Riverbank Arts to open 'Rust & Resonance' exhibition with live letterpress printing experience on April 11

The University of Michigan-Flint's Riverbank Arts will present "Rust & Resonance," a new exhibition exploring the intersection of industrial legacy and contemporary creative practice. It will be on display from April 11 to May 9.

Through a wide range of media-including printmaking, found object assemblage, video, paint, and mixed media-the show will highlight how artists reclaim industrial materials to create works that are both reflective and forward-looking.

According to Janet McCoy, UM-Flint's Artist in Residence and one of the exhibition's featured artists, "Rust & Resonance" will challenge the dominant narrative of Flint as a symbol of post-industrial decline and will instead position the city as a vibrant site of cultural resilience and artistic ingenuity.

"I often reflect on the fact that Flint has a rich legacy of people making things with their hands and that artists are not much different than any other skilled tradesperson on some level," McCoy said. "Art making is work, and often it is physical, dirty work. 'Rust & Resonance' makes these connections and encourages students to engage with creation, deterioration and renewal ideas."

Among the techniques that will be displayed, letterpress emerges as both a historical reference and a contemporary tool, revived by artists to imprint new meaning onto salvaged forms. Featuring works by invited artists, community submissions, and student contributors across print and video, the exhibition will reflect a wide-reaching dialogue between Flint's creative past and its present spirit of innovation.

"'Rust & Resonance' emerged from a collaborative effort that began with an Arts + the Curriculum Award through the Arts Initiative, awarded to Professor Rebecca Zeiss to support letterpress education, and evolved into a broader exploration of reinvention, conservation and creative reuse," said Erin Evans-Leonard, a master of arts administration student and the curator of the show.

"Curating this exhibition has been central to my ongoing graduate research in the arts administration program at the University of Michigan-Flint. I am examining how industrial artifacts can be transformed into living materials for cultural expression. Working under the guidance of Professor Zeiss, I developed the concept to highlight Flint's industrial legacy and artistic resilience. The process of selecting artists, gathering materials, and shaping the exhibition narrative has deepened my understanding of community-centered curation and affirmed my commitment to supporting spaces where preservation and innovation converge."

The exhibition will open during the Flint Art Walk, 6-9 p.m., April 11, and will feature live jazz performers from UM-Flint's music program, light fare and refreshments, and live letterpress demonstrations, during which a student artist will create custom prints on demand using traditional techniques and antique equipment.