There is a touch of sadness when an artist leaves a city. It's a reality Grand Rapids is coming to terms with more and more these days as artists take control of their destinies in exciting new ways.
For many, this might trigger the natural reaction along the lines of "What will it take to keep (insert any artist name) in our city?" The answer is equally diverse and almost always not what we had expected. In short, brain circulation is the new brain drain …and that is a good thing for our city.
The latest to exit the area on an exciting journey is an artist I met first via an art event I hosted in Creston. When Salvador Jiménez-Flores and I first met, I was taken aback by his quiet style but, as the saying goes, still waters run deep and over the years and with each opening of his work, I would become a bigger fan.
Some of his most memorable art pieces have been appearing in spaces like the artist-in-residence Creativity Revealed Series at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts and the recent acquisition of the artist's work to the permanent collection at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.
Jiménez-Flores has made his impression (literally) not just in the clay works he has created, but also within the hearts of so many art lovers of our city. Before he departs for his artist-in-resident position at the Office of the Arts at Harvard University's Harvard Ceramics Studio, you will have one last opportunity to see his work and possibly (nudge, nudge) add a piece from the exhibition at the Craft House gallery, located across the street from Rockwell's/Republic on S. Division Avenue, to your collection.
Admission: Free (to purchase.)
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