West Shore Community College (WSCC) is hosting an exhibition titled Closer Look: Scottville and Custer, works by Ken Cooper and Jamie Gannon. The exhibition runs from June 16 through Sept. 12, 2025 at the college’s Manierre Dawson Gallery.
The works in the exhibition are focused on two towns located in the college’s service district. Ken Cooper’s work focuses on Scottville while Jamie Gannon focuses on Custer. Both artists share a deep sense of respect and empathy towards these towns, yet they avoid the trap of nostalgia. While these works create a record of how things are today, the attention they draw is filled with hope for the future. They remind us that every town matters; their past, present and future are verses of the poem that tells the story of us.
“The painting from Ken Cooper and the photographs by Jamie Gannon are painstaking studies of Scottville and Custer,” said WSCC’s Art Professor and Curator, Eden Ünlüata-Foley. “The attention to detail both artists show in these works are a feast for the eye. The stories these details tell of Scottville and Custer are deeply meaningful, inviting us all to pay attention, and listen carefully.”
Ken Cooper is a Manistee based artist with a prolific career. He taught art at the Manistee High School while maintaining an active art career with a global reach. For many years he produced artwork for Britain’s National Trust which is tasked with preserving the famous country houses among other monuments of significance. His works have been included in many important collections such as the Grand Rapids Museum of Art. WSCC’s art collection includes many works from the artist.
Jamie Gannon is a Chicago based artist and designer with long-time connections to the Silver Lake area which brought him to the area regularly during summer months. His works explore our sense place and how our perception of every detail plays a role in this sense. He achieves this by digitally pulling apart the images he captures and reediting them while still maintaining the feeling of familiarity. His works presented in this exhibition have recently been added to the College’s art collection.
A closing event is planned for early-September at the Manierre Dawson Gallery located in the Arts and Sciences building. Please look for further details to be announced in late August. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Mon. through Thurs., 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Friday, 9:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m. The gallery is closed on the weekends.
Photo: Ken Cooper