• After two-year hiatus due to pandemic restrictions, KCAD presents a wide-ranging showcase of noted work by 2022 graduates
• Record attendance expected at Grand Rapids magnet for emerging leaders in design and visual arts, representing the depth and breadth of student experience in KCAD studios, labs and classrooms

Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) has announced details of its much-anticipated Annual Undergraduate Student Exhibitions, which take place in early May at the school’s busy campus in downtown Grand Rapids. After a two-year hiatus due to pandemic safeguards, the Annual Student Exhibitions will transform the campus into a massive gallery, on full display to the public, encompassing the exceptional creative work of graduating seniors from across the college's broad array of academic programs. 

Created to elevate KCAD graduates and showcase their work to the region and world, the Annual Student Exhibitions represent the culmination of student experience, drawing from the depth and breadth of learning that happens in the nationally recognized school’s studios, labs, and classrooms, according to Michele Bosak, Director of Curatorial for KCAD.

“These exhibitions offer a platform for our talented graduates and a window for the public,” says Bosak, who curated and planned the wide-ranging shows. “For that reason, we welcome potential employers who come to explore and recruit creative talent, as well as prospective students and their families, who have an unparalleled opportunity to learn more about what a KCAD education offers and why our graduates find successful, impactful careers after graduating.” 

With an online exhibition that will complement the on-campus showcases, the Annual Student Exhibitions present hundreds of works of art, design and scholarship in varied media and formats. The busy program calendar kicks off on Tuesday, May 3rd at 4pm with an opening reception for both the Undergraduate Senior Exhibition – focused on the graduating class of 2022 – and the Excellence Awards Exhibition, spotlighting those graduates “who have achieved a rare level of mastery in their chosen disciplines.” Both the Undergraduate Senior Exhibition and the Excellence Awards Exhibition are on public display starting at 4pm on Tuesday, May 3, and remain on display through Saturday, May 7.

The works of art and design are all available for purchase. Purchased artwork will be available for pick up beginning Sunday, May 9.

As an alternate option for those who are unable to join in person, KCAD offers an Online Exhibition that encompasses all the end-of-year exhibitions and draws significant traffic among students, family, friends, alumni and prospective students. It is found at kcad2022.org beginning Tuesday, May 3 at 4pm.

Beginning earlier this year, KCAD has also debuted the Master Thesis Exhibitions, a four-part show included also in the end-of-year Online Exhibition, featuring the fully developed works of students who completed their graduate studies. “These students have broadened both their technical abilities and their understanding of their respective disciplines at KCAD, and this exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the processes, methodologies and pure passion that went into the compilation of their final thesis projects,” says Bosak. 

“These exhibitions remind us that students are at the heart of all we do here at KCAD,” says Tara McCrackin, President of KCAD. “They emerge as highly valued and sought-after creative leaders, thanks to the versatility, empathy, and problem-solving skills they embody that are so vital to creating a better future for us all.”                                                                                                          ###

Note to members of the press: A media preview is offered May 2 from 12:00–2:00pm at 17 Fountain St. NW in Grand Rapids. Contact  C.C. Sullivan to RSVP and arrange interviews and imagery. Digital invitation is found at this link.

About KCAD
Located in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD) is committed to creating lasting impact in West Michigan and beyond through collaborative partnerships, cultural innovation, and an educational model that prepares students for leadership in design, the visual arts, and art history; provides innovative, collaborative education that fosters intellectual growth and individual creativity; and promotes the ethical and civic responsibilities of artists and designers, locally and globally. For more information, please visit kcad.edu.