About Us | Grand Valley Artists

Grand Valley Artists has moved from 1695 Service Road NE to 2661 29th Street SE, Suite B, Grand Rapids, MI 49512. GVA was founded in 1957 and is one of the oldest art groups in the Midwest and the oldest in Michigan. Not happy with the then-popular modern art focus of the local art community, Bill Kubiak, Armand Merizon, and Carl Forslund decided to start a group to focus instead on Realism and traditional art. GVA has grown to be a place where artists of all levels and media are welcome to meet, discuss, learn, and grow. Over the years, we've come to embrace all styles, from representational to abstract to non-representational art in all its forms.

See the calendar on this website to learn about the many opportunities available, including weekly still life, portrait, plein air and figurative studio sessions, monthly critique, monthly program, and monthly photography gathering.

Guests
Guests are welcome to attend a sketch session or two without joining GVA. The cost for non-members is $5 extra per session. After attending a few sessions, we know you will want to join us! If you'd like to learn more about our organization from one of the current members, we will be happy to talk with you. We've provided our emails below.

Our studio is located at 2661 29th Street SE, Suite B, Grand Rapids, MI 49512.

Models
Would you like to model for our figure drawing or portrait groups? If so, please contact Kathleen Bechtel at kathleen.bechtel@yahoo.com or Joanne Swann at joswann@sbcglobal.net or Marty Klar at martyklar@comcast.net.

Grand Valley Artists proudly display their work at:

Trinity United Methodist Church
1100 Lake Drive SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506

If you are interested in showing your work at the church, members contact Sara Youngman at sycre8@gmail.com.

Bliss & Vinegar

888 Forest Hills Avenue SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

To display your work at B&V, members need to load examples of their work to the gallery on this website. The owners will contact you through Marty Klar if they think your work would work well in their space.

Englehardt Library

You'll also find us at the Englehardt Branch of the Kent County Library in Lowell, MI. Members can contact Sara Youngman at sycre8@gmail.com to apply.

Biggby Coffee

Family-friendly artwork is featured at selected locations. Contact Steve Scarborough at stevescarb1@yahoo.com for details.

Our 2022 Leadership

President: Dana Donnell (DanaBDonnell@gmail.com)

Vice President: Diane Haworth (dhaworth623@gmail.com) Interim

Treasurer: Julia Berry (berry.julia@gmail.com)

Secretary: Robyn Gransow (rgransow@gmail.com) Interim

Membership: Mary Baine (marymbaine@gmail.com)

Photography: Randy Nyhof (r.nyhof@comcast.net)

Program: Terri Hanna (tlhanna0807@gmail.com)

Publicity: Position open

Communications: Position open (Newsletter: JoAnne Gritter w/ Mary Helmic; Interim Website: Mary Baine; Interim MailChimp: Mary Baine)

Fundraising: Position open

Sketch Studio: Kathy Bechtel, Jim Johnson, Todd Darling, Diane Haworth, Marty Klar

Hospitality: Evie Carrier (evie.carrier@gmail.com) and DeLaine Klar (dklar@comcast.net)

Facilities: Marty Klar (martyklar@comcast.net)

Library: Richard Schaf (srichardsally@yahoo.com)

Legacy: Robert Kraai (rkraai@ameritech.net)

GVA Gallery: Jim Johnson (johnsontheartist@hotmail.com)

Outreach: Douglas Klemm (dougklemm@hotmail.com)

Facebook: Mary Baine (marymbaine@gmail.com)

Instagram: Daniel Gish (gishdesigns@gmail.com)

We can also be contacted by email here: http://grandvalleyartists.com/contact or use the Contact Us tab and choose the appropriate option.

Want to Join or Ready to Renew? Fill out the online form here.

Choose a casino app that allows you to play games for real money - https://casinoappsonline.com/. Usually, these apps offer the same account management features as the browser-based version. They may have fewer games, but they provide a one-click sign-in process and increased stability. You can download these apps for free, so make sure to check for updates before downloading. Once downloaded, you can play as much as you like. You can even add them to your home screen.