Artistry worn will be highlighted at the Hope College Kruizenga Art Museum as it features the latest spring and summer fashion alongside its ongoing exhibition of work from the college’s Permanent Collection on Tuesday-Saturday, April 25-29.

The second annual “Spring Collections Reveal” will feature fully styled mannequins featuring women’s clothing from five independent stores in Holland:  Ditto Upscale Resale, Frances Jaye, Spring Sweet, Studio K and Threads on 8th.  The retailers who have chosen to participate are working with the museum staff to identify pieces in the museum’s current exhibition, “Gospel Stories: Otto Dix and Sadao Watanabe,” that will best complement the clothing they will display, whether by color, texture, pattern or theme.

In addition to running during the museum’s regular hours, Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the week coincides with the museum’s monthly, community-focused “After Hours” event on Thursday, April 27, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.  The public is invited to the museum, and admission is free.

Labels during the week will explain the placement of placement of each mannequin and its relationship to the artwork nearby, complementing the descriptions of the artwork displayed, and will also provide information about the host store.  The “After Hours” event on April 27 will also provide an opportunity to mingle with store owners, light snacks and a craft activity.

The exhibition “Gospel Stories: Otto Dix and Sadao Watanabe” showcases the work of two important 20th century artists who were inspired to engage deeply with the Christian faith as a result of their experiences in Germany and Japan respectively during World War II and its aftermath.  Represented by 31 prints created in 1960 to illustrate the Gospel of Matthew, Dix brings out the contemporary relevance of the Gospel stories by including references to modern dress, hairstyles and architecture. By contrast, the 16 Watanabe prints in the exhibition, dating from the 1960s and 1970s, portray stories from all the Gospels in a cheerful, folksy style reflecting the joyful faith that sustained the artist through his many years of struggle.  The exhibition is running from Tuesday, Jan. 10, through Saturday, May 20.

The Kruizenga Art Museum, which opened in September 2015, functions as an educational resource for Hope College and the greater West Michigan community. The museum features two public galleries as well as a classroom and climate-controlled storage space for the 2,000-object permanent collection. It is named in honor of a leadership gift from Dr. Richard and the late Margaret Kruizenga, each of whom graduated from Hope in 1952.

The first “Spring Collections Reveal” was held in April 2016 in conjunction with the exhibition “Past Present East West.”

Additional information about the museum and its programs is available online.

The Kruizenga Art Museum is located at 271 Columbia Ave., between 10th and 13th streets.