Collections of work from 13 Grand Valley State University student artists will fill the walls of a local Grand Rapids gallery this week.

“Patchwork,” will open to the public Friday, April 14, at 200 Ionia Ave SW, in downtown Grand Rapids from 6 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. The gallery is located on the 5th floor, and admission is free.

The exhibition features a collection of work from students who are majoring in studio art with a concentration in illustration. The name represents all of the different artists’ styles and approaches, emphasizing that they are all different and unique, but together form something larger than themselves.

Supervised by professor Durwin Talon, the artists include: Jennifer Abbott, Alice Billin, Jessica Chapman, Bridget Droelle, Donja Gorter, Erin Hickman, Cameron Klingenberg, Jayme Madison, Melissa Murray, Ashley Nash, Taylor Scholtens, Tyler Smith and Corey Sorg. Each artist will be presenting their semester-long works that represent their focus or their experience over their four years at GVSU.

“My favorite (part) is seeing the hard work and cohesive body of work that the students are able to create in a relatively short amount of time,” said Guin Thompson, GVSU professor and coordinator of the illustration program. “I think as artists, we create to share with the world. It is intimidating to subject your work to potential criticism or scrutiny, but without it, you don’t have the chance to make connections, or have an impact with someone else’s life, so be brave.”

The artists will be at the reception to discuss their pieces and sell prints of their work in order to help offset the costs of the show. Students would like attendees to know that parking may be limited and encourage guests to arrive early.

“I think it’s great to support students’ efforts, especially such an enormous effort. There are all kinds of approaches, from traditional storytelling to mural installation, so there’s something for everyone,” Thompson said.