Bio
Eric Nykamp is a painter, musician and writer living in Grand Rapids, MI with his wife Yee Lam and their three children.
He is employed as a psychiatric social worker at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services where he works on one of the inpatient units.
He and his family attend Madison Square Church where Eric plays piano, Hammond organ, and African percussion for a black gospel worship team. In 2001, Eric founded a group for artists, musicians, writers, dancers, composers and other “creative types” at Madison Square Church called Creative Community. Eric has written nearly 100 lessons for this group, which he is now compiling into a manuscript for future publication. (Stay tuned!) In addition to these creative pursuits, he is also passionate about drum circle facilitation, leading three different drum circles in the Grand Rapids area.
He also is the president of the CIVA (Christians in the Visual Arts) affiliate in Grand Rapids called GR-CIVA, which also was founded in 2001.
During his free time, Eric enjoys cooking with his wife, traveling, building drums and playing with their children.
Education
Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
BFA in Studio Art, 1996
Concentration in painting and printmaking
Honors
1995, Edgar Boeve Fine Art Scholarship Recipient, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
December 2004 — Artist of the Month, Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, MI
2007 Radix Magazine, Featured Artist, Volume 32, Number 3
October 2008 — Featured Artist of the Month – Grand Gallery
Awards
1994, Spring Arts Festival, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
1st Prize, 2-D (Painting)
1995, Spring Arts Festival, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
1st Prize 2-D (Painting)
2nd Prize 3-D (Sculpture)
1999, Celebration 26
I United Methodist Church, Grand Rapids, MI
3rd Prize
2000, Celebration 27
I United Methodist Church, Grand Rapids, MI
4th Prize
2000, Festival 2000
Grand Rapids, MI
Purchase Award: Borre, Peterson, Fowler & Reens
2000, Muskegeon Museum of Art Summer Regional Art Show, Muskegeon, MI
Comerica Bank Award
Collections
I United Methodist Church, Grand Rapids, MI
Madison Square Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, MI
Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, Grand Rapids, MI
Restorers Inc., Grand Rapids, MI
Concordia University, Irvine, CA
II Christian Reformed Church, Grand Haven, MI
Selected Group Exhibitions
1996, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI
BFA Exhibition 2
1997, Retirement Exhibition for Prof. Chris Stoffel Overvoorde, Calvin College, Grand Rapids MI
2002, MANNA Lenten Exhibit, Orchard Hill Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, MI
2002, Visions of Hope, Franciscan Process Center, Lowel, MI
2003, CIVA Visions Juried Exhibition, 2003-04 Directory
2003, Body Images, CIVA Juried Exhibition, Gordon College, MA
2004, MANNA – Easter Exhibit, Orchard Hill Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, MI
2004, Art is Everywhere, for the symposium Art is Everywhere – Artists Serving the Church at Orchard Hill Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, MI
2005, Listening With Your Eyes: a Visual Journey, Eyekons Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI
2006, Dwell In Me, II Christian Reformed Church, Grand Haven, MI
2006, Art Meeting the Sacred, Eyekons Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI
2007-8, The Music of Healing, Bruce and Mary Leep Art Gallery at the Postema Center for Worship and Education, Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, Grand Rapids, MI
2008, Small Wonders, Grand Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI
2008-9, Children of the Covenant, Church of the Servant, Grand Rapids, MI
2009, Afterlife, Chinese Cultural Center, San Francisco, CA
2009, GR-CIVA Group Exhibition for Artprize, I United Methodist Church, Grand Rapids, MI
Solo Exhibitions
2001, We Are the Branches, Madison Square Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, MI
2002, Visual Prayer, Orchard Hill Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, MI
2003, Visual Devotion, Calvin Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, MI
2004, Recent Work of Eric Nykamp, Bella Vista Church, Rockford, MI
2004, Recent Work of Eric Nykamp, Madison Square Church, Grand Rapids, MI
2004, Visual Prayers, Gerbens Art Loggia – DeVos Center for Arts and Worship, Grand Rapids, MI
2005, Recent Work of Eric Nykamp, Seymour Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, MI
2008, Spring for the Arts, “Avenue of the Arts” at Capsule Living Studio, Grand Rapids, MI
2010, Spiritual Self-Portraits, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Grand Rapids, MI
Current Gallery Representation
Synchronicity Gallery, Glen Arbor, MI
Grand Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI