Zachary Trebellas

Zachary Trebellas is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Visual & Media Arts at Grand Valley State University. He teaches ART 101: Introduction to Art and ART 401: Senior Seminar. His role includes collaborative art projects with local organizations like UICA, Art Prize, and the Garfield Park Neighborhoods Association. Previously, he directed the Avenue for the Arts and co-founded the art collective Good Manufacturing.

Education includes a B.A. in Art History from Columbia College (Chicago), Japanese language studies at North Central College, and international program participation in Beijing and Kyoto. His work focuses on community engagement through public art that explores shared cultural narratives, historical memory, and identity politics.

• Research emphasizes collaborative projects that memorialize community experiences
• Key themes: cultural hybridity, urban history, and participatory art practices
• Recent works include Grand Rapids Ruins (2024) and Clean Monday (2024)

Notable partnerships include collaborations with Dwelling Place, China Japan Program participants, and rural Japanese communities through the JET Program. His artistic practice bridges studio work with curatorial initiatives and public programming.