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Geology Rocks!

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Aug 5, 2021
10:00 am - 4:00 pm (Expired)
Artworks
106 N. Michigan Ave
Big Rapids, MI 49307 (231) 796-2420
Cost: FREE
We’ve got a rockin’ good time ahead in July and August as we open the “Geology Rocks” exhibit in the Batdorff Gallery at Artworks. The exhibit runs July 2 through August 26, featuring Steve Ross’ photographs “Lithoscapes: The Abstract Art of Rock;” samples of native copper, copper harbor conglomerate, Portage Lake volcanics, banded iron and more from the collection of Ferris State University’s emeritus professor of Geology Fred Heck's collection; professional stone sculptor Autumn Bildson’s creations; and drawings by Julie Tyslicky.
Our reception on July 15 at 5 pm will give you an opportunity to meet the artists. The refreshment team is already at work thinking up “on the rocks” drinks and other creative fare.
The oldest records of civilization come to us from stone carvings while layers of rock formations allow Geologists to discover the story of pre-civilized Earth. This exhibit celebrates this wondrous world of rocks, the stories, the inherent beauty as well as the visual harmony that emerges from artists’ interaction with the medium, as they capture the magnificence in the strata and release the figure from the stone.
On July 23 at noon, Steve will host a noon brownbag to give a guided tour of his portion of the exhibit, talking about the geology of the upper peninsula. (This event will be live in the gallery and on Zoom.)
On August 20 at noon Dr. Heck will present a brownbag about how geologists read the history of the earth in rock formations. (This event will be live in the gallery and on Zoom.)
Dr. Heck has also graciously provided several interactive pieces for youngsters, though I fully expect to see adults peeking at sand crystals through the microscope and discovering the mystery of minerals under a UV lamp! And it wouldn’t be Artworks without some rock painting, of course!