When Howard and Roberta Ahmanson took a recent tour of the D.A. Blodgett Home, which reopened this fall after a remarkable $6 million renovation, it didn’t take long for the couple from California to realize the building's bare walls would need furnishing.
And the Ahmansons, already generous patrons of the Inner City Christian Federation, the group that spearheaded the redevelopment project, just so happened to have an extensive collection of fine art locked away in storage. The ICCF's new headquarters, they decided, was the perfect place to let it hang out.
Preservationists are abuzz with talk about the historic restoration of the D.A. Blodgett. The project, several years in the making, now ranks as the most extensive terra cotta reclamation project in the history of Michigan, according to experts. The building's exterior is without doubt a marvel to behold.
But, thanks to the Ahmansons, art lovers will find even more to appreciate inside. Because in addition to housing one of the city's most active nonprofit development firms, the reclaimed D.A. Blodgett will essentially function as a sort of mini museum on Cherry Street.
“This building belongs to the community,” says Jonathan Bradford, executive director of the ICCF. “As its stewards, we hope to enhance other aspects of community life.”
Indeed, elegant street-side gardens are open for rest and relaxation to passers-by. And the upstairs assembly hall is available for local groups to rent at a nominal fee. But perhaps the most unusual contribution will be a regularly rotating art exposition open for all to enjoy.
Communicating in Color
The first exhibition, titled At Home in the World, the Art of William Kurelek, features 34 paintings by one of Canada's more accomplished artists.
Born to Ukrainian immigrants in Saskatchewan in 1927, Kurelek is a self-taught artist who fast became recognized for his unique folk-art style. He used mixed media, watercolor, oil, and acrylic with pencil and pen.
Kurelek depicted Canadian immigrant farming experiences and life as a lumberjack in Alberta and Manitoba. Renowned as a painter of the prairie, his popular work fetches prices equal to that of the works produced by members of the Group of Seven, a highly regarded troupe of painters.
Charles Hill, curator for the National Gallery of Canada, organized an exhibition of Kurelek’s paintings in 1992 to mark the centenary arrival of the first Ukrainians in Canada. “The turning point in Kurelek’s life was his religious awakening and entry into the Roman Catholic Church in 1957," Hill says. "After that, his art began to carry the Christian message and warn humanity of ‘the dark night toward which the present materialism is taking us.’”
The National Gallery of Canada owns 21 of his prints, drawings, and paintings, including The Ukrainian Pioneer, which is composed of six panels. But Kurelek painted more than a thousand works warning of the dangers of godlessness and greed. He also spent time in mental hospitals in England.
The First of Many
In the D.A. Blodgett building, Kurelek's work is displayed prominently on the walls of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors. Many of the chat labels capture the artists own words.
Pieces from his Jesus in the City series are displayed at entry level. A large masterpiece behind the reception area titled Toronto, Toronto depicts the main street in front of old Toronto City Hall teeming with humanity, pedestrians, and vehicle traffic. Jesus stands on the steps calling out to the masses.
Regina Construction Site Christmas shows workers warming their hands over a burn barrel with Madonna and baby inside a construction trailer. In Ottawa Unaware, the Canadian Parliament is lit up in the distance with Baby Jesus reaching out to a homeless sleeper in the wooded night.
Two of his circa 1960s paintings make symbolic social commentary on the world’s unequal distribution of resources. One is a Canadian family at the table wasting food conspicuously. Starving beggars gather up the crumbs in their kitchen. The second work shows a golf course with Indian refugees walking through it as they carry and pull their possessions on rickshaw.
The symbolism in Kurelek’s work provokes thought. He creates the tiniest details. And the exihibit complements the values of the Inner City Christian Federation.
“You cannot have justice without beauty," Jonathan Bradford says. "Beauty is a fundamental part of justice. It enhances our life. It affirms our dignity. When we see things that are visually satisfying, we are hopeful. We are optimistic."
Gregory Wolfe, editor of Image: the Journal of the Arts and Religion, a professor at Seattle University, and a leading authority on William Kurelek will visit Grand Rapids to present a public lecture at 7:30 PM on January 17, 2008. The event formally opens the exhibit, which will run through May 15, 2008. Art is open for viewing Monday through Fridays from 11-4 and on Saturdays from 12-4.
“This art partnership will continue," Bradford says, "but we do not know what is next."
Nancy Davis is an independent writer and artist living in Grand Rapids. She last wrote for Rapid Growth about
Armand Merizon, one of West Michigan's more accomplished artists.
Photographs:
Various paintings by famed Canadian artist William Kurelek on display at ICCF headquarters
Photographs by Brian Kelly - All Rights Reserved