Merizon, Armand | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

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.