Dance performances highlight GVSU at ArtPrize 2026

A free public event held during ArtPrize will explore the science of psychology and how the human brain experiences art, movies, good design, and even robots.

The event will be held from 6-9 p.m. Sept. 25 in the DeVos Center on the City Campus.

The evening, hosted by the Department of Psychology, includes specialized talks from faculty members, a reception and a guest artist (and former psychology faculty member) painting live. There will also be research posters highlighting faculty and student work.

Each talk is intended for a general audience. They are:

• "Your Brain on Movies," with Christopher Kurby, professor and department chair
• "Why Good Design Feels Right" with Jennifer Gross, professor
• "Living with Robots" with Brian Bowdle, associate professor

Leon Lou, a longtime psychology faculty member who now paints full time by working with oil, watercolor and pastel, will draw portraits of guests, in pencil and watercolor, for free. Lou, a self-taught painter whose art practice has intertwined with his psychology research, has been part of ArtPrize as an artist. His work is also included in the GVSU Art Museum collection.

"Psychology is the scientific study of how people perceive, think and feel, so an evening centered on art is a natural fit," said Gross, a member of the event planning committee. "We wanted to bring our faculty out of the classroom and into conversation with our alumni and the wider community during a week when the whole city is already looking at art. I hope people leave seeing something familiar a little differently."

- Written by Peg West