GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) has announced that it will host the exhibit An Extraordinary Legacy: The Miner S. and Mary Ann Keeler Collection. The exhibit is scheduled to open on May 17.
The exhibit will feature art from the Keeler Collection, which was collected between 1976-2021. It will feature 65 works of art, including: paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints. The exhibit includes work from: Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Diego Rivera, Alexander Calder, Robert Rauschenberg, Louise Nevelson, Mark di Suvero, Andy Warhol, Janet Fish, and Alexis Smith. The exhibit will be divided into three sections: “Sculpture and Sculptors’ Works on Paper”, “European Modern Masters”, and “American Art: From Representation to Abstraction (and Back Again)”.
The Keelers were instrumental in bringing many notable art pieces to Grand Rapids. This includes Calder’s La Grande Vitesse and di Suvero’s Motu Viget sculptures in downtown Grand Rapids. They also worked to bring Smith’s The Grand to DeVos Hall.
“The Grand Rapids Art Museum is thrilled to celebrate the profound impact of Miner and Mary Ann Keeler on the museum and on the city of Grand Rapids, with An Extraordinary Legacy,” said Elly Barnette-Dawson, GRAM Advancement Director. “From its inception, the Museum’s permanent collection has grown primarily through the generosity of individual donors. This dynamic gift from the Keelers ensures our community has access to these cherished works of art for generations to come.”
“As cultural and philanthropic leaders, the Keelers’ impact has been highly visible in public art for over five decades, however their personal collecting is lesser known,” said Dana Friis-Hansen, GRAM Director and CEO. “In gathering the paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints that they bought and lived with in their mid-century home, An Extraordinary Legacy reveals the Keelers’ dramatic range of aesthetic interests and a sustained engagement with the evolving ideas which shaped 20th century art. Their gift is a transformative addition to the museum’s collection.”
An Extraordinary Legacy will be shown at the museum from May 17-October 8.
