Pamela's Story
Just as a watercolor artist adds water to activate paint on paper, artist and facilitator Pamela Alderman initiates participatory art that explores new ways to foster community. Such interactive work prompts layers of healing processes to bring about brief but meaningful experiences for individuals and groups. Year after year, participants respond to the transformative power within Pamela Alderman's interactive exhibits.
“Your art makes me feel so connected to others. Your work links us all together,” offered one participant, regarding Broken Wings. This art installation deals with school violence by inviting participants to attach a handwritten promise of kindness onto a colorful paper chain comprised of thousands of similar messages.The visual imagery of linked notes increased this viewer's sense of connection with others.
In addition to these interactive installations, Pamela creates custom commissioned art, offering either fine-art paintings or multi-media works that represent a company's core values. Her popular senior care projects incorporate retirement community residents' life stories, resilience, and hope as they engage in an art-making process. Fun team building murals can be developed to fit any budget or location.
Lastly, Pamela's non-profit work, Healing in Arts, offers school workshops, community programs, and other hands-on installations, like Healing in Arts' social justice art. This work powerfully leverages collaborative art to guide people through various life issues like “letting go,” alienation, bullying, school violence, or sex trafficking. As a result, many have experienced release and gained a sense of new beginnings.
Pamela has a very unique gift for connecting deeply with people through her artwork. There is something in her work that is deeply magnetic and brings out the vulnerability in all of us.
See more of Pamela's endorsements…
Would you like to explore possibilities for your own commissioned art or to help bring awareness and healing to your group or community? Contact Pamela.
Pamela's Bio
Selected Solo Exhibitions
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2021
Yellow Ribbon on the Bridge, Eberhard Center, Grand Valley State University; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2019
Cut Short, Village Arts Factory; Canton, Michigan.
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2017
The Scarlet Cord, Manasseh Project #StopThisTraffic Conference, Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2016
The Scarlet Cord, Grand Valley State University; Allendale, Michigan.
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2015
Courage Ablaze, Michigan State University; East Lansing, Michigan; The Scarlet Cord, Acton Institute; Grand Rapids, Michigan; The Scarlet Cord, Roosevelt Row; Phoenix, Arizona; Courage Ablaze, Van Singel Fine Arts Center; Byron Center, Michigan.
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2014
Courage Ablaze, Cornerstone University; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2011
Healing Reflections, Bruce and Mary Leep Gallery; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2010
Healing Reflections, Sky Walk Gallery, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin; Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Selected Group Exhibitions
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2021
Yellow Ribbon, ArtPrize, Veterans Memorial Park; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Voices, The Progress Gallery; Pomona, California.
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2020
Red Jeans Redemption, Azusa Pacific University; Azusa Pacific, California
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2018
Broken Wings, ArtPrize, Grand Rapids Public Museum; Grand Rapids, Michigan (Top 25).
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2017
Let Go, ArtPrize, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel; Grand Rapids, Michigan (Top 25).
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2016
Hometown Hero II, Reflections of Generosity, Pentagon, Washington D.C.; Color Me Orange—Color Me Kind, ArtPrize, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum; Grand Rapids, Michigan (Top 25).
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2015
Hometown Hero, ArtPrize, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel; Grand Rapids, Michigan (Top 20 Finalist and 3rd Place).
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2014
The Scarlet Cord, ArtPrize, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum; Grand Rapids, Michigan (Top 25).
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2013
Wing and a Prayer, ArtPrize, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel; Grand Rapids, Michigan (Top 50); Women's Works, Northwest Area Arts Council; Woodstock, Illinois (First Place Award).
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2012
Courage Ablaze, ArtPrize, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel; Grand Rapids, Michigan (Top 100); Grand Valley State University Women's Center; Allendale, Michigan.
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2011
Braving the Wind, ArtPrize, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel; Grand Rapids, Michigan; 35th National Exhibition; Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Kenosha Public Museum; Kenosha, Wisconsin.
