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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260208T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260208T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893502@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260129T093302
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260208T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260208T160000
SUMMARY:Social / Informal Gathering:Student Art Meetup: Ann Arbor Fiber Arts Expo
DESCRIPTION:Looking to see art and explore Ann Arbor? Come join us on February 8th to explore the 2026 Ann Arbor Fiber Arts Expo! The expo will feature local vendors\, artists\, speakers\, and opportunities to craft. You can learn more about the schedule of events here: https://aadl.org/aafax\n\nWe will meet outside the Union Sweetwaters at 12:30 PM\, and walk together to the Ann Arbor District Library for the event (about a 15-minute walk). Hope to see you there!
UID:144749-21895808@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144749
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260209T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260209T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893503@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260209T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260209T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891445@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260123T132939
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260209T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260209T163000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Stamping and Stomping: community inspired relief prints
DESCRIPTION:Currently based in Ann Arbor\, Paloma Núñez-Regueiro is a Mexican printmaker born in Lima\, Peru. Paloma attended art college in Mexico\, where she came face to face with printmaking during her first year at the Facultad de Artes Plásticas (College of Arts) in Xalapa\, Veracruz. She became fascinated with the possibilities that printmaking offers\, as well as its importance in popular resistance throughout history. In 1997\, she transferred to the Rochester Institute of Technology with an International Student Scholarship.\n-- \n\nAmongst the subjects that interest her are human migration\, social in-visibility\, and the intrinsic relation of humans to the universe as well as our dislocated relationship to it. She currently explores the vicissitudes of minorities and their stories in order to create a better understanding of their issues. By offering portraits of minorities and their stories\, Nunez-Regueiro’s goal is to create supportive communities for those who need to feel rooted in their geographical space and their present time. \n\nNúñez-Regueiro work is closely related to her experiences of living abroad — the impermanence\, the precarious construction of one's present and even less of one’s future. It is about the rootlessness of those of us who move from place to place. She is an incessantly positive artist and she profoundly believes in art as a tool to create the social change that can lead us to thoughtful actions\, and the bettering of ourselves and our communities.
UID:144223-21894921@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144223
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:art
LOCATION:East Quadrangle - RC Art Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260209T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260209T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891358@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260209T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260209T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891564@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260107T001521
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260209T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260209T160000
SUMMARY:Other:Virtual Information Session
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a virtual\, hour-long info session on undergraduate programs at the University of Michigan Stamps School of Art &amp\; Design\, including a presentation and Q&amp\;A with current students and the admissions team.Info session times are Eastern US.\nVisit our Admissions Events page to learn more about additional upcoming events.
UID:143356-21892944@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143356
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260210T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260210T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893504@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260210T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260210T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891446@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260123T132939
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260210T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260210T163000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Stamping and Stomping: community inspired relief prints
DESCRIPTION:Currently based in Ann Arbor\, Paloma Núñez-Regueiro is a Mexican printmaker born in Lima\, Peru. Paloma attended art college in Mexico\, where she came face to face with printmaking during her first year at the Facultad de Artes Plásticas (College of Arts) in Xalapa\, Veracruz. She became fascinated with the possibilities that printmaking offers\, as well as its importance in popular resistance throughout history. In 1997\, she transferred to the Rochester Institute of Technology with an International Student Scholarship.\n-- \n\nAmongst the subjects that interest her are human migration\, social in-visibility\, and the intrinsic relation of humans to the universe as well as our dislocated relationship to it. She currently explores the vicissitudes of minorities and their stories in order to create a better understanding of their issues. By offering portraits of minorities and their stories\, Nunez-Regueiro’s goal is to create supportive communities for those who need to feel rooted in their geographical space and their present time. \n\nNúñez-Regueiro work is closely related to her experiences of living abroad — the impermanence\, the precarious construction of one's present and even less of one’s future. It is about the rootlessness of those of us who move from place to place. She is an incessantly positive artist and she profoundly believes in art as a tool to create the social change that can lead us to thoughtful actions\, and the bettering of ourselves and our communities.
UID:144223-21894922@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144223
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:art
LOCATION:East Quadrangle - RC Art Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260210T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260210T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891359@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260210T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260210T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891565@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251222T162134
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260210T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260210T130000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:LRCCS Noon Lecture Series | Legitimizing Painting as a Livelihood for \"Gentlemen\" (shi 士) in 10th–13th Century China
DESCRIPTION:One of the most paradigmatic frameworks in Song dynasty (960–1279) art history is a division between high-status\, avocational “literati” or “gentleman” (shi 士) painters and low-status\, occupational “artisan” (gong 工) painters. This presentation situates that symbolic boundary within a specific discourse of artistic appraisal\, and contrasts it with a growing acceptance of painting as a legitimate livelihood for respectable “gentlemen” in the 10th–13th centuries. By tracing the coexistence of these two conflicting perspectives on occupational painting\, and their impact on occupational painters\, it offers a new understanding of how social and symbolic boundaries were negotiated in Song art worlds.\n   \n   Zach Berge-Becker is a Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer at the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies. His research examines practices and processes of identity construction and social distinction in middle period China\, by focusing on fields of action that served as leisure for some and livelihoods for others\, such as: painting\, making music\, fishing\, gardening\, and playing board games.
UID:143073-21892018@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143073
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - 10th Floor
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893505@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891447@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260123T132939
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T163000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Stamping and Stomping: community inspired relief prints
DESCRIPTION:Currently based in Ann Arbor\, Paloma Núñez-Regueiro is a Mexican printmaker born in Lima\, Peru. Paloma attended art college in Mexico\, where she came face to face with printmaking during her first year at the Facultad de Artes Plásticas (College of Arts) in Xalapa\, Veracruz. She became fascinated with the possibilities that printmaking offers\, as well as its importance in popular resistance throughout history. In 1997\, she transferred to the Rochester Institute of Technology with an International Student Scholarship.\n-- \n\nAmongst the subjects that interest her are human migration\, social in-visibility\, and the intrinsic relation of humans to the universe as well as our dislocated relationship to it. She currently explores the vicissitudes of minorities and their stories in order to create a better understanding of their issues. By offering portraits of minorities and their stories\, Nunez-Regueiro’s goal is to create supportive communities for those who need to feel rooted in their geographical space and their present time. \n\nNúñez-Regueiro work is closely related to her experiences of living abroad — the impermanence\, the precarious construction of one's present and even less of one’s future. It is about the rootlessness of those of us who move from place to place. She is an incessantly positive artist and she profoundly believes in art as a tool to create the social change that can lead us to thoughtful actions\, and the bettering of ourselves and our communities.
UID:144223-21894923@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144223
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:art
LOCATION:East Quadrangle - RC Art Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891360@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891566@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260120T121513
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:2026 Undergraduate Juried Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:\n\nThe Stamps School’s annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition is a showcase of outstanding work produced by Stamps undergraduate students\, taking place at Stamps Gallery from January 30-February 21\, 2026. The opening reception will take place on January 30 from 6-8 p.m.\n\nA highly anticipated Stamps School tradition\, the objectives of the Undergraduate Juried Exhibition are: \n\n\n\nEncourage the creation of high-quality\, innovative art and design work.\n\nTeach students how to navigate juried exhibitions.\n\nPromote participation in Stamps’ vibrant cultural community.\nJurors\n\nCarlos Diaz is a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow and a Professor Emeritus and former chairman of the Photography Department (1995-2000) at the College for Creative Studies\, Detroit\, MI where he taught for 37 years. Diaz received a BFA from College for Creative Studies in 1980 and an MFA from the University of Michigan in 1983.\n\nPatricia Villalobos Echeverría (Nicaragua/USA)\, Professor of Art at Western Michigan University\, engages a transdisciplinary practice encompassing printmaking\, photography\, video\, installation\, and participatory frameworks to interrogate migration\, displacement\, and transformation. Exhibited internationally\, she holds a Doctor of Arts (Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art & Design)\, MFA\, and BFA\, with residencies including MacDowell and Ox-Bow.\n\n\n\nJessica Levy is the Co-Founder of Hourglass Advisory\, a New York-based art advisory firm specializing in curated collections for contemporary spaces. She holds an MFA from NYU and a BFA from the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design\, and serves on the Stamps School’s Dean’s Advisory Council. Levy’s background spans media including ceramics\, fibers\, and industrial design. \nTimeline\n\n\n\nExhibition Opening Reception at Stamps Gallery: January 30\, 6-8pm\n\nWalkthrough with the Artists & Designers: January 31\, 2-4pm\n\nExhibition Dates: January 30-February 21\, 2026\n\nFor more information\, contact sclegg@umich.edu.
UID:139627-21885814@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/139627
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881291@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260130T121705
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T190000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Build “Physical Typography” with book artist Ben Denzer
DESCRIPTION:Come explore physical typography with various tools & materials with Ben Denzer! We will be constructing the words to a typographic essay using expected tools (brushes\, crayons\, markers\, etc) and unexpected tools (shaving cream\, pasta\, string\, etc). In the process\, we’ll explore how the tools we use shape the graphic forms we are able to create.\n\nFor the workshop\, we will provide tools and materials as well. However\, we invite you to bring a few expected and a few unexpected items: Shaving cream\, pasta\, leaves\, string\, rubber bands\, stickers\, wire\, etc. Also feel free to bring whatever supplies you might have around: Pencils\, crayons\, markers\, ink and brush\, paper\, scissors\, glue\, etc.\n\nArtist Ben Denzer is no stranger to creating with unconventional materials. He's the person behind the library's legendary \"cheese book\" made of slices of Kraft American cheese singles\, as well as our meat and ketchup books. Denzer is currently an art professor in New York City and also creates editorial illustrations for The New York Times and other publications.
UID:144843-21896007@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144843
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Shapiro Library - PIE Space. Shapiro Library, First Floor
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260107T001523
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260211T180000
SUMMARY:Other:Stamps Pre-College Info Session
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an hour long virtual info session for students interested in spring\, summer\, and fall Pre-College programs at the University of Michigan Stamps School of Art &amp\; Design. Our virtual and in-person pre-college programs are offered to current high school students (grades 9-12) interested in building new skills for their creative pursuits. The info session will include a presentation and Q&amp\;A. All times are Eastern US.\nVisit our Pre-College Programs section to learn more.
UID:143357-21892945@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143357
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893506@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891448@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260123T132939
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T163000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Stamping and Stomping: community inspired relief prints
DESCRIPTION:Currently based in Ann Arbor\, Paloma Núñez-Regueiro is a Mexican printmaker born in Lima\, Peru. Paloma attended art college in Mexico\, where she came face to face with printmaking during her first year at the Facultad de Artes Plásticas (College of Arts) in Xalapa\, Veracruz. She became fascinated with the possibilities that printmaking offers\, as well as its importance in popular resistance throughout history. In 1997\, she transferred to the Rochester Institute of Technology with an International Student Scholarship.\n-- \n\nAmongst the subjects that interest her are human migration\, social in-visibility\, and the intrinsic relation of humans to the universe as well as our dislocated relationship to it. She currently explores the vicissitudes of minorities and their stories in order to create a better understanding of their issues. By offering portraits of minorities and their stories\, Nunez-Regueiro’s goal is to create supportive communities for those who need to feel rooted in their geographical space and their present time. \n\nNúñez-Regueiro work is closely related to her experiences of living abroad — the impermanence\, the precarious construction of one's present and even less of one’s future. It is about the rootlessness of those of us who move from place to place. She is an incessantly positive artist and she profoundly believes in art as a tool to create the social change that can lead us to thoughtful actions\, and the bettering of ourselves and our communities.
UID:144223-21894924@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144223
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:art
LOCATION:East Quadrangle - RC Art Gallery
CONTACT:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891361@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891567@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260120T121513
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:2026 Undergraduate Juried Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:\n\nThe Stamps School’s annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition is a showcase of outstanding work produced by Stamps undergraduate students\, taking place at Stamps Gallery from January 30-February 21\, 2026. The opening reception will take place on January 30 from 6-8 p.m.\n\nA highly anticipated Stamps School tradition\, the objectives of the Undergraduate Juried Exhibition are: \n\n\n\nEncourage the creation of high-quality\, innovative art and design work.\n\nTeach students how to navigate juried exhibitions.\n\nPromote participation in Stamps’ vibrant cultural community.\nJurors\n\nCarlos Diaz is a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow and a Professor Emeritus and former chairman of the Photography Department (1995-2000) at the College for Creative Studies\, Detroit\, MI where he taught for 37 years. Diaz received a BFA from College for Creative Studies in 1980 and an MFA from the University of Michigan in 1983.\n\nPatricia Villalobos Echeverría (Nicaragua/USA)\, Professor of Art at Western Michigan University\, engages a transdisciplinary practice encompassing printmaking\, photography\, video\, installation\, and participatory frameworks to interrogate migration\, displacement\, and transformation. Exhibited internationally\, she holds a Doctor of Arts (Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art & Design)\, MFA\, and BFA\, with residencies including MacDowell and Ox-Bow.\n\n\n\nJessica Levy is the Co-Founder of Hourglass Advisory\, a New York-based art advisory firm specializing in curated collections for contemporary spaces. She holds an MFA from NYU and a BFA from the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design\, and serves on the Stamps School’s Dean’s Advisory Council. Levy’s background spans media including ceramics\, fibers\, and industrial design. \nTimeline\n\n\n\nExhibition Opening Reception at Stamps Gallery: January 30\, 6-8pm\n\nWalkthrough with the Artists & Designers: January 31\, 2-4pm\n\nExhibition Dates: January 30-February 21\, 2026\n\nFor more information\, contact sclegg@umich.edu.
UID:139627-21885815@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/139627
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881292@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260130T122159
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T190000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Make a Victorian-Style Pocket Puzzle Purse with Jamie Vander Broek
DESCRIPTION:Puzzle purses look complicated\, but they're actually created from a single sheet of paper and require no scissors or glue. They take some practice to learn to fold\, but anyone can learn to make one\, and they make great Valentine's. \n\nLearn how to fold your own pocket puzzle purses and add embellishments to create unique paper engineered objects to give to friends and family just in time for Valentine's Day. \n\nJamie Vander Broek is the curator for Book Arts and the librarian for Art\, Design & Art History at the U-M Library. She also runs the Book Arts Studio at the Art\, Architecture and Engineering Library on North Campus.
UID:144844-21896014@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144844
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Shapiro Library - PIE Space. Shapiro Library, First Floor
CONTACT:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260208T170435
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T190000
SUMMARY:Recreational / Games:Revel Valentine's Trivia Night
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a valentines student mixer with vday-themed trivia\, crafts\, snacks\, prizes\, and more! Thursday\, February 12 from 5-7pm\, on the East Hall Third Floor Terrace. Event open to all students\, undergrad and graduate. Hosted by the Revel research project.
