Year of Arts & Culture | 2007-08

"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).

Each of us inhabits our own lives, our own countries, with timelines and events that are significant to us. Sometimes these events coincide with or are part of the significant events of others' lives. Sometimes they are not. And while we are creating and living in our own histories, the history of our nation, and our world, is occurring around us. Dr. Anita Skeen of MSU's Residential College of Arts and Letters will lead a three-part writing workshop in which participants will reflect upon moments of their own personal histories, perhaps newsworthy and/or life changing, perhaps quiet and/or unremarkable, that we recall as moments of courage, beauty, growth, failure, or understanding. "And in each life," writes the poet Yevtushenko, "one excellent minute, one tragic minute. These are private." Participants will also stop to consider how these personal moments are connected to what we think of as History (with a capital "H") and the effect one might have upon the other. As Susan Carol McCarthy writes in her prologue to Lay that Trumpet in Our Hands, "In the end, all we have, all we can take refuge in, is how, for each of us, one thing led to quite another." This workshop is open to writers in all genres and at all levels, particularly those who like to work with a specific exercise or assignment. Registration is required as there is limited capacity.

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."

Family funfest for all ages featuring a storyteller, singer, and crafts.

The Asian Studies Center presents the Odissi classical Indian dance recital featuring Aloka Kanungo, reknowned dancer and choreographer from India and Shreelina Ghosh, MSU Ph.D student and dance student.

The East Lansing Historical Society and East Lansing Centennial Commission present a panel of local individuals who recount their personal experiences during the time of the civil rights movement in East Lansing. Panelists include: Clarence Underwood, Don Coleman, Charles McMillan and Claudette Nelson. George Brookover will moderate.

In Lay that Trumpet in our Hands the integration of baseball serves as a backdrop, and in many ways, a metaphor, for the events of that time. During the same time period, Michigan State University was also paving the way for African-American athletes on the athletic field. This event will showcase some of this history, and allow participants to hear directly from former MSU athletes about their experiences during this turbulent period.

This two-part documentary tells the stories of the men and women who served in World War II's European and Pacific Theatres. Their oral histories -- telling stories of such battles as D-Day and Iwo Jima and experiences such as the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis -- offer a powerful look at courage and sacrifice. For many repeat times and interview transcripts, visit WKAR.org.

The Department of Philosophy and the Department of English at Michigan State University announce a film series and symposium on the conditions, dilemmas and experience of "outsiders" and on our questions about our response to visitors, immigrants (legal and illegal) and "guest workers." We will view and discuss a series of films after an initial session on the conceptual and moral complexity of hospitality as understood by Immanuel Kant and Jacques Derrida. The series will be ended with a panel of short papers and a roundtable discussion culminating with a symposium. The films will be introduced briefly by the College of Arts and Letter faculty.

Book groups and individuals throughout the region are invited to join others for facilitated discussion of the themes, events and other dimensions of this book. Registration is required for this event.

Residence halls will feature dinners focusing on the joy of reading and the One Book, One Community program. The dinner theme is Florida and Southern Cuisine.The dinner will be served in all halls except Holden. Students will have the opportunity to register to vote during this event.

Jim Daniels, one of the most respected voices in contemporary poetry and fiction, and specifically of labor and working people, returns to the MSU campus to introduce his two films, NO PETS and DUMPSTER. Discussion to follow.

Book groups and individuals throughout the region are invited to join others for facilitated discussion of the themes, events and other dimensions of this book. Registration is required. Call (517) 351-2420 to register.

Jim Daniels is a Professor of English and Creative Writing at Carnegie-Mellon University. He has a variety of poetry collections that reflects the physicality of manual labor, the noises and smells of machine shops and factories, the metallic glint of polished steel and iron. His more recent books, Niagara Falls, Blessing this House, and Blue Jesus changed course with their issues of faith. He is the author of eight books of poems including Show and Tell: New and Selected Poems, which was a finalist for the 2004 Paterson Poetry Prize. Jim Daniels realistic, gritty, and sometimes violent portrayal of working people?s lives, has been recognized numerous times with various awards. His co-sponsors include RCAH (Residential College in the Arts and Humanities), MSU Libraries, MSU Press, The Public Humanities Collaborative, and Our Daily Work/Our Daily Lives.

