Redefining “museum,” sparking engagement at the GRAM

Whether it’s a program for young students to encourage literacy or a chance for adults to reconnect with their creativity over a glass of wine, the Grand Rapids Art Museum is committed to being more than a box of precious objects.

Little Member Mornings at the Grand Rapids Art Museum give families with young children a chance to explore the museum in new and creative ways. Image courtesy Grand Rapids Art Museum.

Located in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, the central location of the Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) makes it an ideal hub for connecting people through art, creativity, and design. Its history and devotion to the community it serves make for a space that has become a conduit for artistic exploration. But the GRAM is on a mission to do more. Christopher Bruce, Director of Learning and Creativity, and Elizabeth Payne, Communications Manager, say the GRAM is committed to re-defining what it means to be a museum.

Christopher Bruce, Director of Learning and Creativity. Image courtesy Grand Rapids Art Museum.

In the museum studio, surrounded by a space dedicated to creating and engaging with the process of creativity, Bruce says the museum is committed to pulling away from the idea of a museum as stuffy, as austere.

Museums must house objects, and yes, there is a certain archival nurturing of those objects, but this nurturing is pointless if relationships are not formed with the community around and with those objects. Bruce and Payne are both enthusiastic about the engagement of they have already seen. An important part of connecting the community to those art objects is in the GRAM’s expansive education and outreach programs, designed to also nurture of creativity and expression.

“We’ve focused on asking the questions to the community and letting our audience take the lead on identifying what they want from the museum,” Bruce explains.

As it turns out, there are all kinds of innovative ways the GRAM is expanding levels of engagement. They are partnering with local congregations to provide opportunities for carpooling and other transportation to the GRAM. They’re also partnering with 10 school districts in West Michigan to collaborate with a hands-on-experience-based curriculum inspired by this summer’s exhibition, “The Art of Rube Goldberg.” And on and on. These partnerships, and many others, give the GRAM a chance to share the museum experience with new faces, providing a new way to explore how creativity is a process, encourage participants at events to forget about perfection, and focus on the richness of the experience.

And they’re seeing how engagement in the arts can affect engagement in other areas of life—like school. Thanks to a curriculum in the GRAM’s education program designed to encourage literacy via the study of objects, Bruce says he watched a student transform as his whole demeanor and excitement to learn changed. His school grades improved, but perhaps most of all, he demonstrated a new sense of pride in learning — and it impacted all other areas of his life.

These kind of transformative moments, both large and small, happen all the time at the GRAM. Chances for transformation aren’t limited to literacy, of course. Below are just a selection of upcoming ways to get involved:

1. SUMMER ART CAMPS: All of the courses are new for 2017, and the GRAM’s education programs are filled with expert instruction. These classes introduce a variety of media and processes, and are tailored for children and young adults between the ages of 4–17.
2. THE ART OF RUBE GOLDBURG: This exhibition runs May 20-August 27, 2017. The first comprehensive survey exhibition in nearly 50 years, this exhibition will demonstrate the artistic talent and endless imagination of the legendary American cartoonist and illustrator. The exhibit is highly interactive, with plenty of ways for children and adults alike to explore and play.
3. MEIJER FREE DAYS: Meijer Free Tuesdays and Meijer Free Thursday Nights, made possible by a generous gift from Meijer, provides supports free admission for the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each Tuesday and free general admission Thursday Nights from 5-9 p.m., encouraging new and returning visitors to explore the galleries and take advantage of tours and other programs the museum offers, every week year round, without cost to the visitor.
4. DROP IN STUDIO: Saturdays in August, 1–4 p.m. From making reclaimed sketchbooks to innovating a mini-golf course with Dad, Drop-In Studio is a great way for everyone to connect with their own personal brand of creativity.
5. ADULT WORKSHOP: FIGURE DRAWING: On June 20 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., the GRAM is providing an opportunity to sketch from a live model. Instruction will be facilitated, and the experience is designed to foster an appreciation of beauty and the human form in new and unexpected ways.
6. CREATIVITY UNCORKED: Remember what it was like to create as a child with no worries about process or end product? This program invites participants to rekindle their relationship with that inner creative genius. Grab a glass of wine and experience the process of creativity first hand. No experience is necessary.
7. GRAM ON THE GREEN: Thursday evenings this summer, along with free admission to the GRAM for Meijer Free Days, GRAM on the Green adds music, dancing, and the best food trucks around.
8. YOGA AT THE GRAM: Thursday evenings, join instructors Ashley Yost and Mali Jane for Vinyasa-style yoga classes. Thursday evenings are part of Meijer Free Days, so admission into the museum is free. The class is donation based with proceeds benefiting AM Yoga. All classes are held in GRAM’s Cook Auditorium and start at 5:45 p.m. unless noted otherwise.
9. GRAM AFTER DARK: The GRAM will celebrate the beginning of ArtPrize Nine with GRAM After Dark, and 21+ part with drinks, dancing, and unique chance to kick off ArtPrize season at what is historically one of the most celebrated locations for taking in ArtPrize.
10. PURPOSEFUL PLAY + ARTFUL LEARNING: Have a young learner? Children ages 0–5 discover all the Museum has to offer through activates designed to increase fine and gross motor skills, further cognitive and emotional development with discovery and play, and activate interpersonal communication. Lesson plans and discovery packs are available at the Guests Services Desk.

For a full list of opportunities this summer at the GRAM, visit their website.