UID:145217-21896813@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145217
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:East Hall - Third Floor Terrace
CONTACT:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260120T181516
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T190000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:Penny Stamps Speaker Series - Basil Twist
DESCRIPTION:\n\nBasil Twist is a visionary\, third-generation puppeteer whose work has reshaped contemporary puppetry worldwide. A San Francisco native and the only American graduate of France’s École Supérieure Nationale des Arts de la Marionnette\, he gained national attention with The Araneidae Show and the ground-breaking multiple award-winning Symphonie Fantastique\, which revealed him as a singular artist of unlimited imagination. His inventive\, genre-defying productions - from Petrushka and Dogugaeshi to Arias with a Twist (co-created with nightlife icon Joey Arias) - have toured internationally. \n\nDeeply musical in nature\, Twist’s love of music has led to major opera collaborations at the Opéra Comique\, English National Opera\, Houston Grand Opera\, and Vienna State Opera. Other operatic highlights include Hansel and Gretel and La Bella Dormente Nel Bosco\, and De Falla’s Master Peters Pupper Show with Eos Orchestra. \n\nIn dance\, he has created puppetry for works by Christopher Wheeldon\, Pilobolus\, the Joffrey Ballet\, Dutch National Ballet\, San Francisco Ballet\, Royal Ballet\, and Joe Goode Dance Company\, and adapted Petrushka for symphony orchestras and City Center’s Fall for Dance. \n\nTwist created the siblings in Paula Vogel’s The Long Christmas Ride Home at Trinity Repertory\, The Long Wharf\, and The Vineyard Theatre\, including directing and designing the West Coast premiere at The Magic Theatre. He also designed the play-within-a-play for Oskar Eustis’ Hamlet at Shakespeare in the Park and worked on Des McAnuff’s Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots at La Jolla Playhouse. Broadway credits include puppetry design for Charlie and The Chocolate Factory\, Oh\, Hello!\, and The Addams Family\, as well as puppetry direction for the Pee-Wee Herman Show. A longtime collaborator with the late Lee Breuer and Mabou Mines\, Twist also worked on Peter and Wendy\, Red Beads\, and A Streetcar Named Desire at the Comédie Française.\n\nTwist has received a MacArthur Fellowship\, Rome Prize\, Guggenheim Fellowship\, Doris Duke Performing Artist Award\, USA Fellowship\, and multiple Obie\, Drama Desk\, Bessie\, UNIMA\, and Henry Hewes Awards. He directs the internationally recognized Dream Music Puppetry Program at HERE in New York City.\n\n\nThis project was made possible by a grant from the Arts Initiative at the University of Michigan.\n\nSeries presenting partners: Detroit PBS\, ALL ARTS\, and PBS Books. Media partner: Michigan Public.
UID:142730-21891308@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142730
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251222T090325
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T193000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:Bowerbirds: Optimization\, The Evolution of Aesthetics\, and Art
DESCRIPTION:Native to Australia and Papua New Guinea\, bowerbirds’ uniquely curatorial behavior has long fascinated ornithologists and evolutionary biologists\, who cannot explain their creative process. Different birds choose and arrange objects in surprisingly different ways. They are often described as the artists of the animal world because their creations are as difficult to understand as those of human artists. Their arrangements demonstrate a sensitivity to scale\, composition\, texture\, and the interaction of color. There is no way to express their process as a step-by-step algorithm or optimization problem. Like human art\, their compositions transcend easily measurable metrics like efficiency\, quantity\, and strength. Bowerbot is a robotic bowerbird that transforms an empty gallery space by arranging colorful objects such as flowers\, leaves\, and trash. Visitors will offer Bowerbot objects\, which it might accept or reject. Using artificial intelligence (AI) trained on photographs of bowerbirds’ elaborate bowers\, Bowerbot will learn how male bowerbirds create “artworks” to attract a mate.
UID:143058-21891991@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143058
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Dana Building - 1040
CONTACT:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260127T141458
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260212T203000
SUMMARY:Performance:RC Music Forum – Open Mic Night
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an open mic night in the Keene Theater! Come sing karaoke\, dance\, read a poem\, and perform!\n\nOpen Mic Nights are hosted by RC Music Forum. Please contact Maya Liljegren (iammaya@umich.edu) with questions. Free and open to the UM community.
UID:144627-21895596@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144627
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:East Quadrangle - Keene Theater
CONTACT:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893507@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891449@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260123T132939
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T163000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Stamping and Stomping: community inspired relief prints
DESCRIPTION:Currently based in Ann Arbor\, Paloma Núñez-Regueiro is a Mexican printmaker born in Lima\, Peru. Paloma attended art college in Mexico\, where she came face to face with printmaking during her first year at the Facultad de Artes Plásticas (College of Arts) in Xalapa\, Veracruz. She became fascinated with the possibilities that printmaking offers\, as well as its importance in popular resistance throughout history. In 1997\, she transferred to the Rochester Institute of Technology with an International Student Scholarship.\n-- \n\nAmongst the subjects that interest her are human migration\, social in-visibility\, and the intrinsic relation of humans to the universe as well as our dislocated relationship to it. She currently explores the vicissitudes of minorities and their stories in order to create a better understanding of their issues. By offering portraits of minorities and their stories\, Nunez-Regueiro’s goal is to create supportive communities for those who need to feel rooted in their geographical space and their present time. \n\nNúñez-Regueiro work is closely related to her experiences of living abroad — the impermanence\, the precarious construction of one's present and even less of one’s future. It is about the rootlessness of those of us who move from place to place. She is an incessantly positive artist and she profoundly believes in art as a tool to create the social change that can lead us to thoughtful actions\, and the bettering of ourselves and our communities.
UID:144223-21894925@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144223
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:art
LOCATION:East Quadrangle - RC Art Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891362@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891568@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260211T150615
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T130000
SUMMARY:Social / Informal Gathering:Revel Vday Card Making Event
DESCRIPTION:Revel is hosting a valentine's card making event for those in need of a last minute valentine or a little extra cheer. Swing by the first floor of the Union this Friday\, February 13 from 10am-1pm to make a card for yourself\, a pal\, or your secret crush. We'll have card making supplies plus origami squares. See you Friday!
UID:145372-21897202@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145372
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Michigan Union - First Floor Lobby A
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260120T121513
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:2026 Undergraduate Juried Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:\n\nThe Stamps School’s annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition is a showcase of outstanding work produced by Stamps undergraduate students\, taking place at Stamps Gallery from January 30-February 21\, 2026. The opening reception will take place on January 30 from 6-8 p.m.\n\nA highly anticipated Stamps School tradition\, the objectives of the Undergraduate Juried Exhibition are: \n\n\n\nEncourage the creation of high-quality\, innovative art and design work.\n\nTeach students how to navigate juried exhibitions.\n\nPromote participation in Stamps’ vibrant cultural community.\nJurors\n\nCarlos Diaz is a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow and a Professor Emeritus and former chairman of the Photography Department (1995-2000) at the College for Creative Studies\, Detroit\, MI where he taught for 37 years. Diaz received a BFA from College for Creative Studies in 1980 and an MFA from the University of Michigan in 1983.\n\nPatricia Villalobos Echeverría (Nicaragua/USA)\, Professor of Art at Western Michigan University\, engages a transdisciplinary practice encompassing printmaking\, photography\, video\, installation\, and participatory frameworks to interrogate migration\, displacement\, and transformation. Exhibited internationally\, she holds a Doctor of Arts (Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art & Design)\, MFA\, and BFA\, with residencies including MacDowell and Ox-Bow.\n\n\n\nJessica Levy is the Co-Founder of Hourglass Advisory\, a New York-based art advisory firm specializing in curated collections for contemporary spaces. She holds an MFA from NYU and a BFA from the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design\, and serves on the Stamps School’s Dean’s Advisory Council. Levy’s background spans media including ceramics\, fibers\, and industrial design. \nTimeline\n\n\n\nExhibition Opening Reception at Stamps Gallery: January 30\, 6-8pm\n\nWalkthrough with the Artists & Designers: January 31\, 2-4pm\n\nExhibition Dates: January 30-February 21\, 2026\n\nFor more information\, contact sclegg@umich.edu.
UID:139627-21885816@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/139627
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881293@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260212T153351
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260213T220000
SUMMARY:Performance:Hot Singles Near You: A FREE Improv Comedy Show!
DESCRIPTION:Want to laugh with some hot singles near you? You'll find The Impro-Fessionals on Feb. 13th @8pm\, Angell Hall Auditorium C! You won't want to miss this free\, romantic\, improvised comedy show! With a special feature from our friends\, GROOVE!
UID:145211-21896807@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145211
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Angell Hall - Auditorium C
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260214T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260214T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893508@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260120T121513
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260214T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260214T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:2026 Undergraduate Juried Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:\n\nThe Stamps School’s annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition is a showcase of outstanding work produced by Stamps undergraduate students\, taking place at Stamps Gallery from January 30-February 21\, 2026. The opening reception will take place on January 30 from 6-8 p.m.\n\nA highly anticipated Stamps School tradition\, the objectives of the Undergraduate Juried Exhibition are: \n\n\n\nEncourage the creation of high-quality\, innovative art and design work.\n\nTeach students how to navigate juried exhibitions.\n\nPromote participation in Stamps’ vibrant cultural community.\nJurors\n\nCarlos Diaz is a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow and a Professor Emeritus and former chairman of the Photography Department (1995-2000) at the College for Creative Studies\, Detroit\, MI where he taught for 37 years. Diaz received a BFA from College for Creative Studies in 1980 and an MFA from the University of Michigan in 1983.\n\nPatricia Villalobos Echeverría (Nicaragua/USA)\, Professor of Art at Western Michigan University\, engages a transdisciplinary practice encompassing printmaking\, photography\, video\, installation\, and participatory frameworks to interrogate migration\, displacement\, and transformation. Exhibited internationally\, she holds a Doctor of Arts (Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art & Design)\, MFA\, and BFA\, with residencies including MacDowell and Ox-Bow.\n\n\n\nJessica Levy is the Co-Founder of Hourglass Advisory\, a New York-based art advisory firm specializing in curated collections for contemporary spaces. She holds an MFA from NYU and a BFA from the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design\, and serves on the Stamps School’s Dean’s Advisory Council. Levy’s background spans media including ceramics\, fibers\, and industrial design. \nTimeline\n\n\n\nExhibition Opening Reception at Stamps Gallery: January 30\, 6-8pm\n\nWalkthrough with the Artists & Designers: January 31\, 2-4pm\n\nExhibition Dates: January 30-February 21\, 2026\n\nFor more information\, contact sclegg@umich.edu.
UID:139627-21885817@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/139627
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260214T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260214T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881294@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260121T133411
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260215T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260215T235900
SUMMARY:Other:Unveil: A Privacy@Michigan Student Art Contest Deadline
DESCRIPTION:The deadline for submitting work to the 2026 Unveil Privacy@Michigan student art contest is 11:59 p.m. (one minute before midnight) Eastern Time on February 15. No late submissions will be accepted. The contest is open to enrolled University of Michigan graduate and undergraduate students on all three campuses. The contest is free to enter. For contest descriptions and guidelines\, see safecomputing.umich.edu/unveil.
UID:144263-21895047@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144263
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260215T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260215T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893509@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260116T125545
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260215T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260215T150000
SUMMARY:Tours:Sunday Drop-In Tour | Everything Old Is New Again
DESCRIPTION:This drop-in tour examines the fascinating overlaps found in artworks\, whether created in the ancient Mediterranean\, during the European Renaissance\, or in the modern era. “Everything Old Is New Again” explores artifacts within the Kelsey\, likening them to more recent famous works of art found outside the museum’s walls.  Works such as Marc Chagall’s *I and the Village* will be compared to the Djehutymose coffin\, and we will discuss Kelsey’s naturalistic Fayum portrait in comparison to Leonardo da Vinci’s *Mona Lisa*\, to name a few. This tour will make about eight stops within the Kelsey\, accompanied by large photographs of artwork outside the museum.\n\nThis event is free and open to all visitors. If you have any questions or concerns regarding accessing this event\, please visit our accessibility page at https://myumi.ch/zwPkd or contact the education office by calling (734) 647-4167. We ask for advance notice as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.
UID:144025-21894542@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144025
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Kelsey Museum of Archaeology
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260202T163638
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260215T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260215T163000
SUMMARY:Performance:VIVE
DESCRIPTION:Amidst the French Revolution\, witness a love story of thieves\, aristocrats\, and revolutionaries. This event is a staged reading of Act 1 of VIVE: A Tale of Criminal Love- a new musical written by Ryan Buyers and Bethany Caldarona. \n\nPresented as part of Ryan's capstone with the RC Drama Program.\n\nEvent begins at 3pm on Sunday\, February 15th\, in the Keene Theater. Free and open to the public. Seating is first come first served.
UID:144629-21895599@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144629
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:East Quadrangle - Keene Theater
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260216T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260216T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893510@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260216T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260216T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891452@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260216T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260216T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891365@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260216T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260216T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891571@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260217T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260217T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893511@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260217T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260217T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891453@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260217T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260217T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891366@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260217T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260217T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891572@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260213T130119
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260217T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260217T183000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:Museo Moderno: A Values-driven Model that Positions Art and Artists as Central to Human\, Economic\, and Democratic Development
DESCRIPTION:How does art lead the way in creating our possible futures? How do the human imagination and the agency and actions of art free the potential for wonder\, for hope\, optimism and joy\, to confront times of agony\, trauma and fear? In what ways do artists of all disciplines from around the world dare still to dream of different\, alternative futures for humanity\, to envision previously unimagined paths forward? How does art furnish humanity with the means to mourn\, mitigate\, overcome\, and bring solace and healing to the world’s deep antagonisms and conflicts?\n\nIn this lecture\, Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires Director Victoria Noorthoorn will describe the values-driven transformation of this vibrant museum of modern and contemporary art in Buenos Aires throughout her leadership over the past 12 years. Noorthoorn has persistently worked towards creating a new model for a public museum in Argentina – and in doing so\, she has created a new museum model – that positions art and artists as drivers of educational\, social\, economic\, and civic development.
