New Spaces. New Faces. The past several months have been a whirlwind of new: the dedication of the Welcome Center, the Garden Pavilion and Jaume Plensa’s Utopia; a broadened BISSELL Corridor for smoother passage; the opening of the revamped Sculpture Galleries and our first sculpture exhibition since early 2021; and rededicating the Volunteer Tribute Garden and its updated The Tribute, by Oliviero Rainaldi. Soon enough, we’ll also enjoy the reimagined TassellWisner-Bottrall English Perennial Garden. Please see the article beginning on page 2 for more insight on our garden updates. As we grow into our new spaces, we welcome new faces. After eight years as Director of Philanthropy and Membership, Anne Benson has retired from Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. While she was studiously wrapping up events and winding down her schedule, we welcomed Julia Van Fleet as Director of Philanthropy. Julia, born and raised in West Michigan, arrives with an extensive development background and a passion for botanical gardens. After completing her degree in political science she spent a decade in Texas, most of it at Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden as a volunteer and eventually Director of Public Events. When she came home to West Michigan, she served as Event Coordinator and later Event Development Manager for the renowned Tulip Time Festival. There she managed the organization’s budget and fundraising income programs, and had responsibilities for grant-funding opportunities, soliciting sponsorships for exhibitions, and supervision of seasonal and full-time event staff. Being involved with Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and its mission-focused approach has long been Julia’s dream. “I’m excited to contribute to such a culturally important institution. Michigan doesn’t want for natural beauty, yet Meijer Gardens is a unique jewel,” Julia said. “The dedicated volunteer base and talented staff are a testament to all the good work that’s been happening for nearly three decades—and I look forward to being a part of it!” Utopia (detail), 2020. © 2020 Jaume Plensa, courtesy of Richard Gray Gallery. Brian Kelly
Julia is enthusiastic about the changes yet to come, particularly Michigan’s Farm Garden expanding how
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Organizational Highlights
it honors Fred and Lena Meijer and showcases the couple’s wish for people to understand where their food comes from. She looks forward to imagining new things with our dedicated donors, welcoming the next generations of people passionate about supporting Meijer Gardens, and fostering our many giving programs and events. Suzanne Ramljak, a timely appointment to our officer team, launched her role as Chief Curator mere days before we opened the renovated Sculpture Galleries and Yinka Shonibare CBE: Planets in My Head. A seasoned curator and art historian, she will oversee our expanding exhibition program and acquisitions for the permanent collection. Suzanne comes to us from the American Federation of Arts in New York City, where as curator for 10 years she organized numerous traveling museum exhibitions. Her own exhibition projects have centered on modern and contemporary sculpture. Suzanne also worked in the curatorial departments of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts and University of Michigan Museum of Art. Along with her broad curatorial background, Suzanne has extensive publishing and writing experience. She was editor of Sculpture magazine for five years and held the editorship of Glass Quarterly and Metalsmith magazines. She has published widely on contemporary art. Her writings on sculpture include essays on artists Louise Bourgeois, Michele Oka Doner, John Grade and Beverly Penn. Among several books she’s authored are On Body and Soul: Contemporary Armor to Amulets and, most recently, Loaded: Guns in Contemporary Art. A Michigan native, Suzanne earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in art history from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she also served as arts writer for the Ann Arbor News. She pursued doctoral work and earned a Master of Philosophy in art history from the Graduate School, City University of New York, with dissertation research on the Venus de Milo in 20th-century art. “I am delighted to join the outstanding team at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park to advance the mission of inspiring appreciation of sculpture and the natural environment,” Suzanne said. “It is my fortune to be arriving during a time of impressive growth at Meijer Gardens and at a moment in our culture when the bracing forces of art and nature are more essential than ever.”
