GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Their love for art can be seen all over the city of Grand Rapids: La Grande Vitesse at Calder Plaza, Motu Viget and Alexis Smith’s “The Grand.”
Miner and Mary Ann Keeler were instrumental in bring those pieces to the city.
Now, 65 more pieces of modern and contemporary art will be given to the Grand Rapids Art Museum from the Keeler Collection. An Extraordinary Legacy: The Miner S. and Mary Ann Keeler Collection will be on display starting May 17 through Oct. 8.
“The Grand Rapids Art Museum is thrilled to celebrate the profound impact of Miner and Mary Ann Keeler on the Museum, and on the city of Grand Rapids, with An Extraordinary Legacy,” GRAM advancement director Elly Barnette-Dawson said. “From its inception, the Museum’s permanent collection has grown primarily through the generosity of individual donors. This dynamic gift from the Keelers ensures our community has access to these cherished works of art for generations to come.”
The exhibit will feature 65 pieces made up of paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints. It highlights artistic leaders who became prominent between 1940 and 1990 including Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, Diego Rivera, Alexander Calder, Robert Rauschenberg, Louise Nevelson, Mark di Suvero, Andy Warhol, Janet Fish and Alexis Smith.
Picasso, Tete: Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973).Tete d’Homme, 1969. Oil paint, watercolor, and pastel onpaper, 25 ¾ x 20 inches. Grand Rapids Art Museum, Gift of Miner S. and Mary Ann Keeler,2020.52© 2022 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists RightsSociety (ARS), New York 
Calder, white: Alexander Calder (American, 1898–1976).White Spearhead, 1963. Painted sheet metal andwire, 40 x 65 inches. Grand Rapids Art Museum, Gift of Miner S. and Mary Ann Keeler, 2021.24© 2022 Calder Foundation, New York / Artists RightsSociety (ARS), New York 
Gottlieb, Oriental: Adolph Gottlieb (American, 1903–1974).Oriental, 1965. Oil on canvas, 30 x 24 inches. GrandRapids Art Museum, Gift of Miner S. and Mary Ann Keeler, 2021.32© 2022 Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY 
Miro, L’Anneau: Joan Miró (Spanish, 1893–1983).L’Anneau du Crepescule, 1965-66. Lithograph on paper, 35 ¼ x24 inches. Grand Rapids Art Museum, Gift of Miner S. and Mary Ann Keeler, 2021.43© Successió Miró / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris 2022
“As cultural and philanthropic leaders, the Keelers’ impact has been highly visible in public art for over five decades, however their personal collecting is lesser known. In gathering the paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints that they bought and lived with in their mid-century modern home, An Extraordinary Legacy reveals the Keelers’ dramatic range of aesthetic interests and a sustained engagement with the evolving ideas which shaped 20th century art,” GRAM Director and CEO Dana Friis-Hansen said. “Their gift is a transformative addition to the Museum’s collection.”
Learn more about the Keeler’s art gift and access to the museum, here.
