About The Michigan State University Museum
The Michigan
State University Museum is committed to understanding, interpreting,
and respecting natural and cultural diversity.
As Michigan's land grant
university museum, this commitment to society is met through education,
exhibitions, research and the building and stewardship of collections that
focus on Michigan and its relationship to the Great Lakes and the world
beyond.
The Michigan State University Museum was founded in 1857 and is Michigan's
natural and cultural history museum. Its research, education, exhibition,
and outreach programs serve the entire state.
Located on the MSU campus, on West Circle Drive and next to Beaumont Tower,
the museum is open seven days a week, free of charge (donations are welcome).
Visit the MSU Museum - Michigan's first Smithsonian affiliate
Marking 150 years of discovery in 2007
Exhibitions
Workers Culture in Two Nations: South Africa and the United States
Through - August 15 2007
West Gallery
Weaving History: A Basket Heritage Project
Through October 28, 2007
Main Gallery
MSU Museum: 150 Years of Discovery
Through December 2007
Heritage Hall
Redwork: A Textile Tradition in America
Through - Jan. 4, 2008
Heritage Gallery
Picturing Faith: Religious America in Government Photography, 1935-1943
August 19 - September 28, 2007
West Gallery
International Human Rights Portfolio
Nov. 3, 2007 - March 1, 2007
West Gallery
Quilts of Resistance, Freedom and Human Rights
Jan. 15. - April 15, 2008
Main Gallery
The WPA: A Legacy of Art and Craft
Jan. 27 - Sept. 1, 2008 -
Heritage Gallery
No Holds Barred: Political Cartoons in the Gilded Age
March 15 - Dec. 30, 2008
West Gallery
Events
MSU Federal Credit Union Dinosaur Dash
Sunday, October 7, 2007
MSU Museum, 10 a.m.
5 K Run / Walk ($)
Darwin Discovery Day -- Natural History discovery program
Sunday, Feb. 10, 1-4 p.m.
MSU Museum Chocolate Party Benefit
Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center ($)
February 24, 2008, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
MSU Museum Wine Tasting Benefit
Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center ($)
March 28, 2008, 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Dates may be subject to change; check museum.msu.edu or call (517) 355-2370 for more details. http://museum.msu.edu
Your Event Here
Consider hosting an event, gathering or program at the MSU Museum: three floors of special collections, exhibits, and displays show the wonders of the natural world and world cultures. It's an ideal spot that's both out-of-this world and close to home. Contact the MSU Museum events coordinator to find out more: (517) 432-4655 or email mattw@msu.edu
More MSU Museum and related programs also of interest to festival-goers:
MSU Museum-WKAR Radio Welcome NPR's StoryCorps
WKAR-FM/AM listeners may be familiar with "StoryCorps," an innovative, Peabody Award-winning oral history project that partners with the Library of Congress' American Folklife Center and National Public Radio to preserve and present the oral histories they collect across America. StoryCorps Door-to-Door, a traveling program, will visit the Great Lakes Folk Festival and record oral histories of tradition-bearers and artists, capturing the collective wisdom of these everyday Americans and preserving them for generations to come in the Library of Congress and MSU Museum archives. Some will air locally on WKAR-FM/AM as well during Morning Edition.
Michigan State University Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate and one of Michigan's anchor cultural organizations is the home of the Michigan Traditional Arts Program which, like its counterpart state programs across the country, is dedicated to the collection and preservation of the stories relating to traditional practices and historical events. The MSU Museum maintains a collection of over 3,000 tape-recorded musical performances, narratives, and workshop discussions pertaining to Michigan history and folklife. Folklore and oral history have become increasingly important tools of scholars across disciplines and areas of study.
http://www.wkar.org
http://www.storycorps.net/
MSU Museum's 'Michigan Foodways' begins statewide tour with Smithsonian
The Michigan State University Museum shares the hearty and varied story of food in Michigan as a companion to a Smithsonian exhibit touring the state during 2007-2008. The Michigan Humanities Council brought the Smithsonian exhibit to Michigan. Key Ingredients, depicting our national food culture, debuted at the Chelsea District Library earlier this summer. Michigan Foodways, the MSU Museum exhibit, explores the state's "foodways," by examining Michigan's rich agriculture, its diverse ethnic cuisines and its special culinary traditions.
