Year of Arts & Culture | 2007-08

Thie exhibit explores the striking red-on-white embroidery style popularized in the 1880s and still practiced today in quilts and other textiles.

The exhibit showcases more than 160 examples of contemporary baskets using a variety of techniques and materials -- cultivated and natural -- including antlers, birch bark, black ash, cattail, copper, flax, grape vine, porcupine quill, spruce root, strapping tape, sweet grass, wax linen and willow fibers. The baskets range from functional pieces to creative works of art, and document the skills, wisdom and traditions in basketmaking. The exhibit is a partnership between the Association of Michigan Basketmakers and the MSU Museum.

"Picturing Faith" is a unique series of photographs showing the place of religion in American society through the lenses of some of America's most well-known photographers-Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, and Gordon Parks. It also presents the works of equally talented but lesser known photographers-John Collier, Jr., Marion Post Wolcott, Russell Lee, Jack Delano and Marjory Collins. Supported by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, the exhibition includes 45 black-and-white photographs gathered from the Library of Congress archives. In 1935, in order to generate support for New Deal reforms, the Historical Division of the Farm Security Administration (FSA) began making a photographic survey of economic struggle and social dislocation in Depression era America. Historical Division director Roy E. Stryker also wanted to produce a composite picture of American society, so in the "scripts" he sent out to his photographers, he asked them to include pictures of America's religious life. These "sociologists with cameras" entered the homes and churches of the poor as well as the middle class. They photographed people in prayer, domestic shrines, dinner graces, parishioners going into their churches, revival meetings, and even the gospel trucks of itinerate preachers. While many of the FSA (and later Office of War Information) photographs are familiar, this is the first exhibition of how government photographers represented religion during this critical time in our nation's history. "Picturing Faith" was curated by Colleen McDannell, Sterling M. McMurrin Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Utah, and is based on her recent book, "Picturing Faith: Photography and the Great Depression" (Yale University Press).

This is an interactive exhibition that brings artists and visitors together by providing a hands-on art making experience. The exhibition is composed of works by 29 artists, drawn on flat sheets of paper and stacked in the gallery space. The visitor chooses a project, takes the printed sheet, cuts out and assembles the three-dimensional sculpture. As the weeks pass, the gallery spaces become filled with art work.

The five architectural designs proposed for the future Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum will be on display. Unveiled on July 18 before a jury, these designs represent the ideas of internationally renowned architectural firms: Coop Himmelb(l)au; Kohn Pederson Fox Architects, PC; Randall Stout Architects, Inc.; Zaha Hadid Architects, and Morphosis. Models, drawings and CD presentations reveal the range of designs for MSU's art museum's future home on Grand River Avenue to open in 2010.

Exhibit curator Colleen McDannell will offer insights and inspiration on her nationally-known research in material religion and the development of this exhibition.

Curator Colleen McDannell will lead a gallery tour for "Picturing Faith: Religious America in Government Photography, 1935-1943."

The Kresge Art Center will buzz with activity until midnight on Friday, September 28, when the Department of Art&Art History and Kresge Art Museum host The Arts Blitz, a variety of art-centered events, activities and programs in the building. Be "a part of the art" and complete paper sculptures to display in the museum as a part of The Paper Sculpture Show. Enjoy a live DJ (Jeff Owens (Bloom/Ghostly) in the museum 9 p.m. – midnight. Get a peek at models and renderings of proposals for the future Eli&Edythe Broad Art Museum, or watch a screening of the film Basquiat in 108 KAC at 7p.m. See student work in a variety of media at The Graduate Show closing reception in KAC Galleries 101 and 114 (8-11 p.m.), and "draw on the walls" on large, continuous sheets of paper set up throughout Kresge Art Center. This programming is coordinated and supported by Kresge Art Museum, Department of Art and Art History, and the College of Arts and Letters.

Join us for a guided tour of the exhibition, The Paper Sculpture Show and then learn how to make handmade paper using recycled materials. The handmade paper will be turned into your own paper sculptures to take home.

