Largest ever retrospective of prints by David Hockney coming to GRAM

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., April 21, 2025 — The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) is thrilled to present David Hockney: Perspective Should Be Reversed, Prints from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, on view May 31 through Nov. 2, 2025. 
 
The largest survey of prints in David Hockney’s sixty-year career, and the first time the artist’s works will be exhibited in Grand Rapids, this traveling exhibition features over 160 works in a variety of media — including drawings, collages, photographic works, and iPad sketches — drawn from the collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation in Portland, Oregon. 
 
​“To many, David Hockney is the most important artist working today. His images take us on a journey through country roads and gardens and let us view his exploration of perspective. More than any other artist, he has used technology to create art,” said ARTnews Top 200 Collector Jordan Schnitzer. ​“Whether it was Xerox prints, Polaroid photographs, or on the iPad, Hockney’s eye and hand create some of the most intriguing and beautiful art ever made!”
 
Visitors to the exhibition will experience the subjects and series that have come to define the celebrated artist’s international fame, such as his tender and often quirky portrayals of family and friends, Southern California swimming pools, towering panoramas, jumbled studio interiors, and playful theatrical designs.
 
The works on view reflect Hockney’s career-long exploration into new ways of thinking about art, perception, and the visual world, often commingling tradition with technology. Equally skilled as a painter and a printmaker, Hockney experiments with everyday devices like office copiers, iPhones, and iPads to adapt them into printmaking tools, bending the rules of art making in playful ways. 
 
​“At nearly 88 years old, it is no exaggeration to say that David Hockney is one of the most influential artists of both the 20^th and 21^st centuries,” commented GRAM Dean and Helga Toriello Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Jennifer Wcisel. ​“This incredible exhibition charts his playful experimentation and deep curiosity about the world around him over the course of his 70+ year career, inviting visitors to share in the joy and beauty of life.” 
 
Presented concurrently with David Hockney: Perspective Should Be Reversed, visitors are invited to participate in a hands-on printmaking experience in GRAM’s experimental gallery, The Blank Space. Guests can transform a sketch or collage work into a print through photocopying techniques used by Hockney throughout his career alongside interactive activities for all ages.

Related Events:
 
Member Exhibition Opening: David Hockney
Friday, May 30, 7 – 9 pm 
Free, GRAM Member Event
Museum Members and their guests are invited to celebrate the opening of David Hockney: Perspective Should Be Reversed at GRAM. Be among the first to see the exhibition and enjoy small bites, music, and a cash bar while you mingle with fellow art lovers. 
 
David Hockney Open Swim
Friday, May 30, 8 – 10 pm 
Free for GRAM Members, $10 public in advance, $15 at doors
Following the Member Opening, join us for a late-night pool-themed party for David Hockney: Perspective Should Be Reversed. The evening includes early access to the exhibition, a Hockney-inspired cocktail, food trucks, and sounds by Jean Luc. 
 
Discovery Day: A Colorful Celebration
June 7, 10 am – 3 pm
Free 
In honor of David Hockney: Perspective Should Be Reversed, join GRAM for a free day of creative exploration and hands-on activities at the Museum, including scavenger hunts, artmaking, gallery chats, and more. 
 
David Hockney: Perspective Should Be Reversed, Prints from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation is organized by the Honolulu Museum of Art in partnership with the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation and curated by Catherine Whitney, director of curatorial affairs, and Katherine Love, assistant curator of contemporary art, Honolulu Museum of Art.
 
Support for GRAM’s presentation is generously provided by the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, Wege Foundation, and James and Mary Nelson, with additional support provided by GRAM Exhibition Society. 

About the Grand Rapids Art Museum  
Connecting people through art, creativity, and design. Established in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, the Museum is internationally known for its distinguished design and status as the world’s first LEED® Gold certified art museum. Founded in 1910 as the Grand Rapids Art Association, GRAM has grown to include 6,700 works of art, including American and European 19^th and 20^th-century painting and sculpture and more than 3,000 works on paper. Embracing the city’s legacy as a leading center of design and manufacturing, GRAM has a growing collection in the area of design and modern craft.

For museum hours and admission fees, call 616.831.1000 or visit artmuseumgr.org. 

About the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation
The Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation’s contemporary art collection is one of the most notable in North America. The Foundation has shared its art with millions across the U.S. and internationally through groundbreaking exhibitions, publications, and programs. Founded by ARTnews Top 200 Collector Jordan D. Schnitzer — whose passion for art began in his mother’s contemporary art gallery in Portland, Oregon — the Foundation has organized over 180 exhibitions from its collection and additionally loaned thousands of artworks to over 130 museums at no cost to the institutions. 

Schnitzer began collecting contemporary prints and multiples in 1988 and today is North America’s foremost print collector. His collections consist of more than 22,000 works of art, including a wide variety of prints, sculptures, paintings, glass, and mixed media works.
 

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