UID:145027-21896562@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145027
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Museum of Art - Helmut Stern Auditorium
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893512@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891454@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891367@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891573@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260120T121513
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:2026 Undergraduate Juried Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:\n\nThe Stamps School’s annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition is a showcase of outstanding work produced by Stamps undergraduate students\, taking place at Stamps Gallery from January 30-February 21\, 2026. The opening reception will take place on January 30 from 6-8 p.m.\n\nA highly anticipated Stamps School tradition\, the objectives of the Undergraduate Juried Exhibition are: \n\n\n\nEncourage the creation of high-quality\, innovative art and design work.\n\nTeach students how to navigate juried exhibitions.\n\nPromote participation in Stamps’ vibrant cultural community.\nJurors\n\nCarlos Diaz is a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow and a Professor Emeritus and former chairman of the Photography Department (1995-2000) at the College for Creative Studies\, Detroit\, MI where he taught for 37 years. Diaz received a BFA from College for Creative Studies in 1980 and an MFA from the University of Michigan in 1983.\n\nPatricia Villalobos Echeverría (Nicaragua/USA)\, Professor of Art at Western Michigan University\, engages a transdisciplinary practice encompassing printmaking\, photography\, video\, installation\, and participatory frameworks to interrogate migration\, displacement\, and transformation. Exhibited internationally\, she holds a Doctor of Arts (Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art & Design)\, MFA\, and BFA\, with residencies including MacDowell and Ox-Bow.\n\n\n\nJessica Levy is the Co-Founder of Hourglass Advisory\, a New York-based art advisory firm specializing in curated collections for contemporary spaces. She holds an MFA from NYU and a BFA from the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design\, and serves on the Stamps School’s Dean’s Advisory Council. Levy’s background spans media including ceramics\, fibers\, and industrial design. \nTimeline\n\n\n\nExhibition Opening Reception at Stamps Gallery: January 30\, 6-8pm\n\nWalkthrough with the Artists & Designers: January 31\, 2-4pm\n\nExhibition Dates: January 30-February 21\, 2026\n\nFor more information\, contact sclegg@umich.edu.
UID:139627-21885818@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/139627
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881295@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20250904T085750
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T130000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:DAAS Faculty Forum
DESCRIPTION:In the spirit of creating stronger departmental connections\,  DAAS is presenting a faculty forum in honor of DAAS's 55th anniversary. Members of the DAAS faculty will discuss their projects\, research\, and/or publications to share more about their work and interests. The DAAS Faculty Forum will be held monthly on Wednesdays at noon.\n\nSeptember 17 - Stephen Ward\, Associate Director of the Residential College\; Arthur F Thurnau Professor\; Associate Professor of Afroamerican and African Studies\; Associate Professor in the Residential College\n\nOctober 22 - Magdalena Zaborowska\, Chair and Professor of American Culture\, Professor of Afroamerican and African Studies\n\nNovember 5 - Jessica Walker\, Assistant Professor of Afroamerican and African Studies\; Assistant Professor of American Culture\n\nDecember 3 - Al Young Jr.\, Associate Director of Center for Social Solutions\; Arthur F Thurnau Professor\; Edgar G. Epps Collegiate Professor of Sociology\; Professor of Afroamerican and African studies\; Professor of Public Policy\n\nJanuary 21- Aliyah Khan\, Director of the Global Islamic Studies Center\, International Institute\; Associate Professor of English\; Associate Professor of Afroamerican and African Studies\n\nFebruary 18 - Scott Ellsworth\, Teaching Professor in Afroamerican and African Studies\n\nMarch 25 - Saraellen Strongman\, Assistant Professor of Afroamerican and African Studies\n\nApril 8 - David Doris\, Associate Professor of Afroamerican and African Studies\; Associate Professor of African Art and Visual Culture
UID:137882-21881025@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/137882
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Haven Hall - 4701 Haven Hall (DAAS Conference Room)
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260204T123108
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T183000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Wear Your Impact: Sustainable Screen Printing
DESCRIPTION:Learn about sustainable screen printing and how creative choices can reduce environmental impact! The Planet Blue Ambassador program\, Planet Blue Student Leaders\, and the Center for Campus Involvement will lead an educational workshop exploring how the textile industry affects water use\, waste\, and chemical pollution\, and how more sustainable practices help protect our planet. \n\nAttendees will then have the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned by screen printing a reusable tote bag\, highlighting how everyday design decisions can support sustainability and waste reduction!\n\nParticipants will be meeting at the Creation Studio at the Michigan Union\, from 5:00-6:30 pm. Please arrive on time for your time slot to ensure you can fully participate in the workshop. You will receive an email to confirm your attendance.\n\nThe event is free and open to any U-M community member\, but registration is required. Space is limited for this program\, so please confirm your attendance for this event. Please email pba-information@umich.edu with questions or if you are no longer able to join this event after registering.
UID:144104-21894664@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144104
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Michigan Union - Creation Studio in the IdeaHub (Floor 2M)
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260209T134104
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260218T200000
SUMMARY:Film Screening:Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire
DESCRIPTION:Eighty years after his liberation from Buchenwald\, we seek to understand the man behind Elie Wiesel's searing and widely read memoir Night. Told largely through his own words and eloquent voice\, Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire seeks to penetrate to the heart of the known and unknown Elie Wiesel (1928-2016) — his passions\, his conflicts and his legacy as one of the most public survivors of the Holocaust. With unique access to personal archives\, original interviews\, and employing hand-painted animation\, the film illuminates Wiesel’s biography as a survivor\, writer\, teacher and public figure.\n\nAfter the film\, stay for a discussion between one of the film’s producers\, Patti Askwith Kenner\, and Wallenberg Institute director Jeffrey Veidlinger.\n\nCo-presented by the University Musical Society (UMS)\, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of the University of Michigan\, and the Michigan Theater.
UID:145246-21896924@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145246
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location - Screening Room
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893513@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891455@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891368@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891574@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260120T121513
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:2026 Undergraduate Juried Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:\n\nThe Stamps School’s annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition is a showcase of outstanding work produced by Stamps undergraduate students\, taking place at Stamps Gallery from January 30-February 21\, 2026. The opening reception will take place on January 30 from 6-8 p.m.\n\nA highly anticipated Stamps School tradition\, the objectives of the Undergraduate Juried Exhibition are: \n\n\n\nEncourage the creation of high-quality\, innovative art and design work.\n\nTeach students how to navigate juried exhibitions.\n\nPromote participation in Stamps’ vibrant cultural community.\nJurors\n\nCarlos Diaz is a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow and a Professor Emeritus and former chairman of the Photography Department (1995-2000) at the College for Creative Studies\, Detroit\, MI where he taught for 37 years. Diaz received a BFA from College for Creative Studies in 1980 and an MFA from the University of Michigan in 1983.\n\nPatricia Villalobos Echeverría (Nicaragua/USA)\, Professor of Art at Western Michigan University\, engages a transdisciplinary practice encompassing printmaking\, photography\, video\, installation\, and participatory frameworks to interrogate migration\, displacement\, and transformation. Exhibited internationally\, she holds a Doctor of Arts (Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art & Design)\, MFA\, and BFA\, with residencies including MacDowell and Ox-Bow.\n\n\n\nJessica Levy is the Co-Founder of Hourglass Advisory\, a New York-based art advisory firm specializing in curated collections for contemporary spaces. She holds an MFA from NYU and a BFA from the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design\, and serves on the Stamps School’s Dean’s Advisory Council. Levy’s background spans media including ceramics\, fibers\, and industrial design. \nTimeline\n\n\n\nExhibition Opening Reception at Stamps Gallery: January 30\, 6-8pm\n\nWalkthrough with the Artists & Designers: January 31\, 2-4pm\n\nExhibition Dates: January 30-February 21\, 2026\n\nFor more information\, contact sclegg@umich.edu.
UID:139627-21885819@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/139627
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881296@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260206T111400
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T190000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Student Poetry Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Come together around to share a poem you’ve written and gain feedback from other writers. Poet and U-M Anthropology graduate student Caroline New will lead small groups in which each person will read their poem and have a conversation with other writers about their work. This will be a safe space to share\, ask questions\, and uplift fellow writers in our poetry community. New writers are welcome!\n\n*Limited seating available\, registration required. No prior experience required\, all materials will be provided.*
UID:145085-21896649@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145085
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Michigan Union - The Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA) - Room 3000
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260120T181516
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T190000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:Penny Stamps Speaker Series - vanessa german
DESCRIPTION:\n\nvanessa german is a leading citizen artist working in sculpture\, performance\, and communal ritual to cultivate spiritual models for transforming human experience. Establishing her own self-taught approach and distinctive artistic language\, german’s influential practice employs mineral crystals\, beads\, glass\, found objects\, and other sourced material to create expressive figurative sculptures that resound through the physical and metaphysical worlds. Her unique sculptural vocabulary transmits healing energy\, affirming the power of love as an infinite human technology by exploring the evolution of creative power and practice as citizen artist through activism\, revolutionary love\, and expanded consciousness. \n\ngerman’s sculptures are as much defined by their tangible elements as their transcendental properties\, a combination which the artist describes as the ingredients of her work. Since the early 2010s\, she has assembled ritualistic structures known as power figures using glass\, beads\, gemstones\, nails\, wood\, and other objects. Whether mineral crystals originating in the earth millennia ago\, or cobalt blue bottles resembling those used in bottle tree traditions for generations\, every object chosen by german channels frequencies that span its entire existence. Channeling precolonial and African diasporic traditions\, her figures allude to the Kongo nkisi nkondi\, each charged by the protective and restorative spirits that complement their physical materials. Guided by her own creativity\, imagination and curiosity\, german follows her intuition about the capacity for objects to tell stories\, creating sculptures that resonate deeply with those who encounter them.\n\ngerman has received numerous accolades over the course of her career\, including the Joyce Foundation Fellowship\, Heinz Award for the Arts\, Don Tyson Prize from the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art\, United States Artist Grant\, Jacob Lawrence Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters\, and the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Grant. She has staged solo and two-person exhibitions at the NSU Art Museum\, Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago\, The Contemporary Dayton\, Montclair Art Museum\, Mt. Holyoke College Art Museum\, The Frick Pittsburgh\, The Union for Contemporary Art\, Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia\, Flint Institute of Arts\, Figge Art Museum\, Mattress Factory\, and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art\, among other museums. She has participated in group exhibitions at major venues including The National Mall\, ICA Philadelphia\, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art\, Buffalo AKG\, and elsewhere.\n\nPresented in partnership with the University of Michigan Museum of Art. \n\nThis project was made possible by a grant from the Arts Initiative at the University of Michigan.\n\nSeries presenting partners: Detroit PBS\, ALL ARTS\, and PBS Books. Media partner: Michigan Public.\n
UID:142731-21891309@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142731
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260210T101837
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260219T194000
SUMMARY:Presentation:GREENHOUSE
DESCRIPTION:GREENHOUSE is an environmental dance research project focused on bridging the gap between humans and the natural world. The 20 minute performance restaged for the beautiful Matthaei conservatory emerges from movement research devised in site specific locations. The work delves into how human relationship to the environment has been degraded over time leading to the environmental catastrophe we live in today. Interaction between bodies\, as well as space\, explores how this relationship to nature can be restored to ensure a sustainable future. This project is funded by the EXCEL Enterprise Fund and the Arts Initiative Student Mini Grant.\n\nThis event is free and open to the public\, no registration required Performance will be conducted in the round and is standing room only - Seating is available upon request to Event Coordinator Alexis Ford forda@umich.edu.\n\nKaitlyn Wilson is a senior at the University of Michigan earning a Dance BFA and Environmental Studies BA with a specialization in Environmental Behavior and Communication. Using her background in ecological research and her deep understanding of environmental systems she aims to create meaningful performances that investigate how humans can adapt to our changing world.
UID:143888-21894214@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143888
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Matthaei Botanical Gardens - Conservatory
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260220T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260220T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893514@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260220T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260220T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891456@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260220T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260220T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891369@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260220T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260220T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891575@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260120T121513
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260220T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260220T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:2026 Undergraduate Juried Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:\n\nThe Stamps School’s annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition is a showcase of outstanding work produced by Stamps undergraduate students\, taking place at Stamps Gallery from January 30-February 21\, 2026. The opening reception will take place on January 30 from 6-8 p.m.\n\nA highly anticipated Stamps School tradition\, the objectives of the Undergraduate Juried Exhibition are: \n\n\n\nEncourage the creation of high-quality\, innovative art and design work.\n\nTeach students how to navigate juried exhibitions.\n\nPromote participation in Stamps’ vibrant cultural community.\nJurors\n\nCarlos Diaz is a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow and a Professor Emeritus and former chairman of the Photography Department (1995-2000) at the College for Creative Studies\, Detroit\, MI where he taught for 37 years. Diaz received a BFA from College for Creative Studies in 1980 and an MFA from the University of Michigan in 1983.\n\nPatricia Villalobos Echeverría (Nicaragua/USA)\, Professor of Art at Western Michigan University\, engages a transdisciplinary practice encompassing printmaking\, photography\, video\, installation\, and participatory frameworks to interrogate migration\, displacement\, and transformation. Exhibited internationally\, she holds a Doctor of Arts (Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art & Design)\, MFA\, and BFA\, with residencies including MacDowell and Ox-Bow.\n\n\n\nJessica Levy is the Co-Founder of Hourglass Advisory\, a New York-based art advisory firm specializing in curated collections for contemporary spaces. She holds an MFA from NYU and a BFA from the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design\, and serves on the Stamps School’s Dean’s Advisory Council. Levy’s background spans media including ceramics\, fibers\, and industrial design. \nTimeline\n\n\n\nExhibition Opening Reception at Stamps Gallery: January 30\, 6-8pm\n\nWalkthrough with the Artists & Designers: January 31\, 2-4pm\n\nExhibition Dates: January 30-February 21\, 2026\n\nFor more information\, contact sclegg@umich.edu.
UID:139627-21885820@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/139627
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260220T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260220T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881297@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260221T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260221T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893515@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260120T121513
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260221T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260221T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:2026 Undergraduate Juried Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:\n\nThe Stamps School’s annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition is a showcase of outstanding work produced by Stamps undergraduate students\, taking place at Stamps Gallery from January 30-February 21\, 2026. The opening reception will take place on January 30 from 6-8 p.m.\n\nA highly anticipated Stamps School tradition\, the objectives of the Undergraduate Juried Exhibition are: \n\n\n\nEncourage the creation of high-quality\, innovative art and design work.\n\nTeach students how to navigate juried exhibitions.\n\nPromote participation in Stamps’ vibrant cultural community.\nJurors\n\nCarlos Diaz is a 2024 Guggenheim Fellow and a Professor Emeritus and former chairman of the Photography Department (1995-2000) at the College for Creative Studies\, Detroit\, MI where he taught for 37 years. Diaz received a BFA from College for Creative Studies in 1980 and an MFA from the University of Michigan in 1983.\n\nPatricia Villalobos Echeverría (Nicaragua/USA)\, Professor of Art at Western Michigan University\, engages a transdisciplinary practice encompassing printmaking\, photography\, video\, installation\, and participatory frameworks to interrogate migration\, displacement\, and transformation. Exhibited internationally\, she holds a Doctor of Arts (Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art & Design)\, MFA\, and BFA\, with residencies including MacDowell and Ox-Bow.\n\n\n\nJessica Levy is the Co-Founder of Hourglass Advisory\, a New York-based art advisory firm specializing in curated collections for contemporary spaces. She holds an MFA from NYU and a BFA from the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design\, and serves on the Stamps School’s Dean’s Advisory Council. Levy’s background spans media including ceramics\, fibers\, and industrial design. \nTimeline\n\n\n\nExhibition Opening Reception at Stamps Gallery: January 30\, 6-8pm\n\nWalkthrough with the Artists & Designers: January 31\, 2-4pm\n\nExhibition Dates: January 30-February 21\, 2026\n\nFor more information\, contact sclegg@umich.edu.
