, Beverly Naidus from Long Beach, and Susan Silas from New York. Grand Rapids artists whose work will be featured include Elizabeth Stanck, Darlene Kaczmarczyk, Rose Rosely/ Julie McLaughlin and Donna Munro.

Projections in Public (Grand Rapids) will be displayed April15- 18 in the window of Perception gallery, 15 Ionia SW downtown, and April 19- May 3 in the window of Prisms, a furniture and design store at the intersection of Wealthy and Lake Drive SE in Eastown.  The projections begin at dusk. Check gallery listings for details.