Key Ingredients - Michigan Foodways will be on exhibit at six sites across the state:
o CHELSEA: McKune Memorial Library. May 26 - July 6, 2007
o CALUMET: Keweenaw Heritage Center. July 13 - Aug. 26, 2007
o CHEBOYGAN: Cheboygan Area Public Library. Aug. 31 - Oct. 14, 2007
o WHITEHALL: White Lake Community Library. Oct. 19 - Dec. 2, 2007
o FRANKENMUTH: Frankenmuth Historical Museum. Dec. 7, 2007 - Jan. 27, 2008
o DUNDEE: Old Mill Dundee. Feb. 1 - Mar. 16, 2008
Michigan Foodways is scheduled to be on exhibit at the MSU Museum after the conclusion of the statewide tour. The MSU Museum is the state's first Smithsonian affiliate and this project is the most recent in collaboration with the nation's largest museum and research institution. Learn more: http://museum.msu.edu and http://www.michiganfoodways.org .
Craft close-up at the MSU Museum
It's time to cast a fresh eye on Michigan's crafts industry - from quilters and rug weavers to boat builders and stained-glass makers - an untapped Michigan resource with the potential to pump millions of dollars into Michigan's economy and draw thousands of tourists to the state, according to a report released by the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries and Michigan State University Museum.
"CraftWORKS! Michigan: A Report on Traditional Crafts and Economic Development in Michigan" lays the strategy for creatively packaging Michigan's crafts industry. Read more about craft production, cultural heritage, and community economic prosperity in the report, found at http://www.craftworksmichigan.org. In Michigan, arts and cultural activities already generate nearly $2 billion dollars a year, according to the recent W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research report, "Economic Benefits of Michigan's Arts and Cultural Activities." The CraftWORKS! report was authored by a team at the MSU Museum, home to the Michigan Traditional Arts Program, the state's center for researching, documenting, preserving and sharing the expressive culture of Michigan's tradition-bearers.
MSU's Year of Arts and Culture
Michigan State University has a vibrant cultural community with countless public performances, exhibitions, programs, and special events throughout the year. These arts and culture offerings educate and engage audiences by exploring the diversity of human expression, while contributing to the creative and economic vitality of the region. Members of the university and greater communities and visitors from near and far delight in music, performing arts and concert centers; libraries, museums, and galleries; gardens, public art, and historic sites across the MSU campus. At the same time, audiences on campus and around the world take advantage of academic and research programs, public broadcasting, online resources, publications, and outreach initiatives.
Arts and culture play a critical role not only in preparing students for a global world, but also in nurturing the human spirit and enriching prosperity and quality of life in Michigan. This year, the university is especially pleased to celebrate 2007-2008 as MSU's Year of Arts and Culture. This initiative comprises a year of activities wrapping around all university arts and culture units and academic programs. Highlights include the 25th Anniversary of Wharton Center for Performing Arts, anniversaries of the MSU Museum and the Department of Theatre, the expansion and move of Kresge Art Museum, the opening of the new Residential College for the Arts and Humanities, and much more.
Join us in celebrating MSU's Year of Arts and Culture. See http://artsandculture.msu.edu for events and more information.
Heritage Honored
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the National Endowment for the Art's National Heritage Fellowships, a program to honor and preserve the nation's diverse cultural heritage and master folk and traditional artists. GLFF features these honorees each year, including Yuqin Wang and Zhengli Xu of the Dragon Art Studios, as well as a number of Native American basketmakers who will be demonstrating in the Carriers of Culture program. The MSU Museum also administers the Michigan Heritage Awards program, which honors the state's master tradition-bearers for artistic excellence and contribution to the country's traditional arts heritage. A number of these awardees have gone on to receive National Heritage Fellowships as well. More info at http://www.nea.gov/honors/heritage/index.html .