UID:139627-21885821@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/139627
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260221T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260221T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881298@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260120T121516
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260221T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260221T153000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Be Well: Art\, Design & Wellness Series - Common Thread — Stitching in the Gallery
DESCRIPTION:\n\nJoin us at Stamps Gallery for a hands-on embroidery workshop open to all skill levels. Participants will learn foundational embroidery stitches—including back stitch\, chain stitch\, satin stitch\, and French knots—while spending time with the artwork on view. Embroidery is a slow\, thoughtful craft that asks us to look closely and work with care\; together\, we’ll apply that same attentiveness to the gallery\, noticing what emerges when we slow down to view the art on display.\n\nPrior experience is not required. Free and open to the public. \n\nLimited space available\, registration required. Each workshop is presented as an individual session\; participants are not required to attend both sessions.\n
UID:144187-21894809@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144187
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260205T094551
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260221T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260221T160000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Be Well: Art\, Design & Wellness Series: Common Thread — Stitching in the Gallery
DESCRIPTION:Join us at the Stamps Gallery for a hands-on embroidery workshop open to all skill levels. Participants will learn foundational embroidery stitches—including back stitch\, chain stitch\, satin stitch\, and French knots—while spending time with the artwork on view. Embroidery is a slow\, thoughtful craft that asks us to look closely and work with care\; together\, we’ll apply that same attentiveness to the gallery\, noticing what emerges when we slow down to view the art on display. \n\nThis event is free an open to the public. Prior experience is not required and all supplies will be provided. \nLimited space available\, registration required. Each Be Well workshop is presented as an individual session\; participants are not required to attend other sessions.
UID:144007-21894523@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144007
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260219T122602
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260221T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260221T190000
SUMMARY:Fair / Festival:WhatTheF! Magazine Art Fair
DESCRIPTION:Come browse and shop our art fair featuring feminist\, LGBTQ+\, BIPOC\, etc. artists! \nFebruary 21st\, 2026 \n5:00-7:00 PM \nMichigan Union - Kuenzel Room
UID:145733-21897744@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145733
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Michigan Union - Kuenzel Room
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260222T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260222T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893516@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260223T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260223T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893517@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260223T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260223T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891459@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260223T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260223T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891372@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260223T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260223T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891578@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260107T001524
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260223T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260223T160000
SUMMARY:Other:Transfer Student Info Session
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an hour long virtual info session for undergraduate students interested in transferring to the University of Michigan Stamps School of Art &amp\; Design from another school or college. The info session will include a presentation and Q&amp\;A with current students and the admissions team.Info session times are Eastern US.\nVisit our Admissions Events page to learn more about additional upcoming events.
UID:143358-21892946@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143358
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260215T151744
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260223T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260223T200000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Don't Discard\, Develop: An Arts and Anger Exploration
DESCRIPTION:What makes you angry? How do you discard of it? What would art about your anger look like? In this printmaking workshop\, explore discard studies and what it could mean to transform your anger!\n\nMDining will provide a special dinner menu highlighting ways to repurpose food that would otherwise be discarded.
UID:144414-21895324@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144414
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Michigan League - Michigan room
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260224T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260224T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893518@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260224T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260224T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891460@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260224T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260224T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891373@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260224T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260224T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891579@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260224T110543
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260224T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260224T163000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:CANCELED: DSI Lecture Series | Trans Ecologies of the Real and the Virtual in Contemporary Art
DESCRIPTION:For the survival of all our ecologies\, we must refuse human centricity and build networks of care across lines of species and liveliness. This talk stitches a line from trans people to an expanded conception of trans\, using a focus on trans ecological poetics to go beyond a focus on the human. I broaden the operation of “trans” in trans media studies to include non-human movements\, such as those made by animals\, viruses\, and movements across the boundaries between different environments. Trans media studies can extend the fields of media studies\, transgender studies\, and trans of color studies to connect more deeply to and through non-human entities. Still\, any injunction for queer and trans studies to go beyond the human must reconcile with the history of trans\, Palestinian\, Black\, and Indigenous people being deemed less than human. In this talk\, I use the method of algorithmic analysis proposed in my book *Poetic Operations: Trans of Color Art in Digital Media* (Duke UP\, 2022) to explore the operations that make up the poetics of three contemporary artworks—*Sin Sol* (2020)\, an augmented reality installation I created with the Critical Realities Studio\, *Acoustic Ocean* (2018)\, a short film by Ursula Biemann and “Of Whales”\, a film created using virtual reality created by Wu Tsang.\n\nmicha cárdenas\, PhD\, MFA\, is an artist\, author and Professor of Critical Race & Ethnic Studies at the University of California\, Santa Cruz. She is the director of the Critical Realities Studio. Her debut novel* Atoms Never Touch* (AK Press 2023) imagines trans latina love crossing multiple quantum realities. Her academic monograph P*oetic Operations : Trans of Color Art in Digital Media* (Duke UP 2022) was the co-winner of the Gloria Anzaldúa Book Prize in 2022 from the National Women’s Studies Association “for groundbreaking monographs in women’s studies that makes significant multicultural feminist contributions to women of color/transnational scholarship”. cárdenas was a winner of the 2022 Anonymous Was a Woman artist award. She is currently working on her next academic monograph* After Man: Trans Ecologies and Climate Justice*\, as well as *The Probability Engine*\, a multi-disciplinary artwork imagining futures of climate justice. She is a first generation Colombian American.\n\nWe strive to make our events accessible to all participants. This will be a virtual event held in an online meeting space. Please register in advance for the online Zoom Webinar here: https://myumi.ch/G23ey. \n\nCART captioning will be provided. If you anticipate needing additional accommodations to participate\, please email Eric Mancini at dsi-administration@umich.edu. Please note that some accommodations must be arranged in advance\, and we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible.\n\nCo-Sponsors: American Culture\; Center for Ethics\, Society\, and Computing\; DISCO Network\; English Language & Literature\; Film\, Television\, and Media\; History of Art\; Institute for Research on Women & Gender\; Penny W. Stamps School of Art\; Science\, Technology\, and Public Policy\; Spectrum Center\; and the Trans Studies Collective.
UID:142502-21891048@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142502
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260204T201143
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260224T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260224T200000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Learn Korean Drumming with Sinaboro
DESCRIPTION:Interested in drumming? Join this free student workshop to learn Korean folk rhythms. No experience necessary!\n\nThe Arts Initiative's \"Learn/With\" workshops are designed to give students a chance to explore an artform or skill that's new to them by learning with their peers in one of U-M's many student arts orgs. Take a chance and see if it's your new thing!
UID:145086-21896648@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145086
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Michigan Union - Movement Studio 2401
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260212T112204
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260224T185000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260224T213000
SUMMARY:Social / Informal Gathering:Student Art Meetup: Concert at the Ark Emily Scott Robinson
DESCRIPTION:Are you looking to go to a concert and want to go with a small group? Come join us for a free concert at The Ark! Snacks will be provided! This event spotlights country musician Emily Scott Robinson and her 2026 release\, Appalachia. Learn more about the event and preview Robinson's music here: https://theark.org/event/emily-scott-robinson-260224/\n\nWe will meet right outside the Sweetwaters in the Michigan Union at 6:50 PM\, and walk together for 15 minutes to The Ark\, a live music venue in downtown Ann Arbor. Hope to see you there!
UID:144752-21895809@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144752
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260225T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260225T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893519@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260225T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260225T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891461@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260225T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260225T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891374@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260225T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260225T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891580@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260225T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260225T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881299@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260206T161202
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260225T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260225T173000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:An Operatic Reimagining of The Handmaid’s Tale: Gender\, Power\, and Reproductive Justice
DESCRIPTION:In 1985\, Margaret Atwood\, The Handmaid’s Tale\, envisioned a theocratic regime that systematically stripped women and gender-diverse people of their reproductive freedom. Although Atwood’s narrative is fiction\, the realities of forced reproduction and restricted bodily autonomy have long impacted women of color\, low-income women\, disabled women\, and people of diverse gender identities\, making this story compelling and profoundly relevant today.  The novel’s evolution into a television show and now\, an opera reflects its sustained cultural and political resonance. This event\, co-hosted by the Detroit Opera and the University of Michigan’s Center for History\, Humanities\, Arts\, Social Sciences\, and Ethics in Medicine\, will feature a free\, moderated discussion about the operatic adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale. Together\, we will explore how artistic representations can stimulate important conversations about reproductive justice\, structural power\, and the ongoing struggles faced by women and people of marginalized genders. Through centering the role of art in social critique and activism\, this event aims to deepen understanding of gender and sexuality in the context of contemporary debates surrounding reproductive rights.
UID:145187-21896776@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145187
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Palmer Commons - Forum Hall
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260109T123005
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260226T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260226T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:LACS Exhibition. Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador
DESCRIPTION:*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador*\nCurator: Ryan B. Morrison | Curatorial Assistant: Isabella H. de Lemos\n\nFebruary 2-26\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\n*Back in Bahia: The Repatriation Journey of Afro-Brazilian Art from Detroit to Salvador* traces one of the largest repatriation efforts of Afro-Brazilian art to date. Led by the Detroit-based nonprofit Con/Vida: Popular Arts of the Americas\, the initiative is returning more than 750 works of Afro-Brazilian popular art to Salvador\, Bahia\, where they will enter the collection of the National Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture (MUNCAB). Built over three decades through sustained relationships with artists\, families\, and workshops across Northeastern Brazil\, the collection reflects the creative ingenuity\, community memory\, and diasporic traditions that define Afro-Brazilian popular art.\n\nThis exhibition highlights selected works from the broader repatriation effort\, recognizing the artists and cultural stewards in Brazil and Michigan who made this historic return possible. Featured are woodcut prints by João Francisco Borges\, Nilo dos Santos\, Givanildo Francisco da Silva\, and José Miguel da Silva\, alongside examples of *literatura de cordel*—popular printed booklets that combine social commentary\, folklore\, poetry\, and song.\n\nFurther reading and details are available in Portuguese and English at https://myumi.ch/61G23.\n\nPresented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Institute for the Humanities
UID:143613-21893520@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143613
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260226T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260226T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891462@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260226T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260226T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891375@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260226T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260226T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891581@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260226T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260226T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881300@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260224T150619
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260226T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260226T203000
SUMMARY:Performance:Love and Information
DESCRIPTION:Join us in the Keene Theater for a performance of Caryl Churchill's Love and Information\, performed by student actors in RCDrama 281 and directed by students in RCDrama 482. Free and open to the public.
UID:145905-21898081@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145905
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:East Quadrangle - Keene Theater
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260227T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260227T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891463@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260227T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260227T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891376@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251216T100358
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260227T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260227T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Tukilile Vaa
DESCRIPTION:Kaloki Nyamai is a multidisciplinary artist based in Nairobi. His practice explores Kenya's histories and collective memory\, blending Kamba traditions with contemporary narratives. Using acrylic paint\, rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, his free-hanging immersive works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation. For his U-M project\, Nyamai will present one large unstretched piece and two framed paintings at the Institute for the Humanities\, as well as a second free-hanging work at the U-M Museum of Art.\n\nThe physicality of his complex constructions inspire wonder in the viewer. The works are vast in scale\, embedded with stories\, where past and future merge both poetically and conceptually. In each composition\, the artist proposes a powerful alternative to the flatness of singular narratives of Kenyan history and identity presented as the definitive postcolonial account. He likens the formal act of stitching to symbolically unifying a wounded or fractured community.\n\nNyamai founded the Kamene Cultural & Research Center in Nairobi\, a creative and collaborative hub dedicated to the preservation\, promotion\, and innovation of African cultural practices.\n\nAbout the artist:\nKaloki Nyamai (*1985 in Kitui\, Kenya) is a multidisciplinary artist working with installation\, painting\, and sculpture based in Nairobi. From an early age\, his mother introduced him to painting and taught him to draw\, fostering an ever-lasting interest in art throughout his life. He often finds inspiration in his grandmother’s stories of the Kamba people\, a Bantu ethnic group of eastern Kenya. Using materials like acrylic paint\, sisal rope\, photo transfers\, and stitched yarn\, Nyamai’s free-hanging pieces evoke the healing of historical wounds and a collective yearning for renewal. His works blur the boundaries between painting\, sculpture\, and installation\, creating cohesive\, immersive experiences where past\, present\, and future converge poetically.\n\nNyamai studied Interior Design at the Buruburu Institute Of Fine Arts (BIFA) and then pursued painting after working in other creative fields. His large-scale paintings and mixed-media installations intricately explore historical narratives\, examining their resonance in the present. Nyamai has shown his work across the globe in solo exhibitions at the Norval Foundation\, Cape Town (2024)\; James Cohan Gallery\, New York (2024)\; Galerie Barbara Thumm\, Berlin (2023 and 2022)\; SEPTIEME Gallery\, Paris (2019)\, and other venues. In 2023\, he featured part of his series Dining in Chaos in the “Unlimited” section at Art Basel in Basel. He has participated in group exhibitions and biennials\, most recently at the Sharjah Biennial 16\, Sharjah (2025)\; The Völklinger Hütte\, Völklingen (2024)\; the Kenyan Pavilion at the Venice Biennale\, Venice (2022)\; and the Dakar Biennale (2022). His works are part of numerous private and institutional collections around the world\, such as the Dallas Art Museum\, the Southern African Foundation for Contemporary Art\, and the Arthur Primas Museum.
UID:142791-21891582@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142791
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260227T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260227T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881301@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260228T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260228T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881302@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260302T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260302T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891466@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260302T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260302T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891379@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260303T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260303T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891467@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260303T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260303T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891380@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260304T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260304T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891468@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260304T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260304T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891381@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260304T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260304T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881303@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260305T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260305T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891469@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260305T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260305T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891382@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260305T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260305T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881304@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260306T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260306T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891470@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260306T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260306T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891383@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260306T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260306T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881305@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260127T141458
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260306T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260306T203000
SUMMARY:Performance:RC Music Forum – Open Mic Night
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an open mic night in the Keene Theater! Come sing karaoke\, dance\, read a poem\, and perform!\n\nOpen Mic Nights are hosted by RC Music Forum. Please contact Maya Liljegren (iammaya@umich.edu) with questions. Free and open to the UM community.