Award winning poet and author Jim Daniels presents his two recent books, Revolt of the Crash-Test Dummies (winner of the Blue Lynx Poetry Prize) and Now Showing, as part of the MSU Library's Writers Reading Series.

Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, master story teller and author of the bestselling books Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings will share her perspective on the power of story and the hidden potential in our connection to one another. In her presentation called Becoming a Blessing: Remembering Our Power to Change the World, she will discuss our innate capacity to heal and be healed and enable us to remember how we make a difference in this world just as we are. Come prepared to celebrate the strength of community and the gift of service.

Part of the Right to Hospitality: Migration, Accommodation, Globalization series of films. Presented by Karl Schoonover, Department of English.

This event celebrates excellence in arts and humanities outreach. Exhibits prepared by faculty and students in the College of Arts and Letters will illustrate the wide range of ways that MSU engages with communities throughout Michigan. Refreshments will be served. RSVP by September 14 to Bets Caldwell at (517) 432-2479 or caldwell@msu.edu.

Part of the Right to Hospitality: Migration, Accommodation, Globalization series of films. Presented by Sandra Logan, Department of English.

The Smithsonian's Dr. Richard Kurin reveals the true story behind the most famous--and infamous--stone in the world. The Hope Diamond, a glimmering deep-blue gem weighing more than 45 carats, is not only exceptionally beautiful, it has a long and incredibly colorful history. That history -- spread over three centuries and three continents -- features diamond mining in India, the French Revolution, the machinations of British King George IV, the Gilded Age in America and a number of very clever jewelers including Pierre Cartier and Harry Winston. In the 20th century, the myth of the Hope diamond curse made the diamond more notorious and famous than ever before.

The Smithsonian's Dr. Richard Kurin reveals the true story behind the most famous--and infamous--stone in the world. The Hope Diamond, a glimmering deep-blue gem weighing more than 45 carats, is not only exceptionally beautiful, it has a long and incredibly colorful history. That history--spread over three centuries and three continents--features diamond mining in India, the French Revolution, the machinations of British King George IV, the Gilded Age in America and a number of very clever jewelers including Pierre Cartier and Harry Winston. In the 20th century, the myth of the Hope diamond curse made the diamond more notorious and famous than ever before.

From its origins in 17th Century India, the Hope Diamond today resides at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, where it is most viewed artifact in all of the Smithsonian's 19 museums and 136-million holdings.

Kurin is director of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage responsible for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival held annually on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and the Grammy-award winning Smithsonian Folkways. Since 2004, he has headed the Smithsonian's National Programs, overseeing its traveling exhibition service, its network of 144 affiliated museums, its educational programs, and its 55,000 Smithsonian Associate membership organization.

The MSU Museum is the state's first Smithsonian Institution affiliate, and museum researchers and scholars have collaborated on fieldwork, research, publications and exhibitions over the past 20 years. The Hope Diamond events are presented as part of the MSU Museum's 150th anniversary and MSU's Year of Arts and Culture in 2007-2008.

Schedule of events: 7 p.m. Reception -- Cowles House 8 p,m. Dinner - Cowles House 8:30 p..m. - Carillon Concert at Beaumont Tower 9 p.m. - Dessert and Cordials - MSU Museum Valet parking available. Dinner attire and special-occasion jewelry recommended.

Lecture by Leslie A. Adelson, professor of German Studies and director of the Institute for German Cultural Studies at Cornell University, on the work of Turkish novelist and Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuck; reception following.

College of Arts and Letters Signature Lecture by Orhan Pamuck, winner of 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. For ticket information, visit www.cal.msu.edu/SignatureLecture.php

Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature, is one of the most prominent novelists at work in the world today. Among his many highly regarded works are "The White Castle" (1991), "The Black Book" (1994), "The New Life" (1997), "My Name is Red" (2001), "Snow" (2004), and "Istanbul: Memories and the City" (2005). Mr. Pamuk's speech at MSU is expected to touch on some of the issues raised during his Nobel lecture, in which he noted that "what literature needs most to tell and investigate today are humanity's basic fears: the fear of being left outside, and the fear of counting for nothing, and the feelings of worthlessness that come with such fears; the collective humiliations, vulnerabilities, slights, grievances, sensitivities, and imagined insults, and the nationalist boasts and inflations that are their next of kind."

