Julie Green: The Last Supper

Artist Julie Green (1961 – 2021) spent twenty-two years creating this large-scale art installation by painting images of the final meals on found ceramic plates with cobalt blue mineral paint and then re-firing them in a kiln. This presentation at the Grand Rapids Art Museum will mark only the second time all the plates created by Green will be exhibited together. A selection from The Last Supper was exhibited during ArtPrize 2015 at Kendall College of Art and Design, where it was shortlisted for the 3D Juried Prize. 

The Last Supper encourages viewers to consider the U.S. prison system and the way we think about those who are within it. By linking us together through our basic need for food and our rituals associated with it, Green sparks a human connection and opens our hearts and minds to individuals in our society who are often disregarded and forgotten. 

“A final meal request humanizes death row for me. Selections provide clues on region, race, and economic background. A family history becomes apparent when Indiana Department of Corrections ads, ​‘he told us he never had a birthday cake, so we ordered a birthday cake for him.’” –Julie Green 

This exhibition is part of three of solo presentations at GRAM that showcase how creativity gives us a sense of purpose, cultivates resiliency, and reminds us of our shared humanity. It centers on the art of three artists whose practices demonstrate the value of creativity informed by experiences of the justice system.

Wege Foundation

Eenhoorn, LLC.

National Endowment for the Arts

James and Mary Nelson 

Haworth Helps

Dirk and June Hoffius 

Progressive Companies 

Jeffery Roberts Design

Additional support provided by GRAM Exhibition Society