UID:144627-21895603@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/144627
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:East Quadrangle - Keene Theater
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260307T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260307T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881306@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260223T181510
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260307T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260307T150000
SUMMARY:Presentation:The Spring Sacrifice of Marzanna
DESCRIPTION:\n\nRelease your burdens! They’ll flow downstream with Marzanna!\n\n\n\nArtist & Stamps graduate student Michelle Cieloszczyk invites folks to reinterpret a thousand-year-old Slavic cultural tradition about Marzanna (the goddess of winter\, disease\, and death). Together we will release effigies into Willow Pond\, accompanied by Polish folk music. The event will be followed by a reception in the Auditorium of the Matthaei Botanical Gardens.\n\nSaturday\, March 7\, 2026\nProcession: 2:00pm\nMatthaei Botanical Gardens\, 1800 N Dixboro Rd\, Ann Arbor\, MI 48105\n\n\nRegistration Required. Note: Workshop tickets are sold out\; Procession tickets are still available.
UID:145845-21897948@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145845
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260309T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260309T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891473@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260309T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260309T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891386@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260310T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260310T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891474@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260310T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260310T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891387@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260311T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260311T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891475@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260311T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260311T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891388@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260311T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260311T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881307@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260204T093659
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260311T170500
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260311T193000
SUMMARY:Social / Informal Gathering:Student Art Meetup: Introductory Woodcarving at the Ann Arbor District Library
DESCRIPTION:Are you looking to explore art in the Ann Arbor community? Come join us for an introductory woodcarving workshop! At this event\, we will use carving knives and blocks of wood to create a traditional \"old man\" face (all materials provided). \n\nWe will meet right outside the Sweetwaters in the Michigan Union at 5:05 PM\, and walk together for 10 minutes to the Ann Arbor District Library in downtown Ann Arbor. Hope to see you there!
UID:145035-21896570@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145035
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260306T115746
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260312T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260312T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:CAS Exhibit. Հմայարան / Hmayaran by Levon Kafafian (Detroit-based Artist)
DESCRIPTION:Exhibit Opening: March 12\, 2026\nExhibit Dates: March 12-30\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\nSet within Kafafian's speculative future world Azadistan—a place of magic and spirits beyond a digital collapse\, Հմայարան / Hmayaran is an immersive shrine housing a series of soft-sculptural artifacts reimagining objects Armenians have traditionally crafted for spiritual power and protection.\n \n     Kafafian's focus in this exhibition is on the marks Armenians carve into stone\, clay and wood to imbue meaning\, memory and magic into their lived environments\, particularly as part of folk traditions outside of the realms of church and state.\n   \n     Channeled from the collective Armenian diasporic imaginary\, Kafafian's Portal Fire series depicts a narrative story that emerges from the materials as they are brought into relationship through weaving\, dyeing\, embellishment and thread. In this story world hybrid cultural practices and alternative spiritual modes develop from embodied traditions in response to the changing physical and cultural landscape of Southwest Asia in a future where technological catastrophe has severed global communications and erased digital archives. The multi-ethnic society of Azadistan takes shape through installations\, objects\, texts and performances manifesting the multiplicity of Aremenian-ness through the dimensions of a complicated past and its potential for a vibrant\, evolving futurity.\n\nCosponsor: Institute for the Humanities
UID:143403-21893077@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143403
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260312T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260312T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891476@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260312T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260312T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891389@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260312T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260312T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881308@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260120T181518
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260312T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260312T190000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:Penny Stamps Speaker Series - Shaka Senghor
DESCRIPTION:\n\nShaka Senghor is an inspirational speaker\, entrepreneur\, and author of the bestselling books How To Be Free\, Writing My Wrongs\, and Letters to the Sons of Society. A sought-after resilience expert and recognized \"Soul Igniter\" in Oprah’s inaugural SuperSoul 100\, Senghor captivates and transforms audiences worldwide with his extraordinary journey from incarceration to influence. Through raw authenticity and profound insight\, he shares not only his story but also the resilience practices that fueled his own remarkable transformation\, showing that reinvention is not just possible—it is within everyone’s reach.\n\nIn How To Be Free\, Senghor offers a roadmap for breaking free from the self-doubt\, past narratives\, and fear of failure he calls \"Hidden Prisons.\" Drawing from lessons he learned during his 19 years in prison—including seven in solitary—he reveals the mindset and daily practices that transformed his life and can help anyone build their own foundation of freedom. Through journaling\, meditation\, mindfulness\, and creative expression\, he shows how to turn vision into action and step into full potential\, from deepening relationships to achieving career success.\n\nListening to How To Be Free\, audiences learn to transform setbacks into comebacks\, discover sustainable joy\, cultivate composure under pressure\, turn vulnerability into strength\, break cycles of grief and shame\, protect their energy while supporting others\, and create a personal blueprint to true freedom. Senghor provides both inspiration and practical steps\, making real change feel possible\, proving that freedom starts now.\n\nWith support from the Prison Creative Arts Project. \n\nThis project was made possible by a grant from the Arts Initiative at the University of Michigan.\n\nSeries presenting partners: Detroit PBS\, ALL ARTS\, and PBS Books. Media partner: Michigan Public.
UID:142732-21891310@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142732
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260302T164656
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260312T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260312T210000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Dancing with the Dragon | WORKSHOP for Decorating the Dragon
DESCRIPTION:Presented as part of the Dancing with the Dragon Inititative. Learn more: https://myumi.ch/JPVp8\n\nAttend a workshop to decorate the dragon body with garlands and glitter\, bells and bottlecaps\, sequins and sparkle! Events will be held on March 12\, 17\, 19 from 6 - 9 PM at the Duderstadt Design Lab (1321 Duderstadt Center).\n\n*Accommodation: If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us at cstep@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:146100-21898388@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/146100
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:art
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center - Duderstadt Design Lab (1321 Duderstadt Center), Ann Arbor
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260225T114040
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260312T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260312T200000
SUMMARY:Reception / Open House:SARA: Art Exhibit Opening with Speakers\, Food\, K'ampa\, and Music
DESCRIPTION:The gallery exhibition\, created by Anto\, centers on SARA\, the Quechua word for corn\, exploring its cultural\, social\, and culinary significance in Andean Peruvian life. Rooted in tradition\, cosmovision\, and lived experience\, the work reflects on heritage\, identity\, and ancestral connection through a visual narrative that honors food as memory and community. The opening event at the third floor Rooting for Change Café at Palmer Commons\, will take place on Thursday\, March 12  at 6pm. It is presented in collaboration with the University of Michigan Sustainable Food Program\, photographer Erick Diaz\, the Beta Upsilon Chapter of Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity\, and Arriba  Perú. The event will feature corn-based dishes\, a video piece from the gallery\, live music\, art\, and a K'ampa corn husking activity\, creating an immersive experience that brings Andean Peruvian life and the broader life of the Andes into focus through food\, art\, and music\, inviting celebration\, reflection\, and learning together.
UID:145933-21898140@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145933
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Palmer Commons - Windows Lounge (3rd floor)
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260306T115746
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:CAS Exhibit. Հմայարան / Hmayaran by Levon Kafafian (Detroit-based Artist)
DESCRIPTION:Exhibit Opening: March 12\, 2026\nExhibit Dates: March 12-30\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\nSet within Kafafian's speculative future world Azadistan—a place of magic and spirits beyond a digital collapse\, Հմայարան / Hmayaran is an immersive shrine housing a series of soft-sculptural artifacts reimagining objects Armenians have traditionally crafted for spiritual power and protection.\n \n     Kafafian's focus in this exhibition is on the marks Armenians carve into stone\, clay and wood to imbue meaning\, memory and magic into their lived environments\, particularly as part of folk traditions outside of the realms of church and state.\n   \n     Channeled from the collective Armenian diasporic imaginary\, Kafafian's Portal Fire series depicts a narrative story that emerges from the materials as they are brought into relationship through weaving\, dyeing\, embellishment and thread. In this story world hybrid cultural practices and alternative spiritual modes develop from embodied traditions in response to the changing physical and cultural landscape of Southwest Asia in a future where technological catastrophe has severed global communications and erased digital archives. The multi-ethnic society of Azadistan takes shape through installations\, objects\, texts and performances manifesting the multiplicity of Aremenian-ness through the dimensions of a complicated past and its potential for a vibrant\, evolving futurity.\n\nCosponsor: Institute for the Humanities
UID:143403-21893078@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143403
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891477@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891390@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20250825T101828
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T110000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:Craft Lecture: \"Elements of Ecopoetry\" by Dr. Craig Santos Perez
DESCRIPTION:Login here (no pre-registration needed): http://tinyurl.com/ZellWriters25\n\nZell Visiting Writers Series readings and Q&As are free and open to the public and will be offered both virtually (via Zoom) and in person (Michigan Union\, Anderson ABCDE). Seats are offered on a first come\, first served basis\; please arrive early to secure a spot.\n\nDr. Craig Santos Perez is an indigenous Chamoru from Guam. He is the co-editor of nine anthologies and the author of seven books of poetry and the academic monograph\, *Navigating Chamoru Poetry: Indigeneity\, Aesthetics\, and Decolonization*. He has received the National Book Award for Poetry\, American Book Award\, Pen Center USA/Poetry Society of America Literary Prize\, Hawaiʻi Literary Arts Council Award\, Nautilus Book Award\, and the George Garrett Award for Outstanding Community Service in Literature from the Associated Writing Programs.\n\nRegarding his craft lecture\, titled \"Elements of Ecopoetry\,\" Dr. Craig Santos Perez says\, \"This lecture will highlight craft elements of writing poetry about nature\, ecology\, environmental justice\, climate change\, and animals. I will share examples from my book\, Habitat Threshold\, to engage with such topics as sensory description\, personal narratives\, local/global connections\, incorporating data\, communicating science\, and creating ecologically-inspired forms.\"\n\nFor any questions about the event or to share accommodation needs\, please email kimjulie@umich.edu--we are eager to help ensure this event is inclusive to you. The building\, event space\, and restrooms are wheelchair accessible. Diaper changing tables are available in nearby restrooms. Gender-inclusive restrooms are available on every floor of the Union. ASL interpreters and CART services at in-person events are available upon request\; please email kimjulie@umich.edu at least two weeks prior to the event\, whenever possible\, to allow time to arrange services.\n\nU-M employees with a U-M parking permit may use the Church Street Parking Structure (525 Church St.\, Ann Arbor) or the Thompson Parking Structure (500 Thompson St.\, Ann Arbor). There is limited metered street parking on State Street and South University Avenue. The Forest Avenue Public Parking Structure (650 South Forest Ave.\, Ann Arbor) is five blocks away\, and the parking rate is $1.20 per hour. All of these options include parking spots for individuals with disabilities.
UID:136977-21879388@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/136977
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Michigan Union - Anderson ABCDE
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881309@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260219T181519
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Legacies: Contemporary Art Dialogues with Clay
DESCRIPTION:\n\nOn the occasion of the 2026 NCECA conference in Detroit\, Stamps Gallery presents an exhibition of new and recent work by diverse intergenerational artists working in clay locally and nationally. Collectively\, these works preserve and evolve age-old artistic traditions from weaving\, mark-making\, and pottery as contemporary forms of resistance and resilience\; recovery and regeneration that draw on diasporic and ancestral knowledge of world-building and translation.\n\nFeaturing work by Maya Davis\, Adebunmi Ghadebo\, Nicole Marroquin\, Marie Woo\, and Hedy Yang. Curated by Srimoyee Mitra.\n\nDDD Project Space\, 2857 East Grand Blvd Suite 104\, Detroit MI\n\nExhibition Dates and Hours: March 13 – 28\, 2026\n\nFri.\, March 13 and 20: 12—6 p.m.\nSat.\, March 14 and 21: 12—5 p.m.\nTue—Wed\, March 24—25: 11 a.m.—5 p.m.\nThu.\, March 26: 12—7 p.m.\nFri.\, March 27: 12—9 p.m.\nSat.\, March 28: 12—5 p.m.\n\nExhibition Reception: Fri.\, March 27\, 5:30 — 9 p.m.
UID:145539-21897491@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145539
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260227T113614
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T210000
SUMMARY:Performance:Yotonix: Across the Yotoverse
DESCRIPTION:We hope your spider senses are tingling~ Yotonix is BACK this year for it's tenth anniversary with a super thrilling punch... Join us at Mendelssohn for an evening of animated flow arts and glowsticking from Photonix\, and some action-packed Chinese yo-yo from Revolution!\n\nTickets are $5 pre-sale sold online and at Haven/Mason Hall tables (10 AM - 5 PM) from 3/9 - 3/13 or $7 at the door. We will also be on the Passport to the Arts\, redeemable at MUTO and at the door for a free ticket!
UID:146015-21898273@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/146015
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20250814T181657
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T210000
SUMMARY:Performance:Fawn
DESCRIPTION:Associate Professor of Dance Charli Brissey directs and performs in this hour-long show created through interrelated experiments in dance\, writing\, video\, and sound. The choreography includes the design of an original surround sound score which will be experienced “in the round” by audience members\, as well as lighting by Design and Production faculty Jess Fialko.\n\nWhile the word “fawn” is most commonly used to refer to a baby deer\, another meaning of the word describes a trauma response in which someone tries to appease a threat and/or ensure survival through flattery or cringing. The word “fawn” is also commonly confused with “faun\,” a human-animal deity and the protagonist of Nijinsky’s famously controversial ballet “Afternoon of a Faun.” This performance weaves these various etymological and mythological lineages of “fawn” and “faun” into an inherently queer dreamscape that asks questions about grief\, survival\, desire\, power\, and vulnerability in a precarious ecosystem. The performance blends methods and practices from both autofiction and science fiction\, weaving the artists’ lived experiences with speculative experiments in how to hold immense contradictions and overwhelming emotional states in one body.\n\nAge Recommendation: 12+\nTickets Required (free and donation)\n\nhttps://www.charliisananimal.com/\n\n*This performance is made possible through generous support from the University of Michigan Arts Research: Incubation and Acceleration Grant (ARIA)\, the Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG)\, the Research\, Catalyst\, and Innovation Program (RCI)\, and the Department of Dance.*
UID:137591-21880430@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/137591
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260226T145313
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260313T220000
SUMMARY:Performance:Next Fall
DESCRIPTION:A performance of a play written by Geoffrey Nauffts put on by the RC Players.\n\nNext Fall is a play written by Geoffrey Nauffts. The play is about two gay men in a committed relationship with a twist\, with one\, Luke\, being devoutly religious and the other\, Adam\, an atheist. The play revolves around their five-year relationship and how they make it work despite their differences.\n\n8pm\, March 13th and 14th in the Keene Theater in East Quadrangle.
