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Join us for a group art show, The Art of Awe at Rowster Coffee from February 1- April 19, 2026. Opening is February 1 from 2-5:00pm. The show is curated by Annamarie Buller and Megan Daniels.Call for artists is closing Sunday, January 11 at noon. Link to apply: https://forms.gle/9YR6SYxGogaoK7W5A
Announcement of artist line up on January 18.
Statement about the show
“A hand held before the eye can hide the tallest mountain (1).” This observation by an
18th Century rabbi is a reminder: awe is not scarce, but our attention is. In a world that seems defined by crisis and injustice, this show brings together artists whose work invite us to notice the radiance, fragility, and wonder that is there for everyone to see.
Awe is the feeling that arises when we encounter a challenge to our assumptions.
What causes it may be vast, astronomical, or cataclysmic, but it also lives in small things: the sudden yellowing of a ginkgo leaf; an excited couple, taking each other's hand; a butterfly landing inches from you.
Artists here pay attention, with rigor and tenderness, they astonish with quiet, persistent truth. Their work is an antidote to the all-too-pervasive grief, violence, ecological rupture, and political fracture we experience. Artists here insist that “micro joy is how we survive macro grief (2).” Awe is both refuge and catalyst. The experience of awe loosens the tight grip of our inner monologue, alters our assumptions, and expands our sense of connection to others. It shifts attention from the isolation of self to a shared view of the world. It alters the scale at which we experience ourselves.
We invite you to experience awe not as spectacle but as practice. Witness how the ordinary can become luminous. May these experiences remind you that awe—shared, fleeting, profound—is a way of surviving together.
Sources:
1. “Just as the hand held before the eye can hide the tallest mountain, so the routine of everyday life can keep us from seeing the vast radiance and secret wonders that fill the world.”
The quote is attributed to Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, 1772 – 1810, Ukraine.
2. The Revolutionary Love Project. https://revolutionarylove.org/
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Rowster Coffee, 632 Wealthy St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-5447, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
