09/26/2020
This post may come as late news to some, but as of July 2020, Bend Gallery closed its doors and packed up, as we relocated to Chicago in pursuit of higher education. I want to express my immense gratitude for the support, excitement, and engagement you all provided for this space for the past 3.5 years. It wouldn’t have been what it was without all of you, the artists, the community members, the other businesses in the Heartside neighborhood, etc! When Gina and I opened this space in 2017 we weren’t entirely sure what its outcome would be - what we ended up seeing was a community that banded together for local art engagement. Thank you for allowing us that! As for what’s next - I am currently pursuing an MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, but hope to open another reiteration of our beloved space from Grand Rapids in the coming years, if the community would benefit from it here. Before we do that, we are taking some time to think long and hard about how we can create a space that is more inclusive, welcoming, and relevant to the most important and pressing issues today. Stay tuned for pop-up exhibition calls for entry, and print exchanges in the near future! And my apologies for the delay in this PSA! A lot gets swept up when you move in a pandemic! Thank you, thank you, thank you. All the best, Maddie May ❤️
