Once upon a time, a group of warriors hailing from a community where art and philosophy were considered to be important — if not one of the most important — aspects of daily life, climbed into a giant shape made of wood. They took the creation to the gates of their enemies, who, seeing it as a gift, pulled it into their gates. When the warriors emerged, they shocked their adversaries with a sneak attack .
It was through this act that the Greeks won the war that they had been fighting for over a decade.
The Trojan horses planted on the campuses of GVSU, Hope and Kendall aren’t proclamations of controversy or assertions of undying rivalry. Instead, they are declarations of war — art war, that is!
In an attempt to create a greater number of conversations between West Michigan Colleges’ art departments, a group of students hailing from the Calvin College art department decided that they wanted to be perceived as artists, even though they are not part of an art school. Calvin isn’t known for being highly involved in the art community of Grand Rapids. Perhaps this is because Calvin is seen first as a Christian institution, and not an academic and artistic community. Regardless, Calvin is not as well connected with the other art communities and schools in Grand Rapids, regardless of the talent and skill being harbored in the basement of Spoelhof.
The group’s goal is that their “attack” on the campuses of the other schools will spark a greater amount of conversations within the community, not only about art hailing from Calvin, but among Calvin students, making them a part of that community.
“We want good conversation, artist to artist,” said junior Jenny Swim, member of the Visual Arts Guild (VAG). “The project is declaring art war to these other communities that we want to enter in dialogue with [through] putting the ball in their court and not trying to hide the fact that it was the Calvin College Art Department.”
Constructed out of approximately $100 worth of 2 x 4s as well as “stacks of recycled cardboard,” three horses that stand about five feet high and four feet wide took position on the campus of Kendall, GVSU and Hope College, these schools were selected due to the “start of community and connections” that are “feasible enough to return” within the art community.
But these larger-than-life horses did not appear over night, or did they? Appearing around the campuses of these specifically selected schools, the hope was that Calvin’s art department “was going to put [their] name on the map” through coming up with a movement bold enough “that it spurs people into action,” said Swim.
“It is exciting and thrilling to be riding the adrenaline that is carrying us to the end,” said Swim before the dropping off of the horses. Planning to leave at nightfall on the eve of the 14th, the group of students planned to wear all black and rent a U-Haul to take their horses to the battle-lines.
However, it is not as simple as merely just dropping these horses and leaving as fast as one can without getting caught. These big horses, which need to be assembled last-minute after arriving to the destination, need three people to carry them because they are so big. But these horses will be more than just horses. They will also be symbols of the hope of a new art community; these horses’ bellies will be filled with declarations of art war that will entail an engaging invitation to this conversation of art.
“This has been a long time coming. It started in maybe September and we really wanted to get them out sooner… but things get busier and busier and it came down to just a few of us who were really there for the whole thing,” said Swim. “We have some really dedicated people who aren’t even getting anything out of this but they are doing it anyway.”
“I think that Calvin has a thriving art community. It might be small but we are here and we are interested in community, and not just because we are a Christian school but because we humans do better in community,” said Swim, her eyes glistening with pride.
“We want to be a part of the community and show the value of the voice and we want others to feel like they can enter into the conversation. We just wanted to create an equality of voices like celebrating in each other’s strengths, and do crazy stupid things that we might get in trouble for and still be a part of community at the end of the day.”
-Colleen Keehl
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