Part of the "Right to Hospitality: Migration, Accommodation, Globalization" series of films. Presented by Tim Deines and Jennifer Fay, Department of English.

Keith Taylor has authored two recently published books: Guilty at the Rapture, a collection of poems and stories that won a 2007 Michigan Notable Book Award, and Batter Guitars: The Poetry and Prose Kostas Karyotakis a book Taylor translated with his friend William Reader. Over the years he has worked and appeared in numerous places, ranging from the Story to the Los Angeles Times, from Bird Watcher?s Digest to the Chicago Tribune to Michigan Quarterly Review, Poetry Ireland, and The Southern Review. Taylor has won awards for his work here and in Europe and coordinates the undergraduate program in creative writing at the University of Michigan.

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.

Part of the "Right to Hospitality: Migration, Accommodation, Globalization" film series.Presented by Ellen MaCallum and Jeff Wray, Department of English.

Part of the "Right to Hospitality: Migration, Accommodation, Globalization" film series. Presented by Jyotsna Singh, Department of English.

Part of the "Right to Hospitality: Migration, Accommodation, Globalization" film series. Presented by Ken Harrow, Department of English.

Part of the "Right to Hospitality: Migration, Accommodation, Globalization" film series. Presented by Scott Juengel, Department of English.

Final event in honor of The "Right to Hospitality: Migration, Accommodation, Globalization" film series. Symposium includes reading of papers, roundtable discussion and reception.

The RCAH Center for Poetry presents "Walk. Chalk. Poetry," an MSU community event in the heart of campus. What is commonly known as "the rape trail" is one of MSU's most beautiful stretches of riverbank. Themed poems about space and the transformative power of language will be transferred from paper to pavement in an effort to encourage MSU community members to reexamine their own use of language about this space. Doughnuts and cider will be available for participants while chalking. Come join us by the river and play with poetry!

earned her MFA and PhD from Western Michigan University. She has taught courses in literature and creative writing at a variety of colleges. She has spent almost all of her life in Michigan. Her work appears in the anthologies The Best of the Prose Poem: An International Journal (White Pine Press, 2000) and New Poems from the Third Coast: Contemporary Michigan Poetry (Wayne State, 2000). Her poems have also appeared in literary magazines including Boston Review, Epoch, Field, The Laurel Review, The Prose Poem: An International Journal, Seneca Review and Quarterly West.

Classical Indian music featuring well known Indian singer, Anurag Harsh.

Edward O. Wilson is one of the most highly-respected scientists in the world today. Hailed as "the new Darwin" by Thomas Wolfe, and one of "America's 25 Most Influential People" by TIME magazine, he has twice received the Pulitzer Prize for "The Ants" and "On Human Nature." Wilson's book "The Diversity of Life," which brought together knowledge of the magnitude of biodiversity and the threats to it, had a major public impact. In his latest book, "The Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth," Wilson sounds the alarm the earth is in danger and its destruction threatens us all—no matter what we believe about its origins.

On October 23, the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities will officially open its new Center for Poetry with an inaugural celebration that will include a reading by RCAH poet and faculty member Anita Skeen. The Center's mission is "to encourage the reading, writing, and discussion of poetry and to create an awareness of its place and power in our everyday lives," says Skeen. The Center will highlight not only the importance of poetry in our individual lives but the need today, perhaps more than ever, for poets in our world. All who enjoy poetry are welcome.

This documentary film from Actual Films tells two strains of the story: how Hitler's hand-picked art historians and dealers conspired to steal great masterpieces from private and public European collections while the American forces fighting towards Berlin took the cultural heritage of the occupied countries seriously and saved what they could. Based on Lynn H. Nicholas' book of the same title, the movie presents a mesmerizing morality play, rich in rare archival footage and complete with heroic Allied saviors (Variety). One of the greatest antiwar films ever produced… using art as a vehicle to convey the greed, ethnic bias and sheer cruelty of the Axis. (Kenneth Lindsay, Binghamtom University, and member of the American Monument Men team). Presented by Kresge Art Museum, Jewish Studies, and the MSU Libraries. Discussants: Prof. Kenneth Waltzer, Professor of History and Director, Jewish Studies, and Susan J. Bandes, director, Kresge Art Museum.