Before the Nazi Holocaust, it was a generally-held belief that protecting human rights was the concern of individual governments. But the international alliance formed during World War II, combined with the final revelation of the horrors that had taken place at the hands of the Nazis, convinced many people of the necessity of making human rights a universal concern monitored under universal standards. The prints featured in this exhibition were produced by a diverse group of artists from all over the world, from Africa, Asia and the Middle East to Australia and the Americas. These striking, sometimes disturbing works are accompanied by artist biographies and statements by the artists that reveal their individual perspectives on issues of art and human rights. The set of prints, owned by the Michigan State University Museum, is being circulated in North America as one of a series of activities between Michigan State University and a consortium of agencies in South Africa, including the African National Congress; Centre for Cultural Studies, University of Fort Hare; and Mayibuye Centre, University of the Western Cape. This exhibition revolves around a special human rights theme at the MSU Museum during 2007-2008.

Last day to view The Paper Sculpture Show, The Future: The Eli&Edythe Broad Art Museum, and Prints from South Africa.

Marion Post Wolcott Photographs and Robert Birmelin (Works on Paper Gallery) open.

An exhibition of over 40 photographs by Marion Post Wolcott featuring her work from the 1930s and 1940s, and specifically her best known photographic documentation for the Farm Security Administration between 1938 and 1941 in New England and the South. They provide a look at daily life during this period, portraying both the poor and the wealthy as well as racial discrimination in the south.

Exhibit of Christie's work in Room 190 (Push-Pin Gallery) now through mid-November. The stunning and talked-about computer-generated artwork now on display in room 190 was created by New Jersey-based artist Bryan Christie for a variety of clients. His art appears regularly in WIRED, Newsweek, The New York Times, Esquire, Field&Stream and many other publications and his work covers a broad range of complex topics, from the microbiological to the gastrointestinal. Journalism instructor Karl Gude curated this inaugural exhibit. Christie will sign prints purchased prior to his arrival and has offered to donate most of the proceeds from the sale of his work to help fund future exhibits in CAS.

Each year Michigan State University joins educational institutions, organizations, and agencies throughout the U.S. and around the world in celebrating International Education Week, a tradition begun in 2000 by the U.S. Department of State and Department of Education. MSU will celebrate its traditional extended version of International Education Week beginning Saturday, November 10 and continuing through Sunday, November 18, with performances, films, and other cultural events; lectures and presentations on international issues; Global Plate dinners and conversations in select residence halls; international coffee hour and the annual Global Festival.

Michigan State University Museum presents a collection of wooden molds from the Philippine Islands and the finished papier-mâché Christmas figures made from those molds. In the town of Paete, Laguna in the Philippines, an old tradition has been preserved. Molds are hand-carved from the local mango wood and strips of paper are glued over the outside of the molds with rice paste. The paper layer is then cut off and the two halves are glued together with strips of paper. The technique was used early in the twentieth century to create religious images and toys for the children. It eventually became an important local industry supplying holiday figures and festival masks to many nations. The pieces from the United States in the exhibition will include a variety of molds and painted papier-mâché figures of Santa Claus, reindeer and Christmas trees. The material for this exhibit is drawn from Curator of History Val Berryman's personal collection of over 3,000 Christmas objects and images from around the world. The entire collection is being donated to the MSU Museum.

Rania Matar, a documentary photographer who has been photographing the aftermath of the war in Lebanon, will be giving a public lecture on Tuesday evening, November 27 at 7 p.m. An exhibit of her photographs, most of which deal with the life of women in a war ravaged country, will be in the new Push Pin Gallery (Room 190 Communication Arts & Sciences building)from late November until the end of January 2008.

33 artists who participated in the Impressionist shows in Paris and are included here with works on paper. Spanning the 1860s-1890s, these mentors, forerunners, competitors and followers were united in their willingness to experiment and question traditional aesthetic standards. Opening Reception 1/13/08, 3-5, at Museum.

An exhibition featuring the artwork of students studying printmaking in the Department of Art & Art History.

MSU will be displaying the 2007 Photo Imaging Education Association's Annual Student Photo Exhibition. The show features 67 images chosen from over 6,493 entries submitted by students and faculty from countries around the world.

