Lions & Rabbits isn’t your typical art gallery. It’s a beautiful community space that supports local artists and local organizations in a way that promotes inclusivity, education, and creativity. As an owner, muralist, and curator, Hannah Berry has played a large role in connecting Lions & Rabbits with the ACT community. Last fall, Hannah guided ACT students through a Mural Memories program as an ACT Teaching Artist, helping students to create two beautiful murals that now hang outside of the ACT studio.
Lions & Rabbits and ACT share a similar mission-- to make art accessible for people of all abilities and to connect artists in the community to resources that can help them grow. “I always knew the power in community but I never knew how hard it would be to sell art. It wasn't until 2017, when we began to leverage the arts for economic development and molding our space into an "arts immersive event space",” explains Hannah. “Having this type of culture in Grand Rapids brings so many more people in to view and get involved with art.”
In the past, the gallery hosted several exciting and inspiring site visits for ACT students, and has housed over 120 local visual artists, provided educational classes, and has operated as a rentable event space for pop-up markets, community events, and more.