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2010
Woman in Red, ArtPrize, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel; Grand Rapids, Michigan; 110th Philadelphia Water Color Society International Exhibition; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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2009
National Juried Art Exhibition; Hilton Head, South Carolina; ArtPrize, Open Concepts Gallery; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Selected Collaborations
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2021
The Yellow Ribbon Project at SteelCase with [Has Heart]; Athens, Alabama; Yellow Ribbon on the Bridge with Kent County Veterans Services, Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency, [Has Heart], and ArtPrize; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Stories with Youth For Christ and MDV Housing, LLC; Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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2020
Let Go with the Kent County Prosecutor’s Victim Witness Unit; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Yellow Ribbon with Kent County Veteran Services and the veteran community; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Broken Wings No. 7 with Big Rapids Public Schools. Mecosta-Osceola Career Center, and Evergreen Terrace Assisted Living; Big Rapids, Michigan.
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2019
Broken Wings No. 2 with Girls Court of Michigan, 17th Circuit Court Family Division, and PlexiCase Inc; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Broken Wings No. 3, 4, and 5 with Breton Woods Independent Living Facilities; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Wings of Hope with Pine Grove Learning Center; Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Frames Unlimited; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2017
The Scarlet Cord installation with Saugatuck High School students; Saugatuck, Michigan.
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2016
The Scarlet Cord Film with Judge Patricia Gardner; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2015
The Scarlet Cord Film Premiere and Sex Trafficking Panel with Women At Risk International, Grand Rapids Public Museum; Grand Rapids, Michigan; The Scarlet Cord installation with StreetLightUSA; Phoenix, Arizona
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2014
The Scarlet Cord installation with Women At Risk International; Grand Rapids, Michigan; The Scarlet Cord Audio Collage with Shared Hope International; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Selected Curatorial
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2021
Voices, an exhibit of twenty-one veteran artists, hosted by Veterans Memorial Park for ArtPrize, organized by Healing in Arts in collaboration with [Has Heart], Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Selected Teaching Experience
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2021
Co-facilitator with Michigan Veteran Entrepreneur Lab, Seidman College of Business, Grand Valley State University; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2020-21
Workshop facilitator. Kent County Veterans Services; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2017-21
Workshop facilitator. Girls Court of Michigan, 17th Circuit Court Family Division; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2019
Workshop facilitator. Holland Home; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2016
Lyceum instructor. Grand Rapids Museum School; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Selected Presentations
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2021
“Voices,” ArtPrize opening program, Veterans Memorial Park; Grand Rapids, Michigan
“An Artist's Story.” Cornerstone University; Grand Rapids, Michigan. -
2019
“Resilient Wings.” Girls Court of Michigan, 17th Circuit Court Family Division, Kent County Courthouse; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2017
“The Scarlet Cord.” Manasseh Project #StopThisTraffic Conference, Meijer Gardens; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
“Healing in Arts.” Noontime Series, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan. -
2016
“Healing in Arts.” Q Commons, Ladies Literary Club of Calvin College; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
“A Legacy of Hope.” Defense Suicide Prevention Office, Pentagon; Washington D.C.
“Healing in Arts.” International Culture Care, Fuller Theological Seminary; Pasadena, California. -
2015
“Courage Ablaze: The Women and Children of Congo.” Residential College of Arts and Humanities, Michigan State University; East Lansing, Michigan.
“The Scarlet Cord.” Acton Institute; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
“Healing in Arts.” International Culture Care Summit, Cairn University, Langhorne, Pennsylvania. -
2014
“Courage Ablaze.” Grand Rapids Community College; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2013
“Healing Power of Art.” Grand Rapids Public Museum; Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Selected Permanent Collections
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2020
Kent County Courthouse of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2019
Village Arts Factory; Canton, Michigan; The Montessori School of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Holland Home of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Silver Star Apartments of Kalamazoo, Michigan.
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2018
Wolverine Building Group of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Culture Care Inc. of Pasadena, California.
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2016
Warriors Heart of San Antonio, Texas; Bethany Refugee and Immigrant Services, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2015
Hope Network for Autism of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2014
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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2013
D.A. Blodgett and St. John's Home of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Children's Hospital of Boston, Massachusetts.
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2012
Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Illinois.
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2011
American Mission Hospital of Manama, Bahrain; Children's Hospital of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Children's Hospital of St. Paul, Minnesota; Seattle Children's Hospital of Seattle, Washington.
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2010
American Cancer Society Hope Lodge of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Children's Hospital of Denver, Colorado; Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; C.S. Mott Children's Hospital of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Rady Children's Hospital of San Diego, California; Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital of Cleveland, Ohio; The Heart and Vascular Center at Metro Health of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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2009
Helen DeVos Children's Hospital of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