Berlin artist Max Klinger represents a late 19th century artistic trend that explored psychological effects in art rather than recording the visual sensations of modern life as the Impressionists did. Although he was well known in his day for his paintings, he is now best rememberes for his series of prints, among them Intermezzi, Opus IV. These twelve etchings from the Kresge Art Museum's collection, acquired in 2006, are on view for the first time.

Hosted by Friends of Kresge Art Museum

"Quilts and Human Rights" is an exhibition exploring the role that quiltmakers have played in raising awareness of human rights issues around the world and the power of textiles to communicate important ideas and information. The exhibition will feature inspiring and often provocative quilts made to document and express transgressions of human rights, to educate others about human rights issues and to pay tribute to leaders of human rights movements. A special component of the exhibition is being developed in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Museum in Mthatha, South Africa and will focus on human rights champions Rosa Parks and Nelson Mandela. The exhibition and related programs are partially supported by funds from the MSU Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, and the Michigan Quilt Project Endowment.

Newly acquired works by Detroit artist Tyree Guyton will be on display, as well as significant work by other African-American artists from Kresge Art Museum's collection.

An exhibition featuring the artwork of students studying graphic design in the Department of Art & Art History.

Kresge Art Museum is privileged to exhibit recent drawings by Julie Mehretu, whose paintings are featured currently at the Detroit Insititute of Arts as their inaugural special exhibition in the newly reopened museum. Mehretu was born in Ethiopia and grew up in East Lansing where her father is on the MSU faculty. She has lived in New York, Rhode Island, Addis Ababa, Daka, and Berlin and currently is in residence in mid-Michigan. Her works has been featured internationally including at the Whitney Biennial and Carnegie International and she is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship (2005) and Joan Mitchell Foundation grant.

The program is inspired by noted naturalist Charles Darwin (whose birthday is Feb. 11) and the Michigan State University Museum joins natural history organizations and science centers around the world in observing this day with special programs for all ages. Here's what visitors can discover: - natural curiosities: people can bring in fossils, stones, bones, teeth and other natural curiosities for specialists from the MSU Museum and College of Natural Science to identify - animals with special adaptations from Lansing's Potter Park Zoo - tours of the museum's Dinosaur Hall and Hall of Evolution - the rare opportunity to visit the museum's fossil, bird and mammal collections - a special lecture, birthday cake and more

An exhibition featuring the artwork of students studying photography in the Department of Art & Art History.

An exhibition featuring the artwork of students studying painting in the Department of Art & Art History.

Take a peek inside the walls of Kresge Art Center as graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Art&Art History at Michigan State University open studio doors to share and discuss their work.

An exhibition featuring the artwork of students studying ceramics in the Department of Art & Art History.

Join 2008 MFA candidates to celebrate the exhibition opening. This exhibition and opening reception are generously sponsored by the MSU Graduate School.

2008 MFA candidates Helena Craules (painting), Grace Frost (painting), James Shurter (graphic design), and Nicole Sowinski (painting)will discuss their work.

Four MSU MFA students will participate in this year's Michigan State University Department of Art&Art History Master of Fine Arts Exhibition: Helena Craules (painting), Grace Frost (painting), James Shurter (graphic design), and Nicole Sowinski (painting).

This exhibition is a required part of their MFA degree, in addition to coursework in art history and related fields. The art on view represents the culmination of years of study and artistic development in the classroom and studio. As part of the MFA curriculum, the candidates work closely with curators and staff at Kresge Art Museum to plan, promote, and mount the show.

The exhibition and opening reception are generously sponsored by the MSU Graduate School.

Opening Reception: Friday, March 21, 2008, Kresge Art Museum, 7–9 p.m.

Public Talks: Monday, March 24, 9:30 a.m. and Thursday, March 27, 1 p.m. Kresge Art Museum

2008 MFA candidates Helena Craules (painting), Grace Frost (painting), James Shurter (graphic design), and Nicole Sowinski (painting)will discuss their work.

An exhibition featuring the artwork of students studying sculpture in the Department of Art & Art History.

