Humanities Art Center

Current Exhibit /

Inventing the Future:
The Hidden Collections of Kettering University Archives

The exhibit contains materials and artwork that illustrate the development of the University’s unique education platform. Creating the exhibit offered an opportunity for University archivists to closely study history-making innovations at Kettering while also discovering many hidden resources that are now available and cataloged for future use in a variety of programs.

The Humanities Art Center

The Humanities Art Center and Gallery features multiple world-class exhibits and collections that exemplify the craftsmanship of local and national artists every year. A variety of media are represented including paintings, photographs, sculpture and ceramics. The center also holds a permanent collection of over 500 pieces.

Visiting The Art Center

The Humanities Art Center is located on the 4th Floor of the Academic Building and is open to the Kettering community and public visitors. 

Hours

By Appointment

To schedule a visit to the Humanities Art Center, contact:

Melanie Bazil
Curator of Special Collections
Phone: (810) 762-9690 or text (810) 255-0022
mbazil@kettering.edu

Past Exhibits

Create It: Nature Sculptural Arts

This creative exhibition focused on the natural environment and the dynamic ways Kettering students portray two/three dimensional works of art using STEAM concepts. Our distinguished judge was Megan McAdow, Director of Collections and Education at the Ruth Mott Foundation and remarks were made by Dr. Laura Vosejpka, former Dean of the College of Sciences and Liberal Arts.

The Art of Poetry

The Art of Poetry

This poetic exhibition featured more than 40 poems by Kettering students. Each poem was enlarged and is displayed on the walls of the art center and features observations on subjects such as life, love and nature. This is a very special exhibition that illustrates the inner world and thought process of our Kettering students. 

View highlights from the collection
Water, Land and Sky by Carolyn Damstra

Water, Land and Sky by Carolyn Damstra

Carolyn Damstra is an artist obsessed with exploring the possibilities of how paint and brush intermingle with the distilled memories of her experiences in nature. She conveys the positive, natural energies of the world and inspires emotions of beauty and joy. Her artwork is indulgent, unapologetic and embraces the pleasures of visual beauty we are immersed in on this planet.

View highlights from the collection
Identity and Image: Art of the African Diaspora from the Mott-Warsh Collection

Identity and Image: Art of the African Diaspora from the Mott-Warsh Collection 

The exhibition featured artists of African heritage working in varied media and stylistic approaches, these internationally renowned artists examine issues of racial and cultural identity, history, and social and political concerns. 

View highlights from the exhibit
Cool Clay by Guy Adamec

Cool Clay by Guy Adamec

“My view on making ‘art’ over the years has slowly evolved into something that is finally becoming clear," Adamec said. "As an emerging artist, one is frequently told that fame and fortune is the goal; showing in reputable galleries, shows in big cities, knowing all the right people and dealers. Now, although I hold nothing against successful galleries and dealers, and still use them, I find that the ‘fame and fortune’ part to be the least important factor. Rather, time alone in the studio when ones intuition is in control; that is the moment that we (artists) live for. If one masters his craft and knows in his heart he has done his best, then something good will happen,” Guy Adamec, creator of the Cool Clay exhibit.

View highlights from the exhibit
Far Out by James Douglas Draper '69

Far Out by James Douglas Draper '69

James Douglas Draper ‘69 unveiled his latest creative watercolor exhibit at the Humanities Art Center on May 15, 2015. Draper graduated from Kettering University with a degree in Industrial Engineering. He worked for General Motors until he retired in the early 2000s after which he began experimenting with his own painting technique. 

View highlights from the collection
Genesis: The Origins of an Idea by Michael Dunbar

Genesis: The Origins of an Idea by Michael Dunbar

An artist’s creative process is often a personal journey that is hidden from the public until the finished product can be produced. The origins of their ideas are unknown to all but the artists themselves and we are left to wonder what sparked such ingenuity. Kettering’s Humanities Art Center asked Dunbar for access to the posters, 3-D sketches and miniature bronze sculptures which show the genesis of his artistic vision for his Machinist Series, which culminated in the Orbits of Isaac which now rests at the entrance to the Campus Center.

Read Story
Straight Lines: The At of Draftsmanship by Christopher Watson and Matt Malott

Straight Lines: The At of Draftsmanship by Christopher Watson and Matt Malott

This exhibit featured selected pieces from Matthew Malott ‘00 and Christopher Watson Malott, an environmental engineer with Delphi, received a master’s degree in Manufacturing Management from Kettering University. Malott’s primary media include pencil (graphite) and watercolor. His subjects are precisely drawn from nature and natural settings with hard edge lines seen throughout his artwork. They range from beautiful settings on Mackinac Island and Lake Superior to the intricate detail of the Great Lakes Tall Ships or Detroit and Chicago cityscapes. 

Read Story