COLL/560 Guide to the Armand Merizon Collection Merizon, Armand Collection Finding Aid Authors: Ed Gerritsen, 2016.

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Hekman Library 1855 Knollcrest Circle SE Grand Rapids, MI, 49546 URL: http://archives.calvin.edu Email: crcarchives@calvin.edu Phone: 616-526-6913 Fax: 616-526-7689
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Guide to the Armand Merizon Collection 1999/2004 Heritage Hall, Hekman Library Overview of the Collection Armand Merizon Collection 1999-2004 COLL/560 Merizon, Armand 2.00 3 Boxes Heritage Hall, Hekman Library
Hekman Library 1855 Knollcrest Circle SE Grand Rapids, MI, URL: http://archives.calvin.edu Email: crcarchives@calvin.edu Phone: 616-526-6913 Fax: 616-526-7689
Contains research material, raw video stock for the production of a biography of painter, Armand Jasper Merizon (1920-2010), conducted by Muriel Zandstra.  Contains image of Merizon's works, his comments on those works, his philosophy and motivation as an artist, as well as influences on his work, particularly the progression of his macular degeneration.  Also contains interview with fellow artists and art critics about Merizon's work.
Biographical Information:

Armand Jasper Merizon was born 28 February 12920 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to Jaspere and Josephine (De Young) Merizon; a few years later the family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. He began painting at age 10 and at 16 won a scholarship to the Vesper George Art School in Boston. From Massachusetts he moved to Maine, Arizona, and Europe before settling again in the Grand Rapids area, eventually on a farm about 8 miles south of the city.

He began painting full-time in 1950 and joined with seven other area painter to form the "West Michigan 8." Credited for his skill in color composition; his works were selected for more than 35 exhibition and gallery showings. He won numerous awards for his work and was collected by patrons around the world. He was diagnosed with macular degeneration in the 1980s and eventually was declared legally blind, but continued to paint until his death on 2 April 2010.

Merizon married Betty Jeanne Grainer (1923-2008) and the couple had five children: Michele (1951-2008), René, Mark Aaron, Chantal, and Aimé M.

Arrangement of Materials:

Folder level description

Detailed List of Contents id43011 [General Materials] id43012 1 id43013 1 1 Painting Discussion with Betty 1999 id43014 1 2 Merizon at Artworks Big Rapids id43015 1 3 Panel Discussion September 2005 id43016 1 4 Reviewing Slides of Paintings October 2002 id43017 1 5 "Return to Ocean" Talk id43018 1 6 Wege Foundation, Virginia Glew Jaeger, Paul Collins id43019 1 7 Reviewing Slides of Paintings October 2002 id43020 1 8 Interview - Development of His Artistic Career July 2002 id43021 1 9 Reflections With the Artist id43022 1 10 Armand, Michelle, Aime, Betty, Yard Studio, etc. id43023 1 11 Merizon Interview - Childhood, Marriage, Frankfort October 2002 id43024 1 12 Jen and Muriel Interviewing Merizon November 2004 id43025 1 13 Interviews with Sandy Burr and Sally Scobey May 1983 id43026 1 14 Interview - Search for Beauty and Truth November 2002 id43027 1 15 Interviews for Documentary id43028 1 16 Interview for Veterans History Project May 2003 id43029 1 17 Merizon Interview October 2002 id43030 1 18 Interview with Armand Merizon July 2002 id43031 1 19 Sunday Morning Channel 2 id43032 2 id43033 2 1 Panel Discussion, Question/Answer Session September 2005 id43034 2 2 Talk to GVA April 1995 id43035 2 3 Talk at Lotus Club March 1990 id43036 2 4 Discussion in Studio with Dr. W. Michel May 2004 id43037 2 5 Grand Rapids Art Museum - J. Markle, Wolverine Gas, etc. id43038 2 6 Grand Rapids Art Museum id43039 2 7 Merizon Lecture April 1989 id43040 2 8 Interview (1 of 3) December 2009 id43041 2 9 Interview (2 of 3) December 2009 id43042 2 10 Interview (3 of 3) December 2009 id43043 2 11 Interview with Muriel Zandstra - Childhood, Education, Military October 2002 id43044 2 12 Interview with Muriel Zandstra - Marriage, Frankfort, Europe October 2002 id43045 2 13 Interview with Muriel Zandstra - Spiritual Journey October 2002 id43046 2 14 Talk to GVA 1976 id43047 2 15 Trinity "Armand" id43048 2 16 Excommunication Continued? id43049 2 17 Interview November 2004 id43050 2 18 Lottery Winner - Excommunication October 2009 id43051 2 19 Humor - Minister Amway Painting October 2009 id43052 2 20 World's Fair October 2009 id93011 3 Scope and Contents

All of the items in this box are DVDs

id93012 3 Merizon, Disc 1 & Disc 2 id93013 3 Boston Art Museum id93014 3 Harvard id93015 3 Armand Merizon Paintings Scope and Contents