The Center for Poetry continues its inaugural year with a reading by poet and novelist Gordon Henry. Henry is well-known locally and nationally. An enrolled member of the White Earth Chippewa Tribe of Minnesota, Henry first drew attention as an American Indian writer in 1983, when his poetry was anthologized in Songs from This Earth on Turtle's Back: An Anthology of Contemporary American Indian Poetry. At that time he was a graduate student in Michigan State University's English/Creative Writing program. Since then he has been published in a variety of journals and has lectured on issues within American Indian literature. Henry's fiction has appeared in the anthology Earth Song, Sky Spirit (Doubleday), and his novel entitled The Light People (1994) appeared to much critical acclaim. Henry is an associate professor of English at MSU.

Alison Swan is an award-winning environmentalist whose work Fresh Water won a 2007 Michigan Notable Book award. Her writing has appeared in Peninsula, Essays and Memoirs from Michigan (MSU Press), plus many literary journals and environmental publications, including the Bellingham Review, the Red Cedar Review and the Detroit MetroTimes.

This conference examines the poetry and philosophy of Rumi, the 13th-century Muslim poet, philosopher and mystic, and its relevance to contemporary understandings of Islamic culture. It also deals with renewed interests in Rumi's writings in recent years throughout the Middle East, Europe and the United States. The starting point of the conference is Rumi's well-known verse "come, come again, whoever you are, come!" Rumi's eloquent and humanistic poetry, written sometimes with a sense of humor, creates a window on Islamic beliefs, values and wisdom that is far removed from images of violence and terrorism. Bringing well-known scholars of Islamic mysticism, Rumi and the Middle East together, we explore Rumi's writings, their place in Islamic literature and society, and their resurgence as bestsellers in the West. The universality of Rumi's poetry fosters an understanding of the human experience that transcends the boundaries of nations, religions and languages.

The RCAH Center for Poetry continues its inaugural year with a reading by "Poet of Witness" Carolyn Forché. Forché's first poetry collection, Gathering the Tribes, won the Yale Series of Younger Poets Award from Yale University Press. A Guggenheim Fellowship enabled her to travel to El Salvador, where she worked as a human rights advocate. Forché's second book, The Country Between Us (1981), received the Poetry Society of America's Alice Fay de Castagnola Award and was also the Lamont Poetry Selection of the Academy of American Poets. Author of numerous articles and reviews, Forché also has held three fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, and in 1992 she received a Lannon Foundation Literary Fellowship. Her anthology, Against Forgetting: Twentieth-Century Poetry of Witness, was published in 1993, and her third book of poetry, The Angel of History (1994), won the Los Angeles Times Book Award. Her fourth book of poems, Blue Hour, was released in 2003. Forché currently teaches at Skidmore College.

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.

The Center for Poetry continues its inaugural year with a reading by MSU Distinguished Professor of English Diane Wakoski. Wakoski has published more than 40 collections of poetry, including four books that constitute her series "The Archaeology of Movies and Books: Argonaut Rose (1998), The Emerald City of Las Vegas (1995), Jason the Sailor (1993), and Medea the Sorceress (1991), all published by Black Sparrow Press. Among Wakoski's many honors are a Fulbright fellowship, a Michigan Arts Foundation award, and grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Michigan Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts. Her book EMERALD ICE, selected poems 1962-1987, won the 1989 Poetry Society of America's William Carlos Williams award. All who love poetry are welcome to attend this special evening.

In collection of original scenes ranging from the hilarious to the disturbing, this premiere explores censorship and snobbery involved in judging the artistic. From early Greek architecture to Christina Aguilera—nothing is safe from this biting and incisive new work.

