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ADAM FOSTER AND DYLAN GUNNETT ARE THE TEAM BEHIND BEING NICE - BRIAN KELLY | SHOW PHOTO

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Nice is Not a Four-Letter Word

VICTORIA MULLEN | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2011

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ADAM FOSTER AND DYLAN GUNNETT OF NICE GALLERY - BRIAN KELLY

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Attention art lovers and art collectors: Friday, Dec. 16 marks a special milestone for The Nice Gallery. The artist-run gallery, located in the heart of a thriving creative community at 1111 Godfrey Ave. SW, will host its rst major show entitled the 100 Grand Show. The show comprises 100 artists, 100 works of art, at 100 dollars each. Theres no telling precisely what youll nd there as the show is still being curated as I type this, but its safe to say that it will be very, very nice. Entries are being narrowed down to those artists whose work best reects the talent and diversity of the local art community. Established and up-and-coming artists alike are participating. The purpose of this show is to encourage people to start supporting and following local artists, says the gallerys co-owner, curator and all-around nice guy, Dylan Gunnett, 22. We see this as an opportunity to present works of art in a way that is not only accessible to seasoned collectors, but also to someone who has never supported their local arts. Foster and Gunnett hope The Nice Gallery will form the bedrock for a creative hub. Their mission: to nd

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the best local talent and compete nationally and internationally with the big cities. We scout for up-and-coming artists and put them on an even playing eld with those who are established, says co-owner and equally nice guy, Adam Foster, 23. We want to get people excited about collecting art. The plan is to curate one show a month, as well as
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some group shows, including national and international artists to get Grand Rapids on the map like Berlin, New York and San Francisco. Foster and Gunnett also hope artists will become excited about being a part of it -- to go down the path to foster new art love, as Gunnett puts it. He describes life at 1111 Godfrey as a surreal experience, being surrounded by such a positive, creative and unique space. The Nice Gallery has been open seven months. Gunnett and Foster spent a year searching high and low before deciding on the 3,000-square-foot space. We looked at spaces all over Grand Rapids, says Foster. Nothing beats what we have for the price. Theres no way we could afford a space like this in a city like Chicago, adds Gunnett, who spent three years living and working in the Windy City. He attended Columbia College for a year, then worked as a freelance lmmaker and networked for a couple of years before moving back to Grand Rapids.

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ARTS & CULTURE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, DESIGN, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, MEDIA, WEB DESIGN, WEBSITE DESIGN GARFIELD PARK-ALGER HEIGHTS-GRANDVILLE AVE

Using salvaged materials, the two are renovating the space themselves, learning as they go. Friends and relatives help with the tricky stuff like plumbing and electricity. The sink, desks, cabinet and bookshelves came from St. Andrews Middle School before it was demolished last April. Some cool, multi-purpose objects have been scavenged on-site. An old cart original to the building is now used as a coffee table and doubles as a beast of burden. And, of course, Craigslist and area consignment shops such as Minty

Keen yield more cool odds and ends. We didnt know exactly what direction we were going and made it up as we went along, says Foster. What they do know, however, is precisely where they were at 11:11 on 11/11/11. The space doubles as an ofce for their bread-and-butter business, Its Just Nice, which focuses on all aspects of branding, from logo to interior design.

Its a creative collective, says Foster. We connect with local artists for some of the projects. We build relationships with our clients and integrate their business personality to portray it in a new, fresh, creative light in print, photo, video, website and interior design. We build a complete experience -- everything is cohesive. We want to create timeless experiences, not something that will be dated in 50 years, adds Gunnett. Foster and Gunnett met quite by chance, a seemingly random moment, crossing paths at a bike shop (now gone) on Division Ave. Their talents complement each other nicely. Foster is originally from Spring Lake and has worked as a freelance lm editor at Gorilla Pictures in Grand Rapids. He also worked for Dot&Cross before the multimedia company moved out to Los Angeles. Foster lives in Heritage Hill with his wife, Liz, who plans to be an art teacher after graduating from Kendall College of Art & Design. Art courses through Gunnetts veins, possibly in no small part due to being reared by creative parents. His father is local artist, Tim Gunnett, who used to share a space with Michael Peghaar and Rapid Growths Tommy Allen at the former Tanglefoot Studio. Gunnett remembers his mother Sandi, a ne art photographer, minding Reb Robertss gallery, Sanctuary Folk Art at 140 S. Division long before Division was a destination for art. After Dec. 16, the 100 Grand Show will be open by appointment for the following week until Christmas. Originally from Milwaukee, WI, Victoria Mullen has lived in GR long enough to know better. Besides writing articles for RGM, she acts, paints, does lawyerly stuff and is the Research and Media Maven for MP Talent Management Group.
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