UID:145945-21898165@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145945
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:East Quadrangle - Keene Theater
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260306T115746
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260314T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260314T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:CAS Exhibit. Հմայարան / Hmayaran by Levon Kafafian (Detroit-based Artist)
DESCRIPTION:Exhibit Opening: March 12\, 2026\nExhibit Dates: March 12-30\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\nSet within Kafafian's speculative future world Azadistan—a place of magic and spirits beyond a digital collapse\, Հմայարան / Hmayaran is an immersive shrine housing a series of soft-sculptural artifacts reimagining objects Armenians have traditionally crafted for spiritual power and protection.\n \n     Kafafian's focus in this exhibition is on the marks Armenians carve into stone\, clay and wood to imbue meaning\, memory and magic into their lived environments\, particularly as part of folk traditions outside of the realms of church and state.\n   \n     Channeled from the collective Armenian diasporic imaginary\, Kafafian's Portal Fire series depicts a narrative story that emerges from the materials as they are brought into relationship through weaving\, dyeing\, embellishment and thread. In this story world hybrid cultural practices and alternative spiritual modes develop from embodied traditions in response to the changing physical and cultural landscape of Southwest Asia in a future where technological catastrophe has severed global communications and erased digital archives. The multi-ethnic society of Azadistan takes shape through installations\, objects\, texts and performances manifesting the multiplicity of Aremenian-ness through the dimensions of a complicated past and its potential for a vibrant\, evolving futurity.\n\nCosponsor: Institute for the Humanities
UID:143403-21893079@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143403
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260314T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260314T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881310@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260219T181519
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260314T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260314T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Legacies: Contemporary Art Dialogues with Clay
DESCRIPTION:\n\nOn the occasion of the 2026 NCECA conference in Detroit\, Stamps Gallery presents an exhibition of new and recent work by diverse intergenerational artists working in clay locally and nationally. Collectively\, these works preserve and evolve age-old artistic traditions from weaving\, mark-making\, and pottery as contemporary forms of resistance and resilience\; recovery and regeneration that draw on diasporic and ancestral knowledge of world-building and translation.\n\nFeaturing work by Maya Davis\, Adebunmi Ghadebo\, Nicole Marroquin\, Marie Woo\, and Hedy Yang. Curated by Srimoyee Mitra.\n\nDDD Project Space\, 2857 East Grand Blvd Suite 104\, Detroit MI\n\nExhibition Dates and Hours: March 13 – 28\, 2026\n\nFri.\, March 13 and 20: 12—6 p.m.\nSat.\, March 14 and 21: 12—5 p.m.\nTue—Wed\, March 24—25: 11 a.m.—5 p.m.\nThu.\, March 26: 12—7 p.m.\nFri.\, March 27: 12—9 p.m.\nSat.\, March 28: 12—5 p.m.\n\nExhibition Reception: Fri.\, March 27\, 5:30 — 9 p.m.
UID:145539-21897492@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145539
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20250814T181658
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260314T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260314T210000
SUMMARY:Performance:Fawn
DESCRIPTION:Associate Professor of Dance Charli Brissey directs and performs in this hour-long show created through interrelated experiments in dance\, writing\, video\, and sound. The choreography includes the design of an original surround sound score which will be experienced “in the round” by audience members\, as well as lighting by Design and Production faculty Jess Fialko.\n\nWhile the word “fawn” is most commonly used to refer to a baby deer\, another meaning of the word describes a trauma response in which someone tries to appease a threat and/or ensure survival through flattery or cringing. The word “fawn” is also commonly confused with “faun\,” a human-animal deity and the protagonist of Nijinsky’s famously controversial ballet “Afternoon of a Faun.” This performance weaves these various etymological and mythological lineages of “fawn” and “faun” into an inherently queer dreamscape that asks questions about grief\, survival\, desire\, power\, and vulnerability in a precarious ecosystem. The performance blends methods and practices from both autofiction and science fiction\, weaving the artists’ lived experiences with speculative experiments in how to hold immense contradictions and overwhelming emotional states in one body.\n\nAge Recommendation: 12+\nTickets Required (free and donation)\n\nhttps://www.charliisananimal.com/\n\n*This performance is made possible through generous support from the University of Michigan Arts Research: Incubation and Acceleration Grant (ARIA)\, the Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG)\, the Research\, Catalyst\, and Innovation Program (RCI)\, and the Department of Dance.*
UID:137592-21880431@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/137592
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260226T145313
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260314T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260314T220000
SUMMARY:Performance:Next Fall
DESCRIPTION:A performance of a play written by Geoffrey Nauffts put on by the RC Players.\n\nNext Fall is a play written by Geoffrey Nauffts. The play is about two gay men in a committed relationship with a twist\, with one\, Luke\, being devoutly religious and the other\, Adam\, an atheist. The play revolves around their five-year relationship and how they make it work despite their differences.\n\n8pm\, March 13th and 14th in the Keene Theater in East Quadrangle.
UID:145945-21898166@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145945
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:East Quadrangle - Keene Theater
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260306T115746
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260315T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260315T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:CAS Exhibit. Հմայարան / Hmayaran by Levon Kafafian (Detroit-based Artist)
DESCRIPTION:Exhibit Opening: March 12\, 2026\nExhibit Dates: March 12-30\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\nSet within Kafafian's speculative future world Azadistan—a place of magic and spirits beyond a digital collapse\, Հմայարան / Hmayaran is an immersive shrine housing a series of soft-sculptural artifacts reimagining objects Armenians have traditionally crafted for spiritual power and protection.\n \n     Kafafian's focus in this exhibition is on the marks Armenians carve into stone\, clay and wood to imbue meaning\, memory and magic into their lived environments\, particularly as part of folk traditions outside of the realms of church and state.\n   \n     Channeled from the collective Armenian diasporic imaginary\, Kafafian's Portal Fire series depicts a narrative story that emerges from the materials as they are brought into relationship through weaving\, dyeing\, embellishment and thread. In this story world hybrid cultural practices and alternative spiritual modes develop from embodied traditions in response to the changing physical and cultural landscape of Southwest Asia in a future where technological catastrophe has severed global communications and erased digital archives. The multi-ethnic society of Azadistan takes shape through installations\, objects\, texts and performances manifesting the multiplicity of Aremenian-ness through the dimensions of a complicated past and its potential for a vibrant\, evolving futurity.\n\nCosponsor: Institute for the Humanities
UID:143403-21893080@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143403
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260223T162231
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260315T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260315T143000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Art in the Arb: Make a Mini Glade
DESCRIPTION:Take home a mini glade! Come join us at Nichols Arboretum and make a model forest with dried herbaceous plants. Bring a dried bouquet from your own garden or play with natural materials we provide. \n\nJoin Arb Caretaker Jenna in an interactive workshop exploring landscape architecture\, design\, and imagined futures. Starting with a sketch walk\, participants will look at winter’s leftover plant material and sketch the architecture they see. They will then use these sketches to design the shape and texture of a mini-forest. Using foraged dried blooms and grasses from last summer\, the group will create a mini-forest glued onto foam board. \n\nNo prior art experience is required\; all levels are welcome.  All materials are provided. Bring your curiosity and love for the outdoors!\n\nArtist Bio:\nJenna James is a second-year landscape architecture student and Arboretum caretaker. She has been creating art since she was a teenager and uses these skills to communicate ideas and site analysis in her studies at the School of Environment and Sustainability. Her multi-media practice and appreciation of the genius of botany's unique textures and structural characteristics inspired this workshop that encourages others to create out of what is often tossed away. \n\nLocation:\nThis session takes place at the entrance to Nichols Arboretum located at 1610 Washington Heights.  Upon entering the Arb\, look for the James D. Reader Center\, a large white farmhouse. Follow the ramp or stairs to the main entrance with the green door.\n\nRegistration required: https://sessions.studentlife.umich.edu/p/track/16054
UID:145840-21897941@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145840
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20250814T181659
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260315T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260315T190000
SUMMARY:Performance:Fawn
DESCRIPTION:Associate Professor of Dance Charli Brissey directs and performs in this hour-long show created through interrelated experiments in dance\, writing\, video\, and sound. The choreography includes the design of an original surround sound score which will be experienced “in the round” by audience members\, as well as lighting by Design and Production faculty Jess Fialko.\n\nWhile the word “fawn” is most commonly used to refer to a baby deer\, another meaning of the word describes a trauma response in which someone tries to appease a threat and/or ensure survival through flattery or cringing. The word “fawn” is also commonly confused with “faun\,” a human-animal deity and the protagonist of Nijinsky’s famously controversial ballet “Afternoon of a Faun.” This performance weaves these various etymological and mythological lineages of “fawn” and “faun” into an inherently queer dreamscape that asks questions about grief\, survival\, desire\, power\, and vulnerability in a precarious ecosystem. The performance blends methods and practices from both autofiction and science fiction\, weaving the artists’ lived experiences with speculative experiments in how to hold immense contradictions and overwhelming emotional states in one body.\n\nAge Recommendation: 12+\nTickets Required (free and donation)\n\nhttps://www.charliisananimal.com/\n\n*This performance is made possible through generous support from the University of Michigan Arts Research: Incubation and Acceleration Grant (ARIA)\, the Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG)\, the Research\, Catalyst\, and Innovation Program (RCI)\, and the Department of Dance.*
UID:137593-21880432@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/137593
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260306T115746
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260316T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260316T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:CAS Exhibit. Հմայարան / Hmayaran by Levon Kafafian (Detroit-based Artist)
DESCRIPTION:Exhibit Opening: March 12\, 2026\nExhibit Dates: March 12-30\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\nSet within Kafafian's speculative future world Azadistan—a place of magic and spirits beyond a digital collapse\, Հմայարան / Hmayaran is an immersive shrine housing a series of soft-sculptural artifacts reimagining objects Armenians have traditionally crafted for spiritual power and protection.\n \n     Kafafian's focus in this exhibition is on the marks Armenians carve into stone\, clay and wood to imbue meaning\, memory and magic into their lived environments\, particularly as part of folk traditions outside of the realms of church and state.\n   \n     Channeled from the collective Armenian diasporic imaginary\, Kafafian's Portal Fire series depicts a narrative story that emerges from the materials as they are brought into relationship through weaving\, dyeing\, embellishment and thread. In this story world hybrid cultural practices and alternative spiritual modes develop from embodied traditions in response to the changing physical and cultural landscape of Southwest Asia in a future where technological catastrophe has severed global communications and erased digital archives. The multi-ethnic society of Azadistan takes shape through installations\, objects\, texts and performances manifesting the multiplicity of Aremenian-ness through the dimensions of a complicated past and its potential for a vibrant\, evolving futurity.\n\nCosponsor: Institute for the Humanities
UID:143403-21893081@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143403
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260316T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260316T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891480@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260316T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260316T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891393@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260306T115746
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:CAS Exhibit. Հմայարան / Hmayaran by Levon Kafafian (Detroit-based Artist)
DESCRIPTION:Exhibit Opening: March 12\, 2026\nExhibit Dates: March 12-30\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\nSet within Kafafian's speculative future world Azadistan—a place of magic and spirits beyond a digital collapse\, Հմայարան / Hmayaran is an immersive shrine housing a series of soft-sculptural artifacts reimagining objects Armenians have traditionally crafted for spiritual power and protection.\n \n     Kafafian's focus in this exhibition is on the marks Armenians carve into stone\, clay and wood to imbue meaning\, memory and magic into their lived environments\, particularly as part of folk traditions outside of the realms of church and state.\n   \n     Channeled from the collective Armenian diasporic imaginary\, Kafafian's Portal Fire series depicts a narrative story that emerges from the materials as they are brought into relationship through weaving\, dyeing\, embellishment and thread. In this story world hybrid cultural practices and alternative spiritual modes develop from embodied traditions in response to the changing physical and cultural landscape of Southwest Asia in a future where technological catastrophe has severed global communications and erased digital archives. The multi-ethnic society of Azadistan takes shape through installations\, objects\, texts and performances manifesting the multiplicity of Aremenian-ness through the dimensions of a complicated past and its potential for a vibrant\, evolving futurity.\n\nCosponsor: Institute for the Humanities
UID:143403-21893082@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143403
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260210T154541
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T163000
SUMMARY:Conference / Symposium:Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention Research Day
DESCRIPTION:Interested in learning more about firearm injury prevention research happening at the University of Michigan? Join us on March 17\, 2026 to meet with faculty\, students and staff engaged in this field of work. Our leading experts will be available throughout the day to answer questions and chat with those interested in preventing firearm-related harms. Registration is required.
UID:145337-21897135@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145337
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Palmer Commons
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891481@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891394@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260219T181519
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Legacies: Contemporary Art Dialogues with Clay
DESCRIPTION:\n\nOn the occasion of the 2026 NCECA conference in Detroit\, Stamps Gallery presents an exhibition of new and recent work by diverse intergenerational artists working in clay locally and nationally. Collectively\, these works preserve and evolve age-old artistic traditions from weaving\, mark-making\, and pottery as contemporary forms of resistance and resilience\; recovery and regeneration that draw on diasporic and ancestral knowledge of world-building and translation.\n\nFeaturing work by Maya Davis\, Adebunmi Ghadebo\, Nicole Marroquin\, Marie Woo\, and Hedy Yang. Curated by Srimoyee Mitra.\n\nDDD Project Space\, 2857 East Grand Blvd Suite 104\, Detroit MI\n\nExhibition Dates and Hours: March 13 – 28\, 2026\n\nFri.\, March 13 and 20: 12—6 p.m.\nSat.\, March 14 and 21: 12—5 p.m.\nTue—Wed\, March 24—25: 11 a.m.—5 p.m.\nThu.\, March 26: 12—7 p.m.\nFri.\, March 27: 12—9 p.m.\nSat.\, March 28: 12—5 p.m.\n\nExhibition Reception: Fri.\, March 27\, 5:30 — 9 p.m.
UID:145539-21897493@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145539
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260302T171158
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T210000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:30th Annual Exhibition of Artists in Michigan Prisons
DESCRIPTION:Prison Creative Arts Project's Annual Exhibition is the largest and longest-running art show of its kind in the U.S. Now in its 30th anniversary\, this exhibition features over 800 original works by 600+ artists currently incarcerated in Michigan. The artwork featured in the exhibit is a testament to the resilience of artists and the power of art under the most difficult of circumstances – incarceration\, isolation\, and unimaginable loss. It is an important reminder of the connections that sustain us all\, both in the free world and behind the walls. \n\nGallery Opening and Celebration: March 17\, 2026\, 6-9pm\n\nGallery Hours following Opening Night:\nSun–Mon: 12pm–6pm\nTues–Sat: 10am–7pm\n\nGallery Closes: 5pm\, March 31\n\nDuderstadt Center Gallery\n2281 Bonisteel Blvd\nAnn Arbor\, MI 48109\n\nPresented with support from Michigan Arts and Culture Council\, Bank of Ann Arbor\, Eckhart Tolle Foundation\, Arts Initiative\, The Carceral State Project\, Center for World Performance Studies\, Department of Afroamerican and African Studies\, Department of Sociology\, Institute for the Humanities\, Residential College\, School of Social Work.