Color corrected March 2005

id93016 3 Interview Paintings June 2004 id93017 3 Family Pictures id93018 3 Armand on Fence id93019 3 Magazine Scans id93020 3 24 Paintings Scope and Contents

Color corrected May 9, 2005

id93021 3 Website Files & Photos id93022 3 West Michigan Eight Show at Eyekons Gallery id93023 3 Headshot and Still of Armand id93024 3 Armand reviewing slides of his paintings 1982-1985 id93025 3 Armand reviewing slides of his paintings 1940-1971 id93026 3 Armand reviewing slides of his paintings October 2002 id93027 3 Merizon Marine for Promo March 1989 id93028 3 Merizon Photos & Newspapers id93029 3 VHS Transfer, Discs 1A and 1B id93030 3 VHS Transfer Discs 3 and 4 id93031 3 Channel 8 News Broadcast 11 September 2005 id93032 3 Armand Panel Discussion, Calvin College 9 September 2005
id43053 4 id43054 4 1 Interview by Jennifer Dornbush - Development of Artistic Career July 2002 id43055 4 2 "Return to Ocean" Talk April 1989 id43056 4 3 "Armand" with Jennifer Dornbush and Muriel Zandstra id43057 4 4 "Reflections" With the Artist id43058 4 5 Merizon Viewing Slides of His Paintings 1973 id43059 4 6 Interviews with Sandy Burr and Sally Soobey May 1983 id43060 4 7 "War of the Spirits" May 2003 id43061 4 8 Interviews for Merizon Documentary id43062 4 9 Merizon Interview on Search for Beauty and Truth November 2004 id43063 4 10 Interview in Merizon's Studio with Jennifer Dornbush July 2002 id43064 4 11 Merizon Explaining his Paintings at Home 1999 id43065 4 12 Jennifer Dornbush and Muriel Zandstra Interview November 2004 id43066 4 13 Merizon at Artworks, Big Rapids id43067 4 14 Interview with Kim Smith June 2004 id93010 4 A Conversation with Meindert De Jong, Calvin College 1988 id93033 5 id93034 5 ARMAND - Film id93035 5 ARMAND (Close Captioned Film) id93036 5 ARMAND - Heartland Copy 13 June 2015 Scope and Contents

VHS

id93037 5 ARMAND - www.ArmandMerizonDocumentary.com Scope and Contents

VHS, 58 Minutes

id93038 5 ARMAND - Final [DVD] id93039 5 ARMAND - Premier Screening 10 September 2005 Scope and Contents

DVD of screening at Bytwork Theater, Calvin College

id93040 5 "Photo Images" DVDs of Armand's Paintings Scope and Contents

Discs numbered 1-10

id93041 5 "Digital Photo" DVDs of Armand's Paintings Scope and Contents

17 Discs

id93042 6 id93043 6 Box of 54 Digital Video Cassette Tapes Scope and Contents

20 tapes contain pictures of Armand's paintings, many of which are used in the documentary. There is a printed index of the paintings identifying tape location and present ownership. 34 tapes contain interviews and source material for the documentary ARMAND.

id93044 6 Chantal Interview 19 November 2012 Scope and Contents

Cassette Tape

id93045 6 Interview with Dr. Jack Chase Scope and Contents

Cassette

id93046 6 Armand & Peter Cook 6 October 2004 Scope and Contents

Cassette

id93047 6 Judy Gezon 13 September 2004 Scope and Contents

Cassette Tape

id93048 6 Armand Merizon 12 April 2001 Scope and Contents

Cassette Tape

id93049 6 Muriel, Armand, Betty December 2001 Scope and Contents

Cassette Tape

id93050 6 Recollections of Our Times, Artur Schnabel Scope and Contents

Cassette Tape

id93051 7 id93052 7 1 Letters to Family 1937-1938 id93053 7 2 Letters to Family 1942 id93054 7 3 Letters to Family 1943 id93055 7 4 Letters to Family 1946-1955 id93056 7 5 Letters to Family 1933-1955 Scope and Contents

Typed Copies

id93057 7 6 The Life and Works of Armand Merizon in Pictures id93058 7 7 Newspaper Clippings and Awards id93059 7 8 Magazine Artwork id93060 7 9 Correspondence id93061 7 10 Lecture by Armand Merizon to Grand Valley Artists 27 February 1964 id93062 7 11 List of Paintings by Year id93063 7 12 Photos id93064 7 13 "Daddy Stories" by Aime Merizon 7 April 2010 id93065 7 14 Documentary Overview id93066 7 15 Legal Right and Releases for Documentary
id93067 8 id93068 8 1 Transcripts of Interviews and Speeches for Documentary (pages 1-81) id93069 8 2 Transcripts of Interviews and Speeches for Documentary (Pages 82-166) id93070 8 3 Transcripts of Interviews and Speeches for Documentary (Pages 167-237) id93071 8 4 Transcript - Merizon Interview "Life History" 26 October 2002 id93072 8 5 Transcript of Various Interviews 2004