Last evening I had the pleasure of attending the Member Opening for theRichard Avedon exhibit at the Grand Rapids Art Museum.  Nigel Barker- (a judge on America's Next Top Model and Photographer) delivered a very insightful lecture about the life and work of Avedon, who was a mentor and inspiration for Barker.

The exhibit was sponsored by the generous patrons who have put Grand Rapids on the map with other cultural events, and GR was out in force.  The exhibit runs through January 4, 2009 and features 80 amazing photos of the famous and the unknown. 

Daughter Kirstin is a volunteer at GRAM and had a Peace Corps friend in town for a visit. So Jon and I attended while Kirstin tended to her duties.  Here's Kirstin (in the black dress) tending to the crowd waiting to meet Mr. Barker.

I'd not been to an Art Museum opening before.  It was a nice event.  I ran into many more people that I knew that I suspected I might and it had quite an excited feel to it.

The photos are amazing!  With very neutral backgrounds that make the photos about the subject rather than the location, he manages to really capture the essence of his subjects.  Even if you think you're not familiar with Avedon's work, if you click on the link at his name, I'm sure that you'll recognize many of his very famous, groundbreaking photos.

What a cool thing to have a treasure like GRAM here. It's a LEED certified building-the first museuem to boast that in the world.  They are bringing in world class exhibits and really making a wonderful contribution to the quality of life in West Michigan. 

If you find yourself within driving distance of Grand Rapids, you will want to make a point to visit this exhibit.  Call me if you come to town, we could have coffee and I could give you "THE GRAND TOUR".

Grand Rapids, what a great place to call home!