Artworks’ Exhibitions & Programming is at the heart of what we do. Our exhibitions and programs provide opportunities to encounter, engage with, and come together over the arts and humanities.

If you’ve attended an exhibition, participated in a workshop, taught a class, or simply walked through our doors, you’re part of what makes everything Artworks does possible. And if you haven’t, there’s always room for you here. We invite you to discover what Artworks has to offer.

Here are just some of the ways Artworks creates opportunities to encounter, engage with, and come together over the arts and humanities.

BEFORE ARTWORKS

Since as early as the 1970s, our founding organizations held a truth that guides our mission today: the arts and humanities are for everyone.

That meant finding new ways to bring creative experiences to people across our corner of Michigan. From events like the annual Springtime in Paris arts festival to hosting the statewide Artrain travelling exhibit, our predecessors found a variety of ways to bring the arts and humanities to our community.

When Artworks opened its doors in the year 2000, that same spirit came with it.

Having a physical space took us from promoting the arts and humanities to giving them a home in the heart of Big Rapids.

ENCOUNTERING ART: EXHIBITIONS

One of the most recognizable ways we provide that home is through our exhibitions.

Starting in 2000, Artworks began a long line of exhibitions that invite our community to interpret, discuss, and appreciate art.

Every one of Artworks’ exhibitions and opening receptions is free and open to the public. Each invites members of our community to explore the work of artists both nationally renowned and locally recognized.

Some exhibitions show the work of a single artist:

Other exhibitions bring big conversations to our region by bringing together the work of many artists.

These encourage our community to engage in topics both serious and whimsical:

Each year, Artworks introduces a new theme that ties its exhibitions together. But even as those themes change, some exhibitions have become annual traditions at Artworks.

One of them is our annual Year in Review exhibition: every January, Artworks remembers the exhibitions of the previous year.

Throughout that month, we surround the Batdorff Gallery with a showcase honoring the artists, programs, and partnerships that shaped our creative community that year.

It’s a chance to reflect on a year’s worth of creativity, all in one exhibition - before we move on to explore a new exhibition theme, new programs, and new memories in the months to come.

ENGAGING IN ART: CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, & OPEN STUDIOS

At Artworks, the creative process doesn’t end when a work reaches the gallery wall.

In addition to a permanent gallery, Artworks contains a studio space that supports a wide array of artistic media. Here, local artists can share their craft with the public through classes and workshops.

Past workshops have featured stained glass, watercolor, basket weaving, pottery, drawing, woodcraft, and more. Classes and workshops are open to the public – and Artworks members receive a discount on registration fees for entering those classes.

But the learning doesn’t end there. Participants who prefer less structure can continue honing their skills at Open Studio nights.

Open Studio nights are a community rather than a class. Beginners and experts alike can come and go as they please, working at their own pace in a shared, welcoming environment. Currently, Artworks offers two Open Studios: the kiln fires up for Open Studio Pottery on Tuesday nights, followed by our newest addition of Open Studio Collage on Thursdays.

We look forward to expanding our Open Studio offerings. Keep an eye out for more opportunities to create together on our website and social media.