F
erris State University will host the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids at a meeting scheduled
for Thursday, Aug. 16 in the newly-renovated Federal Building located at 17 Pearl
Street, NW in Grand Rapids beginning at 12 p.m.
The meeting will provide Ferris President David Eisler the opportunity to introduce the new president of Kendall College of Art and Design, David Rosen, and showcase the remodeled historic Federal Building for use as part of an expanded Kendall campus in Grand Rapids. Eisler will discuss the new College of Pharmacy Center for Innovative Learning and Research on Grand Rapids’ Medical Mile, its continuing partnership with Grand Rapids Community College and the university’s newly-announced Hispanic/Latino Cultural Center. The president also plans to address the university’s partnership with The Right Place, a Grand Rapids-based economic development organization, and its continuing involvement with ArtPrize, billed as the world’s largest art competition.
The Rotary Club of Grand Rapids became the second Rotary Club in Michigan and the 77th worldwide on March 29, 1913. The club is comprised of more than 300 members dedicated to service locally, regionally and internationally.
The Federal Building, the venue for this event, provides new space for Kendall, one of the largest art and design schools in Michigan, to expand its campus into 91,000 square feet of new classroom, studio and gallery space. The facility’s fourth floor features the Wege Center for Sustainable Design, made possible by a $1 million gift from philanthropist Peter Wege. The new educational facility enables Kendall to accommodate its growing student enrollment, which has tripled in the past 10 years, and to deepen its presence in West Michigan.
Dedicated in 1911, the Historic Federal Building has throughout its history served as a courthouse, a post office and the Grand Rapids Art Museum. The building is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Federal Building renovation project was made possible through a public-private partnership drawing upon a number of city, county, state and federal resources. The facility features new spaces dedicated to, among other programs, three-dimensional art, ceramics, art history, metal sculpture and sustainable design, in addition to common areas for students and expanded office space for faculty. It also houses substantial space for exhibitions, lectures and other community gatherings.
Due to limited seating, the Aug. 16 Rotary of Grand Rapids luncheon and meeting at the Federal Building is by invitation only.