This lecture provides a scholarly and activist overview on doing oral history projects in the Mexican and Latino community. Jose examines the various oral historical methodologies and models that make Chicano and Latino Studies different from other social science fields. Finally, he provides tools on how to organize and develop an oral history project in Mexican and Latino communities.

At this 22nd annual festival, MSU international student organizations and area nationality groups will share their cultures with exhibits, performances of ethnic dances and music; fashion shows; and demonstrations of native games and crafts. The World Gift shop offers a variety of international art works, jewelry, glassware, clothing, stamps and a multitude of gift items (proceeds support scholarship fund for spouses of international students to attend MSU classes). The Global Cafe serves ethnic cuisine.

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.

The MSU Museum Store is bursting with unique offerings -- from books and toys to jewelry and decorative figurines -- and all 1,400 items in the shop directly reflect the mission of the MSU Museum and focus on understanding, interpreting, and respecting natural and cultural diversity. All items in the store are traded ethically or collected through fair trade, with companies as well as individuals who use ethical business practices. Many of the items are direct from the artisans and communities that created them. This process of purchasing ensures that each item is one-of-a-kind and quality-made. There are educational books, science kits, and do-it-yourself craft projects as well as many locally-made crafts. With unique jewelry, toys, and many Michigan-themed items, customers can find a variety of distinctive gift ideas for friends and loved ones. Many items are under $10. The MSU Museum Store is found on the first level of the MSU Museum, located on West Circle Drive next to the Beaumont Tower. The store is open Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., and Sunday 1-4:30 p.m. For more information, call: (517) 355-2373 or see http://museum.msu.edu .

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.

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.

Lecture by Theresa Dolan, Professor of Art History, Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia. Sponsored by the Department of French, Classics, and Italian; Art & Art History Department; and Kresge Art Museum.

Dr. Dolan is a 19th century French painting specialist whose interdisciplinary research brings together the visual arts, music, theater and literature, weaving together artists such as Manet, Bizet, Wagner, Liszt and Baudelaire. A prize-winning teacher, she has lectured extensively across the country and at many museums. Sponsors: The Department of French, Classics, and Italian; Art&Art History Department, MSU.

After viewing the exhibit, The Impressionist Era: Works on Paper, join us for a painting activity in the style of the Impressionists. FREE, ages 7-11. Registration required. To register, call the museum at (517) 353-9834 or email Cari Wolfe at wolfeca1@msu.edu.

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.

This gallery walk will be led by Phylis Floyd, an Associate Professor of Art History at MSU, who teaches modern and contemporary art. Dr. Floyd's background is in Nineteenth-century French art and the influence of Japanese and Far Eastern art on that of Europe and the United States. These fields converge in KAM's current exhibition, The Impressionist Era: Works on Paper. Dr. Floyd will share her insight with visitors through this guided tour.

Richard Dreyfuss has relied on intelligence, energy and incredible talent to gain and keep his place among the leading actors of the American cinema. In addition to being an Academy Award-winning actor and having three of his films recently included in the American Film Institute's list of the greatest 100 films, Dreyfuss has made personal involvement a priority, whether campaigning for candidates and causes, advocating for national and community service, or working with groups promoting solutions to the Arab/Israeli conflict.

A lecture by Marilyn Frye, a University Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, College of Arts and Letters, Michigan State University.

A lecture from Marilyn Frye a University Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, College of Arts and Letters, Michigan State University.

A lecture by Marilyn Frye a University Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, College of Arts and Letters, Michigan State University A reception will follow the lecture on Friday, February 8, at Cowles House. The public is welcome; please RSVP to Bets Caldwell at caldwell@msu.edu or (517) 432-2479.

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.

Louise Siddons, Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History at Michigan State University, will present her research in a lecture titled Self-fashioning in the Harlem Renaissance: James VanDerZee's Identical Twins.

"Forging Peace in the War on Terror" Lecture by Professor George Lopez.

Conference will begin on Thursday with an evening of invited readings by Native writers, and continue Friday and Saturday with workshops on American Indian writing, including storytelling, tribal histories, fantasy novels, comic books, songs, poetry, publishing, children's literature, autobiographies, and even rock art. The conference will conclude with a banquet and performance by Asani. Registration is required.