Meet quilt artist April Shipp of Auburn Hills, Michigan, and talk with her about her quilt Strange Fruit: A Century of Lynching from 1865-1965, which is featured in the exhibit "Quilts and Human Rights." At 3:00 p.m. Shipp will give a presentation about the inspiration for and the research that went into making her quilt.

Kresge Art Museum will display works of art created by MSU undergraduate students in ceramics, drawing, graphic design, painting, photography, sculpture, and printmaking courses in this annual, juried exhibition.

Meet and informally talk with quilt artist, Dr. Diana N'Diaye. N'Diaye is an antropologist, visual artist, Cultural Heritage Specialist and a Research Associate, Michigan State University Museum. At 3:00 p.m. Dr. N'Diaye will give a formal presentation about her work that is featured in the exhibit, "Quilts and Human Rights."

An exhibition featuring the artwork of students studying in foundation level courses in the Department of Art&Art History.

MSSA is hosting a Student Gala Evening Event at Kresge Art Museum, free and open to all students.

It will include finger food, fun drinks and live music to enjoy while exploring the museum with your friends and peers.

KAM intern (and former Museum Studies graduate student) Carrie Butt will host a gallery talk on her Works on Paper Gallery exhibit Atelier 17: An International Workshop, 1933-1950 at 8 p.m.

Join student artists in celebrating this annual exhibition of undergraduate work from a variety of disciplines.

A weekend celebrating all of the arts on the campus of MSU. Observe, participate and celebrate the arts.

Poster presentations by the students of IAH206 Self, Society, Technology sections 7-12.

Songs of Peace, Protest,&Social Justice - A Communty Sing is a singing event led by musicians Rachel Alexander, Catherine Ellis, and Alma Muxlow. This program is inspired by the exhibit "Quilts and Human Rights," which is located in the Main Gallery of the MSU Museum.

This exhibition, organized by the University of Michigan Museum of Art and drawn from their collection, covers over 1000 years of Chinese porcelains to illustrate the important role of foreign trade and changing domestic markets in stimulating Chinese potters — and their counterparts in Japan and Korea — to continually reinvent their repertoire of shapes and decorative techniques. The exhibition traces the exchange along the Silk Road between the Chinese Han dynasty and ancient Persia and the Mediterranean world; porcelains made for domestic use, foreign exchange and imperial families.

This tour of Silk Road will be lead by Dr. Natsu Oyobe, Curatorial Research Specialist, Asian Art, UMMA Having received her Ph.D. in Japanese art history from the University of Michigan in 2005, Dr. Oyobe is working on the reinstallation of the Museum's new Asian galleries.

A lecture by Virginia Bower, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of the Arts, Philadelphia. Ms. Bower (MSU, '72) is a well-known scholar of Chinese art and has been guest curator for numrous exhibits on Asian art around the country. She will give an overview of the objects in this exhibit.

Dr. Catherine Ryu, Associate Professor of Japanese Language and Culture, Department of Linguistics and Languages, MSU leads a lecture considering the exhibition theme in relation to the circulation of ideas, objects, and people in the increasingly globalized contemporary world order. Ryu's work reassesses the Silk Road as a conceptual metaphor used to analyze the interweaving of technology and knowledge and the dissemination of knowledge and power.

This is an award-winning 1991 Chinese-Hong Kong-Taiwan film, directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Gong Li. An adaptation of the 1990 novel Wives and Concubines by Su Tong, it is noted for its opulent visuals and sumptuous use of colors, the fi lm tells the story of a young woman who becomes a concubine of a wealthy man during the Warlord Era.

160 Polaroids and silver prints were recently donated to KAM by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. These, plus prints of Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy, will be on view in the Works on Paper Gallery. Come dressed as your favorite "larger than life" Warhol character and spend the evening in the presence of the 20th century's most colorful personalities! Enjoy appetizers, beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages along with 60s film, lighting and decor. Prizes for the best costumes will be awarded by celebrity judges. $15 for RSVPs made by July 11. $20 after that date/at the door. Click here for more details and a PDF invite/ RSVP form. Special thanks to Grand River Connection, Suits and the City, Canada Dry Bottling Co. of Lansing, and Triola's for their support.