UID:145409-21897261@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145409
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center - Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260302T171242
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T210000
SUMMARY:Presentation:30th Annual Exhibition Opening Reception and Celebration
DESCRIPTION:Join us for opening night of the 30th Annual Exhibition of Artists in Michigan Prisons!\n\n6:00 PM: Exhibit opens and artwork sales begin in Duderstadt Gallery. Enjoy light refreshments in the Chesebrough Lobby.\n7:00 PM: Celebration program in Chesebrough Auditorium.\n8:30 PM: Line closes for artwork sales.\n9:00 PM: Gallery closes.\n\nDuderstadt Center Gallery\n2281 Bonisteel Blvd\nAnn Arbor\, MI 48109\n\nPresented with support from Michigan Arts and Culture Council\, Bank of Ann Arbor\, Eckhart Tolle Foundation\, Arts Initiative\, The Carceral State Project\, Center for World Performance Studies\, Department of Afroamerican and African Studies\, Department of Sociology\, Institute for the Humanities\, Residential College\, School of Social Work.
UID:145412-21897286@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145412
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center - Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260303T091841
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260317T210000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Dancing with the Dragon | WORKSHOP for Decorating the Dragon
DESCRIPTION:Presented as part of the Dancing with the Dragon Inititative. Learn more: https://myumi.ch/JPVp8\n\nAttend a workshop to decorate the dragon body with garlands and glitter\, bells and bottlecaps\, sequins and sparkle! Events will be held on March 12\, 17\, 19 from 6 - 9 PM at the Duderstadt Design Lab (1321 Duderstadt Center).\n\n*Accommodation: If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us at cstep@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:146122-21898410@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/146122
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:art
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center - Duderstadt Design Lab (1321 Duderstadt Center). Ann Arbor
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260306T115746
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:CAS Exhibit. Հմայարան / Hmayaran by Levon Kafafian (Detroit-based Artist)
DESCRIPTION:Exhibit Opening: March 12\, 2026\nExhibit Dates: March 12-30\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\nSet within Kafafian's speculative future world Azadistan—a place of magic and spirits beyond a digital collapse\, Հմայարան / Hmayaran is an immersive shrine housing a series of soft-sculptural artifacts reimagining objects Armenians have traditionally crafted for spiritual power and protection.\n \n     Kafafian's focus in this exhibition is on the marks Armenians carve into stone\, clay and wood to imbue meaning\, memory and magic into their lived environments\, particularly as part of folk traditions outside of the realms of church and state.\n   \n     Channeled from the collective Armenian diasporic imaginary\, Kafafian's Portal Fire series depicts a narrative story that emerges from the materials as they are brought into relationship through weaving\, dyeing\, embellishment and thread. In this story world hybrid cultural practices and alternative spiritual modes develop from embodied traditions in response to the changing physical and cultural landscape of Southwest Asia in a future where technological catastrophe has severed global communications and erased digital archives. The multi-ethnic society of Azadistan takes shape through installations\, objects\, texts and performances manifesting the multiplicity of Aremenian-ness through the dimensions of a complicated past and its potential for a vibrant\, evolving futurity.\n\nCosponsor: Institute for the Humanities
UID:143403-21893083@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143403
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891482@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891395@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260302T171158
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:30th Annual Exhibition of Artists in Michigan Prisons
DESCRIPTION:Prison Creative Arts Project's Annual Exhibition is the largest and longest-running art show of its kind in the U.S. Now in its 30th anniversary\, this exhibition features over 800 original works by 600+ artists currently incarcerated in Michigan. The artwork featured in the exhibit is a testament to the resilience of artists and the power of art under the most difficult of circumstances – incarceration\, isolation\, and unimaginable loss. It is an important reminder of the connections that sustain us all\, both in the free world and behind the walls. \n\nGallery Opening and Celebration: March 17\, 2026\, 6-9pm\n\nGallery Hours following Opening Night:\nSun–Mon: 12pm–6pm\nTues–Sat: 10am–7pm\n\nGallery Closes: 5pm\, March 31\n\nDuderstadt Center Gallery\n2281 Bonisteel Blvd\nAnn Arbor\, MI 48109\n\nPresented with support from Michigan Arts and Culture Council\, Bank of Ann Arbor\, Eckhart Tolle Foundation\, Arts Initiative\, The Carceral State Project\, Center for World Performance Studies\, Department of Afroamerican and African Studies\, Department of Sociology\, Institute for the Humanities\, Residential College\, School of Social Work.
UID:145409-21897272@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145409
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center - Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881311@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260219T181519
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Legacies: Contemporary Art Dialogues with Clay
DESCRIPTION:\n\nOn the occasion of the 2026 NCECA conference in Detroit\, Stamps Gallery presents an exhibition of new and recent work by diverse intergenerational artists working in clay locally and nationally. Collectively\, these works preserve and evolve age-old artistic traditions from weaving\, mark-making\, and pottery as contemporary forms of resistance and resilience\; recovery and regeneration that draw on diasporic and ancestral knowledge of world-building and translation.\n\nFeaturing work by Maya Davis\, Adebunmi Ghadebo\, Nicole Marroquin\, Marie Woo\, and Hedy Yang. Curated by Srimoyee Mitra.\n\nDDD Project Space\, 2857 East Grand Blvd Suite 104\, Detroit MI\n\nExhibition Dates and Hours: March 13 – 28\, 2026\n\nFri.\, March 13 and 20: 12—6 p.m.\nSat.\, March 14 and 21: 12—5 p.m.\nTue—Wed\, March 24—25: 11 a.m.—5 p.m.\nThu.\, March 26: 12—7 p.m.\nFri.\, March 27: 12—9 p.m.\nSat.\, March 28: 12—5 p.m.\n\nExhibition Reception: Fri.\, March 27\, 5:30 — 9 p.m.
UID:145539-21897494@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145539
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260309T131926
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T203000
SUMMARY:Other:Artwork Sales by Phone: 30th Annual Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Can't make it to the exhibition in person? Schedule a cashier appointment at https://myumi.ch/DJ6M50 to purchase artwork by phone.\n\nA cashier will call you at your appointment time to process credit card payment. Please have the log numbers and titles of artwork you would like to purchase ready. PCAP cannot guarantee the availability of artwork before your appointment. The cashier will verify artwork availability before processing the sale. A U.S. mailing address is required for all purchases.
UID:146345-21898929@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/146345
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260302T171010
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260318T203000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:Omari Booker: Resident Curator Talk
DESCRIPTION:Omari Booker\, Resident Curator for the 30th Annual Exhibition of Artists in Michigan Prisons\, will discuss his art practice and his experience on the curation team. The philosophy that undergirds Omari's work is FREEDOM THROUGH ART and he aspires to create work that communicates to his audience their unique and intrinsic ability to be free. See his work at omaribooker.com.\n\nPresented with support from Michigan Arts and Culture Council\, Bank of Ann Arbor\, Eckhart Tolle Foundation\, Arts Initiative\, The Carceral State Project\, Center for World Performance Studies\, Department of Afroamerican and African Studies\, Department of Sociology\, Institute for the Humanities\, Residential College\, School of Social Work.
UID:146102-21898391@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/146102
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Chrysler Center - Chesebrough Auditorium
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260306T115746
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:CAS Exhibit. Հմայարան / Hmayaran by Levon Kafafian (Detroit-based Artist)
DESCRIPTION:Exhibit Opening: March 12\, 2026\nExhibit Dates: March 12-30\, 2026\, International Institute Gallery\, 547 Weiser Hall\n\nSet within Kafafian's speculative future world Azadistan—a place of magic and spirits beyond a digital collapse\, Հմայարան / Hmayaran is an immersive shrine housing a series of soft-sculptural artifacts reimagining objects Armenians have traditionally crafted for spiritual power and protection.\n \n     Kafafian's focus in this exhibition is on the marks Armenians carve into stone\, clay and wood to imbue meaning\, memory and magic into their lived environments\, particularly as part of folk traditions outside of the realms of church and state.\n   \n     Channeled from the collective Armenian diasporic imaginary\, Kafafian's Portal Fire series depicts a narrative story that emerges from the materials as they are brought into relationship through weaving\, dyeing\, embellishment and thread. In this story world hybrid cultural practices and alternative spiritual modes develop from embodied traditions in response to the changing physical and cultural landscape of Southwest Asia in a future where technological catastrophe has severed global communications and erased digital archives. The multi-ethnic society of Azadistan takes shape through installations\, objects\, texts and performances manifesting the multiplicity of Aremenian-ness through the dimensions of a complicated past and its potential for a vibrant\, evolving futurity.\n\nCosponsor: Institute for the Humanities
UID:143403-21893084@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/143403
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Weiser Hall - International Institute Gallery, Room 547
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260210T131912
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Flyways
DESCRIPTION:Iranian-American artist Sheida Soleimani explores themes of migration\, political exile\, queerness\, and environmental crisis through the wildly imaginative and intricate scenarios she first stages in her studio. The tableaus—which often include live animals\, props\, even her parents—are then photographed\, documenting the artist’s process. Each photograph becomes a part of Soleimani’s rich visual storytelling.      \n\n*Flyways *presents a series of new photographs that include images evocative of her family’s history and migration story in juxtaposition with images of injured birds that are representative of Soleimani’s work as a wildlife rehabilitator. (In 2018\, Soleimani founded Congress of Birds\, a wild bird rehabilitation center in Rhode Island.) The change in her practice to include bird rescue results in a revolutionary body of work steeped in passion and articulated in a completely original visual language. Learn more at https://lsa.umich.edu/humanities/gallery/current-exhibitions/sheida-soleimani.html.
UID:142798-21891605@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142798
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:202 S. Thayer - Institute for the Humanities Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T165341
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Lynn Galbreath Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Lynn Galbreath\, a Detroit based artist who grew up in Argentina\, is a former recipient of the Creative Artists’ Grant from the Arts Foundation of Michigan and the Michigan Individual Artist Grant from Michigan Council For The Arts. Galbreath’s work has been showcased locally\, nationally and internationally in over 20 solo/two person and over 100 group exhibitions.\n\nGalbreath has an M.F.A. from the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art\, Art History\, & Design\, Wayne State University\, Detroit\, MI\; and a B.F.A. with Permanent K-12 Certification from The Gwen Frostic School of Art\, Western MI University\, Kalamazoo\, MI. Galbreath has chaperoned eleven intensive\, immersive art experiences to Italy\, Spain\, France\, Belgium\, England\, Germany\, the Netherlands\, Austria\, and the Czech Republic. Lynn is a retired Adjunct Associate Professor of Studio Art from Oakland University\, where she has been on the faculty of the Department of Art & Art History since 2000. Lynn has also instructed studio art and design at the College For Creative Studies\, University of Detroit Mercy — School of Architecture\, Macomb Community College\, Wayne State University\, and Bloomfield University School. Her work can be seen in the collections of Oakland University\, Wayne State University\, Detroit Receiving Hospital\, Children’s Hospital of Michigan\, Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital and numerous private collections.\n\nThis exhibition consists of works from a variety of series created by Galbreath over the years: Telegraph\, Storyboard\, and Working Hard for a Living. Each series represents a unique exploration of themes\, techniques\, and social commentaries that reflect Galbreath’s artistic journey and concerns for the world.\n\nTelegraph explores the aesthetic visual weights and balances between harmony and content\, diving deep into how visual elements can convey messages and emotions. This series invites viewers to reflect on the way art communicates through its formal qualities\, as well as its narrative possibilities. The careful interplay of shapes\, colors\, and textures in these works prompts an examination of the viewer's perception and emotional response. By utilizing abstract forms\, Galbreath encourages an engagement that goes beyond mere observation\, seeking to provoke thought about how aesthetic choices influence understanding and meaning.\n\nOn the other hand\, Storyboard is a series of image-driven installation paintings that vary greatly in size\, showcasing Galbreath’s versatility and creative ingenuity. The titles of the works draw inspiration from the years spent creating visuals for TV commercials and public service announcements\, illustrating how commercial art often intertwines with societal messages. This series emphasizes the profound impact visual narratives have on consumer culture and public perception\, underscoring the artist's belief in the potency of imagery to shape narratives. The installations weave a complex fabric of storytelling that challenges viewers to reconsider their relationship with media and the messages they consume daily.\n\nWorking Hard for a Living pays tribute to our sustainable and unsustainable resources\, shedding light on the individuals who toil diligently within these economic frameworks. This series highlights the hard-working suppliers of essential products\, including Farm Market Managers\, Fishmongers\, and Beach Vendors. By portraying these self-employed individuals\, often operating within informal economies\, Galbreath draws attention to the unique challenges they face. These individuals frequently contend with low\, inconsistent incomes\, long hours\, and sometimes exploitative conditions\, fostering a sense of solidarity with those who labor under such circumstances.\n\nFurthermore\, the series invites viewers to confront the broader societal structures that contribute to these inequities. Galbreath's work serves not only as a tribute but also as a call to action to consider how our consumer habits and economic policies affect the livelihoods of others. The layered narratives present in this series open a dialogue about the value we place on labor and the often unseen struggles that support our day-to-day lives. Through these explorations\, Galbreath establishes a multifaceted narrative that intertwines art with activism\, compelling audiences to engage both aesthetically and ethically with the realities depicted in the exhibition.