Chuck Freilich is a senior fellow at the Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School, where he is writing a book on Israeli national security decision-making. Chuck Freilich teaches Political Science at Tel Aviv and Hebrew Universities and co-directs a Middle Eastern affairs consultancy. He has been Senior Analyst in the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Delegate in the Israel Mission to the United Nations, and Deputy National Security Advisor. He has a Ph.D. from Columbia U. and was born in New York City.

Professor George A. Lopez is Hesburgh Chair of Peace Studies at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, the University of Notre Dame. These two workshops focus on curriculum and teaching, faculty research and teaching collaboration, obtaining outside grant and institutional support, cultivating interdisciplinary, and developing implementing specific courses and course ideas. Participants in the workshop are encouraged to bring syllabi and other course materials, including specific ideas and problems.

Professor George A. Lopez is Hesburgh Chair of Peace Studies at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, the University of Notre Dame. These two workshops focus on curriculum and teaching, faculty research and teaching collaboration, obtaining outside grant and institutional support, cultivating interdisciplinary, and developing implementing specific courses and course ideas. Participants in the workshop are encouraged to bring syllabi and other course materials, including specific ideas and problems.

Speaker will be Alice Dreger from Northern University.

Solomon Maimon was a contemporary of Immanuel Kant and probably his most important critic. Lecture by Benjamin Pollock.

A lecture given by Sandra Gunning a Professor for English from University of Michigan.

A lecture from Brent Hayes Edwards a professor from Columbia University. A Plenary and Reception to follow.

Support for this event comes from the College of Arts and Letters, the Department of English, the Program in African American and African Studies, the Center for Gender in Global Context, Global Literary and Cultural Studies, the Residential College in Arts and Humanities, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, the Honors College, the Graduate School, and the Office of Inclusion&Intercultural Initiatives. Sandra Gunning is Professor of English and on the faculty of the Center for Afroamerican and African Studies at the University of Michigan. Brent Edwards is Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. Gunning's talk will run from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Edwards will speak from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. A plenary discussion and reception will follow.

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

A professor at the Art Institute of Chicago, James Elkins' study goes beyond art and into culture at large. Authoring nearly 20 books that explore visual thinking and representation systems, his research stretches into the fields of science, religion, nature, writing systems and archaeology.

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.

In public settings across the Roman empire some remarkably large maps were painted on walls, carved in stone, and etched in bronze. During recent years, those that survive have attracted interest, and intense re-thinking. As well as offering us the chance to marvel at the cartographers' skill, the lecture asks what impression they intended to make on the viewers of their work, and by what techniques. What carefully considered choices do the content and the presentation of the maps reflect? How are Romans' conceptions of their wider surroundings molded by them?

Eleanor Heartney is contributing editor for Art in America. She has written extensively on contemporary art subjects ranging from gender to politics to religion. Heartney's recent books include "Defending Complexity: Art, Politics and the New World Orde" and "After the Revolution: Women Who Transformed Contemporary Art."

She was beautiful, smart, and searching. He was an emerging genius in the world of photography. When Edward Weston and Charis Wilson met in the 1930s they instantly fell in love. He was 50 and she 21. She became his model, his muse, his collaborator and even his wife. Now 90, Charis Wilson recounts her years with Weston with great humor, candor, and some regret. Combining insight from leading scholars, rare archival images, and convincingly authentic reenactments, Eloquent Nude presents a remarkable true story of love and loss, travel and adventure, and an intimate look at the making of Modern photography. Director Ian McCluskey is scheduled to attend. KAM is co-sponsoring this event as part of the East Lansing Film Festival.

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

Lecture by Avishai Margalit and George F. Kennan.

The Black Black Scholar and the State of the Black World Conference will: *Confront current issues with regards to methodology and best practices in African American and African Studies *Create a forum for dialogue on Black Studies programs and the future of the discipline *Explore the issue of the Black studies' commitment to the African American community as espoused in the original vision of Black Studies If you have presentations, proposals, film projects or proposals that you would like to submit, go to the website, http://www.msu.edu/~aaas/sankofa-conference.html and use the information provided.

A lecture by Howard Schwartz.

