Students surprise film professor with trip to Criterion Closet<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s inspired their own work.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is it,\u201d Potrykus said. \u201cThis is where every filmmaker wants to get, into the Closet.\u201d<\/p>\n To read Wren Franchell\u2019s coverage of the Criterion Closet, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n ArtPrize exhibits behind locked doors amid government shutdown<\/strong><\/p>\n ArtPrize wrapped up in October, with Mark Lewanski taking home the $100,000\u00a0prize<\/a> 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.<\/a><\/p>\n 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\u00a0average<\/a>, 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\u2019s winning piece was only one of multiple locked inside, dampening the final days of the event for many artists.<\/p>\n To read more of Natalie Keveney\u2019s coverage on the exhibit, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kitties go viral as \u2018Grand Rapids guardians\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s unofficial highway guardian. Meanwhile, another cat, Yeti, looks over Van Andel Arena.<\/p>\n Phoebe, better known online as the \u201cS-Curve kitty,\u201d has spent nearly four years observing one of Grand Rapids\u2019 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI happened to see a photo of her on a Grand Valley (information) page because someone was trying to rehouse her,\u201d Barile said. \u201cI saw the photos of her, and I was like, \u2018Oh, that kitty looks kind of crazy, why do I want her?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n From the large windows of Barile\u2019s apartment, Phoebe quickly developed a fascination with the world below.<\/p>\n To read more of Lana Burns\u2019 coverage of the story, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Anonymous students scatter Tree House Zine around campus<\/strong><\/p>\n Stacks of small, handmade booklets have quietly appeared across Grand Valley State University\u2019s Valley Campus \u2014 left in the Kirkhof Center and academic buildings, tucked into unexpected corners.<\/p>\n 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 \u201cYour Vast & Precious Losers,\u201d Tree House Zine began as a personal creative outlet before growing into something larger.<\/p>\n To maintain their anonymity, zine creators asked to remain unnamed in this article.<\/p>\n \u201cThe concept for the zine started in October,\u201d the creators told the Lanthorn. \u201cUs 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n To read Lana Burns\u2019 full Treehouse zine article, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meet campus cat Waffle, \u201cAmerica\u2019s Favorite Pet\u201d quarterfinalist<\/strong><\/p>\n An orange rescue cat with a fluffy neck, a tail nearly as long as her body and the habit of hopping onto her owner\u2019s back is gaining attention beyond its apartment walls.<\/p>\n Waffle, owned by Grand Valley State University student Kendyle Laesch, recently advanced to the quarterfinals of the national \u201cAmerica\u2019s Favorite Pet\u201d contest. Laesch adopted Waffle from the Humane Society of West Michigan after what she described as an instant connection.<\/p>\n \u201cI randomly decided to go look at cats,\u201d Laesch said. \u201cShe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n 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 \u201cdiva\u201d energy.<\/p>\n To read Lana Burns\u2019 full article on Waffle, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Visiting professor Mahsa Alafar explores memory, identity through photography<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The exhibition, titled \u201cHALFWAY THERE,\u201d 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\u2019s understanding of their past.<\/p>\n As described by Alafar, one of the themes she frequently returns to in her work is \u201chow identity is constantly shaped through images.\u201d<\/p>\n Her creative process often begins with a persistent idea that gradually develops into a visual concept.<\/p>\n \u201cMy process usually starts with an obsession, mostly with a thought or what I call a brain itch,\u201d Alafar said. \u201cSometimes a particular material inspires me to make.\u201d<\/p>\n While the installation offers a glimpse into Alafar\u2019s artistic practice, the exhibition also introduces viewers to an artist whose work is closely connected to questions of identity, history and visibility.<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> to read Lana Burns\u2019 full article.<\/p>\n A guide to getting your next tattoo in GR<\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n To read Andy Pertler\u2019s full coverage of these artists, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Films to watch this Women\u2019s History Month<\/strong><\/p>\n In honor of Women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Junior Amelia Giuffre spotlights \u201cAmerican Psycho,\u201d directed by Mary Harron, as one of her favorite films by a woman filmmaker \u2014 one she believes is often misunderstood by audiences. While the film has gained a cult following, Giuffre emphasizes that its message is frequently misinterpreted.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/lanthorn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Courtesy-Olivia-Marsh-e1771173894227-450x600.jpeg\")
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