Artist Program

August 24, 2022 - September 28, 2022

En plein air is the French Expression for "in open air," It is the act of painting outdoors. This exhibit will feature some of West Michigan's best known Plein AIr Artists. Join us for the reception on Thursday, September 15th from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm. Many of the artists will be demonstrating Plein Air painting Live.
This Exhibition will feature these local Plein Air Painters:
Lynn Anderson
Ralph"nunzi"Annunziata
Kathleen Bechtel
Larry Blovits
Ken Cadwallader
Anne Corlett
Stephen Duren
Jim Johnson
Richard Jordan
Kathleen Kalinowski
Scott Kenyon
Jean Kubiszewski
Connie Kuhnle
Laurie Lehman
Kathy Mohl
Betsy O'Neill
Barbara Schilling
Brian Smith
Holly Sturges
Judy Tummino
Mary Serra Veneklase
David Westerfield

October 4, 2022 - October 31, 2022

Nancy graduated from Kendall College of Art and Design with a degree in Corporate and Residential Design. Nancy went on to be the business owner of Interiors by Nancy Seibert for many years until retiring.
After working in design for many years, Nancy wanted a change, so she taught herself how to sketch. Nancy was always intrigued by the paintings at the art shows she’d attend on the lakeshore. One year she asked one of the artists if they’d be willing to give her a private painting lesson. Since not painting since Kendall, Nancy got out her old acrylic paints and canvases and the rest is history. Nancy enjoys painting landscapes and children.

November 9, 2022 - December 13, 2022

We invite any FHPS Staff to enter their artistic works into this unique annual exhibit. The exhibit will also include artwork by members of the community who have created pieces in Community classes or Open Painting at the Community Center.

January 4, 2023 - February 3, 2023

Valentina Grigorieva, a member of Grand Valley Artists and Rivertown Artists, specializes in urban and nature sketches and paintings which feature variety of special techniques and archival quality media. Her work has been successfully exhibited at venues such as West Michigan Regional Art Competition, Artprize; and her solo shows at Marywood Art Gallery, Mercy Health Saint Mary’s Campus Art Gallery, Terryberry Gallery, ICCF, Cascade Library Art Gallery, Lowell Dominican Art Center, Forest Hills Art Center, East Grand Rapids Library Art Exhibit, and other galleries.

February 8, 2023 - March 16, 2023

I come from a family of creative people- artists, musicians, engineers and scientists. I’ve always loved Art and
Music and have dedicated my life to these pursuits. After 18 years as a graphic designer, with 13 of those in
corporate advertising, I realized I wanted to do something different. With an amazing level of support from
church, friends and family I returned to school, finished my degree and earned a teaching certificate in both
Art and Classroom. I went to work for Forest Hills, worked there for 20 years and retired in 2020. Now I pursue
my creative endeavors full time. The summer following my first year of teaching my wife of 28 years passed
away. After 10 years as a single dad, one of my students introduced me to her widowed Aunt. Kristin and I
started dating and were married in 2014 and moved to some acreage near Alto, where I built a studio to
pursue my interests.
This show is something of a retrospective. There are some newer and some older pieces here. People often
ask me, “What kind of art do you do?” I never know quite how to answer. I tend to do a few pieces in one
vein, and then switch to something else. I like to explore both realistic and non-objective work. Most recently I
have been interested in the role of the artist as a recorder of history. Specifically, I have been painting old farm
buildings in the area, before they are gone. I am also considering exploring carved wood sculpture. Much of
my work is intended to be a social commentary.

March 22, 2023 - April 26, 2023

Selected artwork from FH students 7th-12th will be on display throughout the Fine Arts Center. This is a community favorite. You'll be amazed by the talent our students have.

May 4, 2023 - May 12, 2023

The Master Thesis Exhibitions feature the fully-developed work of those students who have completed their graduate studies. These students have spent their time at KCAD broadening both their technical abilities and their understanding of their respective disciplines, and this exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the process, methodology, and passion that went into the compilation of their final thesis projects.

May 17, 2023 - June 15, 2023

Nora Faber was born in Grand Rapids and attended Calvin College where she received her Bachelors degree in Art Education and Psychology.
Nora taught Art for 18 years primarily at WMAAA of Spring Lake, and North Pointe Christian in Grand Rapids. Currently she teaches for ACT- Artists Creating Together, Kendall College, and the 4-Square Homeschool Program in Byron Center. Primarily she is a professional painter renting a downtown studio. As an artist Nora has been in Art Prize for 6 years, winning an award for Best of Calvin Alumni in ArtPrize 2015 with her painting Heavenly Choir now donated to Madison Church at the Square where she enjoys worshiping.
Nora’s process of painting is layered. She adds acrylic mixes, matte medium, salt and sand to provide a texture of foundation to her Clay Board. When these layers dry they become a layer for her revelatory rubbing technique of oils. She also etches into the clay or removes areas of paint to create more depth, often using a detail brush to add more detail to finish her renderings.

June 20, 2023 - July 21, 2023

Charles is a Michigan native who has drawn inspiration from his travels outside the Great Lakes State, but who relishes the forms and colors of his home state.
He moved from his home town of South Haven to Grand Rapids to attend the then- called Kendall School of Design, as an Illustration major. He has made this city his base ever since.
Charles did freelance illustration and worked in advertising design and layout as well as commissioned pictorial work for a time, but after the painting bug decisively bit him, he turned to what gave him joy: fine arts painting.
He had been an active member of several local and regional art organizations, and in the stable of artists in many galleries over the years.

Charles took a three- month sabbatical to Paris and surrounding areas of France before graduating from Kendall. That immersive experience-- steeped daily in world class artwork-- served to shape his vision, hone his painterly instincts, and provide a marvelous unofficial art education.

He has participated in a vast number of art exhibitions; solo and group; invitationals; as a guest or featured artist, and has been involved in fundraising through his artwork.

Charles has served as an art organization board member, been a contract art teacher, run classes and workshops, done demonstrations and presentations, and other public services.

He has a keen interest in visual perception and enjoys sharing what he has learned about the nexus between art, artists, and the science of visual perception.
Charles has work in private, corporate, and public collections, both domestically and abroad. Giclees of his paintings are installed in a growing number of clinics, hospitals, and therapy centers.

This art exhibition at the beautiful Forest Hills Fine Arts Center has been a dream for him.