Ira Glass is the host and producer of NPR's "This American Life," a radio show heard by over 1.7 million listeners each week. The show has won the highest honors for broadcasting and journalistic excellence, including the Peabody and DuPont-Columbia awards, as well as the Edward R. Murrow and the Overseas Press Club awards. The show's television adaptation recently premiered to critical acclaim on Showtime.

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.

Exhibit co-curator Dr. Marsha MacDowell will be on hand in the gallery to informally talk with visitors about Quilts and Human Rights.

Chris Crutcher will talk about the place of stories in a time of standardization and the intervention of teachers and texts in a time of high stakes testing, standardizing student growth and state-mandated canons.

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.

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

Species around the world are becoming extinct at a high rate. Not since the Age of Dinosaurs ended has anything like this occurred. We talk about this contemporary extinction. Our focus, as the course title suggests, is not limited to those species. We seriously consider what this current, mass extinction might mean for humans. As a humanities course, IAH 206 emphasizes questions of meaning. It highlights the ways that people interpret situations (give them meaning), express those interpretations, and even act upon those interpretations.

A day-long event designed to provide resources about wheelchair use and other special needs from a variety of organizations in the mid-Michigan area. In addition, an inspiring program will focus on the abilities and achievements of wheelchair users

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 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.

Ever wish you could go back to college, just for one day? Here's your chance! The MSU College of Arts and Letters will offer a FREE day-long series of stimulating lectures, behind-the-scenes tours, art walks, and demonstrations on Friday, May 16. This event is designed for adults who want to reconnect with their love of learning in an informal university setting. Participants may attend one, some, or all events. Lectures will include time for audience participation and questions. Admission is free; an optional buffet lunch with the lecturers and special guests is available for $10. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.cal.msu.edu.

Join the museum at the East Lansing Art Festival. Look for our booth where you can make and decorate masks and crowns. FREE, all ages welcome. NO registration required.

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.

Join the Friends of KAM for a day in Grand Rapids. First stop: coffee and sweets at the home of Mary Ann Keeler to see her modern art collection. Next on the agenda is a visit the new Grand Rapids Art Museum to experience the building and the collection, as well as a docent-guided tour of Rapid Exposure: Warhol in Series. Lunch follows at Leo's Restaurant in downtown Grand Rapids. The day concludes at the Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park with a docent-led tour of the exhibition Degas in Bronze: The Complete Sculptures and time to explore the gardens. Cost: $85.00 per person for Friends of Kresge; $95.00 per person for general public. Click here to download a registration form (http://www.artmuseum.msu.edu/PDF/grandrapids08.pdf) or call KAM today for details (517) 353-9834. After April 21, call for space availability.

Led by art educators, art historians and museum docents, participants of Kresge Art Museum's Summer Art Camp will EXPLORE, ENJOY, and CREATE original art during the course of a week. By experiencing different ways of looking at art through interactive tours and activities in the museum, kids will then make their own original work in the studios of the MSU Department of Art. At the end of the week, participants will host an exhibition of their own artwork and tour friends and family through the museum. Ages 4th–6th grade. Sign up will begin April 1, 2008. For details and registration, download this PDF form below. For information contact Cari Wolfe at (517) 353-9834. http://www.artmuseum.msu.edu/education/summer/08_creative_kids_summer.pdf

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.

On July 10, 2008, the Michigan Humanities Council will host a Michigan Author Homecoming with critically acclaimed authors Richard Ford, Jim Harrison, and Thomas McGuane at the Wharton Center at Michigan State University (MSU). The three authors, icons of contemporary American literature, are also MSU alumni and will meet together in public for the first time. The event will be a moderated discussion among the literary giants. It will commemorate the conclusion of the 2007-08 Great Michigan Read. It is free and open to the public. The discussion will begin at 7:30 p.m., followed by a book signing. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m. Schuler Books&Music will provide on-site book sales.

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.

Hands on Japanese calligraphy with Kitty Douglass, Program Assistant, Asian Studies Center, MSU. After a brief overview of the history of calligraphy, join us for a lesson in the way of writing. All materials provided, FREE, ages 6 years and up, MUST pre-register, call for availability. Funded by the Dart Foundation.