UID:142773-21891483@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142773
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Rotunda Gallery
CONTACT:
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251215T163232
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Terence Swafford Exhibition
DESCRIPTION:This exhibition showcases a decade of artist Terry Swafford’s work in Detroit\, marking the culmination of years spent composing scenes from the untamed edges of urban communities. These paintings serve as a visual record of Detroit’s transformation\, capturing humanity’s impact on the environment alongside nature’s persistent efforts to reclaim these spaces. As the city continues to change\, many of these depicted scenes are vanishing\, no longer visible in the landscape today. The significance of this documentation goes beyond mere nostalgia\; it invites viewers to reflect on the dynamic interplay between urban development and ecological restoration\, prompting a deeper understanding of how cities evolve while retaining traces of their history.\n\nSwafford’s paintings are created on location and in one session. The natural conditions\, including light\, shadow\, and atmosphere\, change dramatically from hour to hour and day to day\, forcing the artist to respond quickly and decisively. This approach\, born of a direct engagement with the subject and the fleeting nature of the scene\, along with his wet-on-wet technique\, keeps the work fresh and immediate. By immersing himself in the environment\, Swafford captures the diverse textures and vibrant colors that characterize Detroit’s landscape\, imbuing his work with a sense of urgency and spontaneity. Each brushstroke conveys a commitment not only to visual accuracy but also to emotional resonance\, as he strives to encapsulate the spirit of a place that is both loved and contested.\n\nIn addition to these works\, the artist constantly sketches ideas both for paintings and for designing projects in his business. These sketches serve as visual language\, helping him clarify and refine his concepts before bringing them to life. They become a means to communicate ideas to clients and his crew and become an extension of his voice—an academic exercise rooted in artistic practice that fosters collaboration and innovation. The act of sketching also reflects his evolving relationship with the city\, as each drawing encapsulates fleeting moments of inspiration drawn directly from his surroundings. This duality of function—creating art for exhibition and conceptualizing designs for projects—demonstrates Swafford’s versatility and adaptability as an artist.\n\nSwafford received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting from the Rhode Island School of Design\, and while at RISD\, he was part of the European Honors Program. His education not only honed his technical skills but also broadened his artistic perspective through exposure to varied artistic traditions. He has shown his work in both solo and group exhibitions in Chicago\, Kansas City\, and New York State. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his commitment to his craft and his ability to engage diverse audiences\, offering them an opportunity to explore the complex narratives woven into each landscape.
UID:142768-21891396@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142768
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:North Campus Research Complex Building 18 - Connections Gallery
CONTACT:
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DTSTAMP:20260302T171158
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:30th Annual Exhibition of Artists in Michigan Prisons
DESCRIPTION:Prison Creative Arts Project's Annual Exhibition is the largest and longest-running art show of its kind in the U.S. Now in its 30th anniversary\, this exhibition features over 800 original works by 600+ artists currently incarcerated in Michigan. The artwork featured in the exhibit is a testament to the resilience of artists and the power of art under the most difficult of circumstances – incarceration\, isolation\, and unimaginable loss. It is an important reminder of the connections that sustain us all\, both in the free world and behind the walls. \n\nGallery Opening and Celebration: March 17\, 2026\, 6-9pm\n\nGallery Hours following Opening Night:\nSun–Mon: 12pm–6pm\nTues–Sat: 10am–7pm\n\nGallery Closes: 5pm\, March 31\n\nDuderstadt Center Gallery\n2281 Bonisteel Blvd\nAnn Arbor\, MI 48109\n\nPresented with support from Michigan Arts and Culture Council\, Bank of Ann Arbor\, Eckhart Tolle Foundation\, Arts Initiative\, The Carceral State Project\, Center for World Performance Studies\, Department of Afroamerican and African Studies\, Department of Sociology\, Institute for the Humanities\, Residential College\, School of Social Work.
UID:145409-21897273@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145409
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center - Gallery
CONTACT:
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DTSTAMP:20260115T181512
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T190000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Fore-Site (Phase 2): The Stamps Gallery Pillar Project
DESCRIPTION:\n\nFrom September 2025 through August 2026\, Stamps Gallery is partnering in a curatorial collaboration with two Ypsilanti-based\, artist-run project spaces led by Stamps alumni: C.Y.N.K. Studios\, directed by Sally Clegg (Lecturer III and Student Exhibition Coordinator\, MFA ’20) and Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20)\; and Sometimes Space\, directed by Nathan Byrne (Lecturer I\, MFA ’21). Each space hosts dozens of artists annually for exhibitions\, performances\, and events\, fostering experimental work and building community. For this project\, Byrne\, Clegg\, and Narula have been commissioned to reimagine the pillars on Division Street that flank the gallery. In response\, they’ve curated six artists to create new work for the pillars over three cycles:\n\nPhase 1 (September 12 - December 12) artists: Amelia Burns (Cranbrook MFA ’23) and Erin McKenna (MFA ’20)\nPhase 2 (January 12 - April 12) artists: Sally Clegg (MFA ’20) and Kim Karlsrud (MFA ’20)\nPhase 3 (May 12 - August 12) artists: Abhishek Narula (MFA ’20) and Nathan Byrne (MFA ’21)\nPhase 2 Curatorial Statement\n\nCurated by Sometimes Space: Sally Clegg (entry pillar)\nCurated by CYNK Studios: Kim Karlsrud (courtyard pillar)\n\nArtists Sally Clegg and Kim Karlsrud wrap the Division Street pillars in highly site-specific ornament unearthed from the overlooked margins of Ann Arbor. On the Courtyard pillar\, Karlsrud scales up photographs of objects found in liminal spaces surrounding campus buildings on Green Road\, which the artist has encrusted in road salt. On the entryway pillar\, Clegg zooms in on tiny fragments of found material from UMich’s famous “rock” to celebrate nearly seven decades of student art and activism. Both artists uplift aggregate of local human activity to reveal tiny worlds of found form. \n\nSally Clegg: Sentimentary Rock\nSentimentary Rock is a composition of paint slag collected from the UMich rock monument at the corner of Washtenaw Avenue and Hill Street. This colorful composite material has been accumulating at the base of the iconic limestone boulder since the mid 1950’s\, when students began a tradition of painting it in acts of protest\, creativity\, and ritual\, sometimes multiple times per week. Akin to byproducts of industry such as “Fordite” (collectable chunks of automotive overspray sometimes called ‘Detroit agate’)\, Sentimentary Rock includes thousands of layers\, each dripped from a palimpsestic public proclamation. When processed\, sculpted\, sealed\, assembled\, and macro-photographed\, the result is this enlarged array of tiny gems\, intended to celebrate the indissoluble student voice. \n\nKim Karlsrud: What Amasses\nWhat Amasses is an assemblage of everyday found objects collected within the Miller Creek watershed\, an urbanized drainage system that encompasses much of the city of Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan campus. Selected objects were immersed in a road salt solution\, allowing delicate crystalline formations to emerge. Road salt is a common material input into these hydrological networks during the winter months and exists in multiple states of refinement\, expression\, coherence\, and fragmentation. Each object was then arranged\, photographed\, and enlarged to recontextualize these materials in ways that invite deeper reflections on how infrastructure and human agency blur notions of the natural and the artificial. \nArtist Statements/Bios\n\nSally Clegg \nSally Clegg is an artist and educator from Pelham\, Massachusetts. Her studio practice is rooted in sculpture and expanded printmaking\, stemming from a fascination with human efforts to make meaning from our relationships to objects. Clegg integrates history\, popular culture\, literature and philosophy as material for artmaking\, leveraging personal anecdote and humor to reveal the complexity\, absurdity\, and theoretical richness at play in our connections to things and to ourselves. \n\nClegg holds an MFA in Art from The University of Michigan Stamps School of Art & Design\, and a BA in Art & English from Goucher College. She has exhibited nationally and internationally\, and her work can be found in permanent collections at Yale University\, The New York Public Library\, and elsewhere. Her artwork and writing has appeared in ASAP/Journal\, BOMB Magazine\, Sculpture Magazine\, and Hyperallergic. She is a lecturer in Art & Design at the University of Michigan. Website / Instagram\n\n\nKim Karlsrud \nKim Karlsrud is the co-founder of Commonstudio\, a collaborative creative practice that develops socio-ecological and spatial interventions\, installations\, and initiatives working with and within urban landscapes. Her work explores the space between art and design\, and is grounded in the concept of the “commons\,” that which is shared\, as well as that which is ordinary\, banal\, and commonplace.\n\nKarlsrud completed her undergraduate degree in Product Design from Otis College of Art and Design and an MFA in Art from the University of Michigan. She is currently an Assistant Visiting Professor in the College of Design at the University of Oregon\, teaching across Art and Landscape Architecture departments. She jointly received the 2014-15 Prince Charitable Trust Rome Prize in Landscape Architecture\, was a 2017 resident at the Headlands Center for the Arts\, and is the 2025-26 Fuller Fieldscape Fellow. Website / Instagram
UID:138032-21881312@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/138032
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
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DTSTAMP:20260219T181519
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T170000
SUMMARY:Exhibition:Legacies: Contemporary Art Dialogues with Clay
DESCRIPTION:\n\nOn the occasion of the 2026 NCECA conference in Detroit\, Stamps Gallery presents an exhibition of new and recent work by diverse intergenerational artists working in clay locally and nationally. Collectively\, these works preserve and evolve age-old artistic traditions from weaving\, mark-making\, and pottery as contemporary forms of resistance and resilience\; recovery and regeneration that draw on diasporic and ancestral knowledge of world-building and translation.\n\nFeaturing work by Maya Davis\, Adebunmi Ghadebo\, Nicole Marroquin\, Marie Woo\, and Hedy Yang. Curated by Srimoyee Mitra.\n\nDDD Project Space\, 2857 East Grand Blvd Suite 104\, Detroit MI\n\nExhibition Dates and Hours: March 13 – 28\, 2026\n\nFri.\, March 13 and 20: 12—6 p.m.\nSat.\, March 14 and 21: 12—5 p.m.\nTue—Wed\, March 24—25: 11 a.m.—5 p.m.\nThu.\, March 26: 12—7 p.m.\nFri.\, March 27: 12—9 p.m.\nSat.\, March 28: 12—5 p.m.\n\nExhibition Reception: Fri.\, March 27\, 5:30 — 9 p.m.
UID:145539-21897495@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145539
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
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DTSTAMP:20260216T112933
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T170000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Slowing Down with Film: Cameras\, Prints & Storytelling
DESCRIPTION:In a fast-paced digital world\, film photography invites us to slow down and reconnect with the act of seeing. This relaxed mini-lecture and show & tell explores why film continues to resonate with modern photographers.\n\nParticipants are encouraged (but not required) to bring a film camera\, analog lens\, instant camera\, or film photographs—whether a meaningful image\, a creative accomplishment\, or simply something they’d like to share. Together\, we’ll reflect on process\, intention\, and the tactile qualities of analog photography\, emphasizing conversation and shared experience over technical instruction.
UID:145535-21897484@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145535
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Shapiro Library - PIE Space. Shapiro Library, First Floor
CONTACT:
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DTSTAMP:20260120T181519
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T190000
SUMMARY:Lecture / Discussion:Penny Stamps Speaker Series - Sheida Soleimani
DESCRIPTION:\n\nSheida Soleimani is an Iranian-American artist\, educator\, and activist. The daughter of political refugees who escaped Iran in the early 1980s\, Soleimani makes work that excavates the histories of violence linking Iran\, the United States\, and the Greater Middle East. In working across form and medium—especially photography\, sculpture\, collage\, and film—she often appropriates source images from popular/digital media and resituates them within defamiliarizing tableaux. \n\nThe composition depends on the question at hand. For example\, how can one do justice to survivor testimony and to the survivors themselves (To Oblivion)? What are the connections between oil\, corruption\, and human rights abuses among OPEC nations (Medium of Exchange)? How do nations work out reparations deals that often turn the ethics of historical injustice into playing fields for their own economic interests (Reparations Packages)? How may the layering of memory and familial history both report fact\, and produce a reckoning with the intimate resonances of a geopolitics of violence (Ghostwriter)? In contrast to Western news\, which rarely covers these problems\, Soleimani makes work that persuades spectators to address them directly and effectively. \n\n \n\nSoleimani’s work is held in permanent collections including the Guggenheim Museum\, Museum of Fine Arts Boston\, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts\, MIT List Visual Art Center\, and Kadist Paris. Her work has been recognized internationally in both exhibitions and publications such as The New York Times\, Financial Times\, Art in America\, and Interview Magazine\, among many others. Based in Providence\, Rhode Island\, Soleimani is also an assistant professor of Studio Art at Brandeis University and a federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator.\n\nPresented in partnership with the Institute for the Humanities.\n\nThis project was made possible by a grant from the Arts Initiative at the University of Michigan.\n\nSeries presenting partners: Detroit PBS\, ALL ARTS\, and PBS Books. Media partner: Michigan Public.
UID:142733-21891311@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/142733
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Off Campus Location
CONTACT:
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DTSTAMP:20260303T092752
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T210000
SUMMARY:Workshop / Seminar:Dancing with the Dragon | WORKSHOP for Decorating the Dragon
DESCRIPTION:Presented as part of the Dancing with the Dragon Inititative. Learn more: https://myumi.ch/JPVp8\n\nAttend a workshop to decorate the dragon body with garlands and glitter\, bells and bottlecaps\, sequins and sparkle! Events will be held on March 12\, 17\, 19 from 6 - 9 PM at the Duderstadt Design Lab (1321 Duderstadt Center).\n\n*Accommodation: If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you\, please contact us at cstep@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.*
UID:146124-21898418@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/146124
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:art
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center - Duderstadt Design Lab (1321 Duderstadt Center). Ann Arbor
CONTACT:
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DTSTAMP:20260210T104443
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T200000
SUMMARY:Performance:Voices & Visions: The Arts\, Democracy\, and Race
DESCRIPTION:Voices & Visions: The Arts\, Democracy\, and Race will bring together the U-M community for an evening of civic dialogue and the performing arts. The evening will include special performances from SMTD Students and The Mosaic Youth Theater of Detroit\, dialogue in small groups\, and free dinner for all participants.\n\nThis event is in partnership with The SMTD Student Success Office\, U-M Dearborn\, U-M Flint\, The Arts Initiative\, USA at 250\, The SMTD EXCEL Lab\, and The Program on Intergroup Relations.This project was made possible by a grant from the Arts Initiative at the University of Michigan and the U.S. at 250 Grant Program.
UID:145303-21897029@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145303
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Michigan Union - Rogel Ballroom
CONTACT:
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DTSTAMP:20260302T171321
DTSTART;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Detroit:20260319T193000
SUMMARY:Tours:New Art//New Music: Gallery Tour
DESCRIPTION:Enjoy a tour of the 30th Annual Exhibition of Artists in Michigan Prisons and a concert featuring music created by University of Michigan School of Music\, Theatre\, and Dance student composers. These pieces will be performed by the contemporary music collective FLYDLPHN and the chamber ensemble Myriad Project and will be inspired by artwork featured at the exhibition. \n\nPublic tour of the 30th Annual Exhibition \n6:30 pm Duderstadt Gallery\n\nConcert\n8pm Stamps Auditorium\n\nPresented with support from Michigan Arts and Culture Council\, Bank of Ann Arbor\, Eckhart Tolle Foundation\, Arts Initiative\, The Carceral State Project\, Center for World Performance Studies\, Department of Afroamerican and African Studies\, Department of Sociology\, Institute for the Humanities\, Residential College\, School of Social Work.
UID:145749-21897776@events.umich.edu
URL:https://events.umich.edu/event/145749
CLASS:PUBLIC
STATUS:CONFIRMED
CATEGORIES:Art
LOCATION:Duderstadt Center - Gallery
CONTACT:
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