Arts & Entertainment Year in Review 2025-26 – Grand Valley Lanthorn

Students surprise film professor with trip to Criterion Closet

At the end of the 2024-2025 school year, film students at Grand Valley State University thanked their professor with a trip to the Criterion Closet.

Students surprised Associate Professor Joel Potrykus with a trip to the Closet, located in New York. The Criterion Closet is a physical collection of films, contained in the main office of the Criterion Collection, a company focused on film preservation and appreciation. The company, through its web series, invites filmmakers and celebrities to explore the vast collection, share their favorites and showcase what’s inspired their own work.

“This is it,” Potrykus said. “This is where every filmmaker wants to get, into the Closet.”

To read Wren Franchell’s coverage of the Criterion Closet, click here.

ArtPrize exhibits behind locked doors amid government shutdown

ArtPrize wrapped up in October, with Mark Lewanski taking home the $100,000 prize for his glass sculpture Arras: a 10-by-4-foot woven glass tapestry. Despite the win, since the government shutdown impacted many federal organizations, festivalgoers who wanted to see the work were only able to see a small sample of the winning piece. In fact, nobody, including Lewanski himself, was able to view the sculpture in its entirety for a period of time, during which it was displayed inside the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

The Ford Museum is one of many businesses and organizations that ceased operations during the government shutdown, directly affecting artists and creative enthusiasts of ArtPrize. 38 artists were forced to move or leave their artwork inside the museum. On average, ArtPrize welcomes over 800,000 visitors a year across all weekends. With the Ford Museum and other venues being closed, it is unclear how the shutdown affected numbers this year. Lewanski’s winning piece was only one of multiple locked inside, dampening the final days of the event for many artists.

To read more of Natalie Keveney’s coverage on the exhibit, click here.

Kitties go viral as ‘Grand Rapids guardians’

Two downtown cats have gained the online attention of Grand Valley State University students and Grand Rapids locals for watching traffic and crowds from apartment windows.

They do not wear uniforms or direct traffic, but their presence has drawn attention from thousands of viewers online who pass beneath them every day. From a high-rise apartment overlooking the infamous S-Curve, Phoebe has taken on an unexpected role as the city’s unofficial highway guardian. Meanwhile, another cat, Yeti, looks over Van Andel Arena.

Phoebe, better known online as the “S-Curve kitty,” has spent nearly four years observing one of Grand Rapids’ most unpredictable stretches of highway. Her owner, Aubrey Barile, adopted the cat while she was a GVSU student, after spotting a social media post looking to rehouse the kitty.

“I happened to see a photo of her on a Grand Valley (information) page because someone was trying to rehouse her,” Barile said. “I saw the photos of her, and I was like, ‘Oh, that kitty looks kind of crazy, why do I want her?’”

From the large windows of Barile’s apartment, Phoebe quickly developed a fascination with the world below.

To read more of Lana Burns’ coverage of the story, click here.

Anonymous students scatter Tree House Zine around campus

Stacks of small, handmade booklets have quietly appeared across Grand Valley State University’s Valley Campus — left in the Kirkhof Center and academic buildings, tucked into unexpected corners.

The booklets are Tree House Zine, an anonymous, student-created publication designed to give creatives a place to be heard without judgment. Created by a small team of student writers and artists who operate under the name “Your Vast & Precious Losers,” Tree House Zine began as a personal creative outlet before growing into something larger.

To maintain their anonymity, zine creators asked to remain unnamed in this article.

“The concept for the zine started in October,” the creators told the Lanthorn. “Us co-creators had been desperate to collaborate on something creatively for a while at that point, and a zine seemed like the perfect outlet for that creativity.”

They began working on the first issue in November, which was released in December and combined writing, collage and visual art into a physical, DIY format inspired by underground publishing traditions.

To read Lana Burns’ full Treehouse zine article, click here.

Meet campus cat Waffle, “America’s Favorite Pet” quarterfinalist

An orange rescue cat with a fluffy neck, a tail nearly as long as her body and the habit of hopping onto her owner’s back is gaining attention beyond its apartment walls.

Waffle, owned by Grand Valley State University student Kendyle Laesch, recently advanced to the quarterfinals of the national “America’s Favorite Pet” contest. Laesch adopted Waffle from the Humane Society of West Michigan after what she described as an instant connection.

“I randomly decided to go look at cats,” Laesch said. “She was the first cat I saw. When I walked up to her, she put her paw on the glass. It was like love at first sight.”

Born May 1 and now nearly 10 months old, Waffle is a rare female orange cat. Over the past several months, Laesch has watched her personality develop into what she calls “diva” energy.

To read Lana Burns’ full article on Waffle, click here.

Visiting professor Mahsa Alafar explores memory, identity through photography

Soft fabric panels printed with faded childhood photographs hang throughout 106 Gallery in downtown Grand Rapids, forming an installation that feels intimate and expansive. Visitors move between the suspended images as if walking through fragments of memory.

The exhibition, titled “HALFWAY THERE,” is the work of Grand Valley State University visiting photography professor Mahsa Alafar. The show, on display until March 24, uses family photographs transferred onto fabric to explore how memory, identity and migration shape one’s understanding of their past.

As described by Alafar, one of the themes she frequently returns to in her work is “how identity is constantly shaped through images.”

Her creative process often begins with a persistent idea that gradually develops into a visual concept.

“My process usually starts with an obsession, mostly with a thought or what I call a brain itch,” Alafar said. “Sometimes a particular material inspires me to make.”

While the installation offers a glimpse into Alafar’s artistic practice, the exhibition also introduces viewers to an artist whose work is closely connected to questions of identity, history and visibility.

Click here to read Lana Burns’ full article.

A guide to getting your next tattoo in GR

Tattoo culture in Grand Rapids is a thriving art world that continues to grow. Artists are abundant in the area, and each brings their unique styles and perspectives to the craft.

For Grand Valley State University students considering their first tattoo or looking to expand their collection, finding the right artist and understanding their work are important steps. Five tattoo artists working in and around the Grand Rapids area have shared their artistic styles, experiences and advice for students considering new ink.

To read Andy Pertler’s full coverage of these artists, click here.

Films to watch this Women’s History Month

In honor of Women’s History Month, Grand Valley State University students are celebrating the contributions of women in art. Specifically, they are reflecting on the resilience of women in cinema as they highlight their favorite films created by women.

As conversations around representation grow, students point to their favorite films directed by women not just as recommendations, but as critical contributions to the art form. These films, they argue, offer distinct perspectives that reshape how stories are told and understood on screen.

Junior Amelia Giuffre spotlights “American Psycho,” directed by Mary Harron, as one of her favorite films by a woman filmmaker — one she believes is often misunderstood by audiences. While the film has gained a cult following, Giuffre emphasizes that its message is frequently misinterpreted.

To read more of Lana Burns’ coverage, click here.

Trans Visibility Concert celebrates community, artistry

The March 25 Trans Visibility Concert brought students together for a night of music, reflection and community, featuring queer indie artist Spencer LaJoye.

Hosted as part of Trans Week of Visibility, the Wednesday event aimed to go beyond celebration and create a space where students could feel seen and supported.

DL McKinney, director of the Rainbow Resource Center, said the gathering was rooted in care for the campus community.

“Trans and gender-expansive people deserve more than tolerance,” McKinney said. “We need to see ourselves alive, well and creating.”

McKinney explained that planning the event was a collaborative effort, applauding the efforts of everyone involved in bringing the vision to life. The shared vision focused on creating an environment where students could connect not only with the music but with each other.

To read Andy Pertler’s full coverage of the event, click here.