{ "147882-21902119": { "datetime_modified":"20260423T085450", "datetime_start":"20260514T090000", "datetime_end":"20260514T170000", "has_end_time":1, "date_start":"2026-05-14", "date_end":"2026-05-14", "time_start":"09:00:00", "time_end":"17:00:00", "time_zone":"America\/Detroit", "event_title":"Melissa Jones Exhibition", "occurrence_title":"", "combined_title":"Melissa Jones Exhibition: Internal Architecture", "event_subtitle":"Internal Architecture", "event_type":"Exhibition", "event_type_id":"7", "description":"Melissa Jones works across multiple mediums, consistently centering the human figure, texture, and elements of the natural world\u2014such as weathered surfaces, bones, and rust. These recurring interests create a unifying thread throughout her work, regardless of medium.\nShe creates in both two and three dimensions, including sculpture, painting, and assemblage. Oil painting is her preferred medium, allowing her to work slowly in layered processes and achieve a wide range of nuanced effects.\n\nJones\u2019 work is primarily figurative, often narrative and autobiographical\u2014though not strictly self-portraiture. Her figures are intended to evoke emotional responses that are less commonly found in landscape or other painting genres. She draws inspiration from the visual poetry of the human form, finding beauty in subtle details: the turn of a wrist, the curve of a spine, or the shadow along a collarbone. She is captivated by how light illuminates the skin and how shadow defines form, embracing the challenge of capturing this complexity in paint. Beyond physical representation, her work also explores psychological dimensions, aiming to convey mood and emotional depth.\n\nHer technique, in both painting and sculpture, is highly detailed, realistic, and developed gradually over time through layered processes. At times, her work enters the realm of magical realism. While deeply personal, her narratives remain intentionally ambiguous, inviting viewers to interpret the imagery through their own perspectives and experiences.\n\nBorn and raised in Detroit, Jones studied at Wayne State University, earning a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Art Education and a Master\u2019s degree in Art Therapy. She previously worked as an art educator in the West Bloomfield School District and has exhibited professionally throughout the Detroit area since 2006, receiving numerous awards. In addition, she served as a board member and exhibition committee member for the Detroit Artists Market.", "occurrence_notes":"Mon-Friday, 9 am to 5 pm or by appointment serrag@med.umich.edu", "guid":"147882-21902119@events.umich.edu", "permalink":"http:\/\/events.umich.edu\/event\/147882", "building_id":"0", "building_name":"North Campus Research Complex Building 18", "campus_maps_id":"595", "room":"Rotunda Gallery", "location_name":"North Campus Research Complex Building 18", "has_livestream":0, "cost":"", "tags":["ArtsRx","Detroit","Exhibition","Family","Free","Humanities","Visual Arts","ArtsEngine"], "website":"", "sponsors":[ { "group_name":"North Campus Research Complex NCRC Art Program", "group_id":"5062", "website":"https:\/\/ncrc.umich.edu\/life-ncrc\/occupant-amenities\/art-program" } ], "image_url":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "styled_images":{ "event_thumb":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_thumb\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "event_large":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_large\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "event_large_2x":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_large_2x\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "event_large_lightbox":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_large_lightbox\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "group_thumb":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/group_thumb\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "group_thumb_square":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/group_thumb_square\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "group_large":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/group_large\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "group_large_lightbox":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/group_large_lightbox\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "event_large_crop":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_large_crop\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "event_list":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_list\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "event_list_2x":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_list_2x\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "event_grid":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_grid\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "event_grid_2x":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_grid_2x\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "event_feature_large":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_feature_large\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg", "event_feature_thumb":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_feature_thumb\/media\/attachments\/2026\/04\/event_147882_original-1.jpg" }, "occurrence_count":69, "first_occurrence":21902109 } , "148280-21903686": { "datetime_modified":"20260514T104739", "datetime_start":"20260514T090000", "datetime_end":"20260514T170000", "has_end_time":1, "date_start":"2026-05-14", "date_end":"2026-05-14", "time_start":"09:00:00", "time_end":"17:00:00", "time_zone":"America\/Detroit", "event_title":"Resistance is Fertile: Celebrating 30 years of Cultivating Change\"", "occurrence_title":"", "combined_title":"Resistance is Fertile: Celebrating 30 years of Cultivating Change\"", "event_subtitle":"", "event_type":"Exhibition", "event_type_id":"7", "description":"Resistance Is Fertile honors the founding moment of the Institute for Research on Women & Gender, while speaking to the present. The institute was established because faculty members believed that research on women, gender, and sexuality required an institutional commitment to thrive. That belief was itself a form of resistance\u2014to disciplinary silos, to marginalization, to the idea that such scholarship was peripheral.\n\nThis theme reminds us that resistance is not merely reactive; it is constructive. When rooted in collaboration and sustained through infrastructure, it produces knowledge that reshapes disciplines, institutions, and public life.\n\nThis exhibit celebrates 30 years of IRWG\u2014its history, its programs, and the people whose vision and labor built it into what it is today. Through archival materials, milestones, and stories, we trace the evolution of an institute that has continually expanded the boundaries of research in women, gender, and sexuality.\n\nThis exhibit centers growth, collaboration, and intellectual creativity\u2014honoring the sustained efforts, bold ideas, and collective care that have shaped IRWG\u2019s legacy and continue to guide its future.\n\nHosted and sponsored by the Institute for Research on Women and Gender and the Department of Women\u2019s and Gender Studies, U-M. \n\nLocated on the first floor of Lane Hall (204 S. State Street), the Exhibit Space is free and open to the public, M-F, 9am-4pm.", "occurrence_notes":null, "guid":"148280-21903686@events.umich.edu", "permalink":"http:\/\/events.umich.edu\/event\/148280", "building_id":"1000183", "building_name":"Lane Hall", "campus_maps_id":"84", "room":"", "location_name":"Lane Hall", "has_livestream":0, "cost":"", "tags":["Activism","women's studies","gender","Gender Based Violence","women","Women History","Women's And Gender Studies"], "website":"https:\/\/irwg.umich.edu\/lanehall", "sponsors":[ { "group_name":"Institute for Research on Women and Gender", "group_id":"1031", "website":"http:\/\/irwg.umich.edu\/" }, { "group_name":"Women's and Gender Studies Department", "group_id":"2809", "website":"http:\/\/www.lsa.umich.edu\/wgs" } ], "image_url":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "styled_images":{ "event_thumb":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/resolve\/event_thumb\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "event_large":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_large\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "event_large_2x":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/resolve\/event_large_2x\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "event_large_lightbox":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_large_lightbox\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "group_thumb":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/resolve\/group_thumb\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "group_thumb_square":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/resolve\/group_thumb_square\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "group_large":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/resolve\/group_large\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "group_large_lightbox":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/resolve\/group_large_lightbox\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "event_large_crop":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/resolve\/event_large_crop\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "event_list":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/resolve\/event_list\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "event_list_2x":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/event_list_2x\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "event_grid":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/resolve\/event_grid\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "event_grid_2x":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/resolve\/event_grid_2x\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "event_feature_large":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/resolve\/event_feature_large\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png", "event_feature_thumb":"https:\/\/events.umich.edu\/media\/cache\/resolve\/event_feature_thumb\/media\/attachments\/2026\/05\/event_148280_original-1.png" }, "occurrence_count":115, "first_occurrence":21903634 } }