Reclaiming Space, the current exhibit at the MSU Union Art Gallery, calls upon the community to come together to reflect, respond, and heal through artmaking.
“When I started the position of Director of Galleries this past August, I immediately began looking at the gallery schedule and knew that the time around the anniversary of the violence on campus in February 2023 needed to be treated with sensitivity. From there, I began thinking about what the gallery could offer in the New Year, the start of the semester,” said Laurén Gerig, Assistant Professor and Director of Exhibitions and Outreach in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State University.
What Gerig came up with is the collaborative Reclaiming Space exhibition.
“The phrase ‘reclaiming space’ can take on so many meanings for everyone. Life changes, loss of loved ones, of places, ideas, a shift in major or career,” Gerig said. “Reclamation is an act of reflection, optimism, and confidence.”
Now through Saturday, Feb. 15, the public is invited to add their personal touch and creativity to the murals and sculptures that make up the Reclaiming Space exhibition. As the show progresses, the artwork will evolve with each new day and with every mark made and every item attached adding a necessary layer that contributes to the whole.
“It is my goal that participants feel warmth and welcome upon entering the space. That through artmaking they can consider what they’ve reclaimed or long to in their lives,” Gerig said. “I hope they feel supported and loved and that when they step away from the sculptures and the canvases, they see how they are a necessary part of a beautiful, strong community. And, that they just have fun being creative.”
A public reception for the Reclaiming Space exhibition will take place on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 5 to 7 p.m. The MSU Union Art Gallery is located on the second floor of the MSU Union in Room 230. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.
“It is my goal that participants feel warmth and welcome upon entering the space. That through artmaking they can consider what they’ve reclaimed or long to in their lives.”
Laurén Gerig, Assistant Professor and Director of Exhibitions and Outreach
In conjunction with this exhibition and in partnership with the The Poetry Room, Reclaiming Space, an evening of poetry is planned for Wednesday, Feb. 5, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the MSU Union Art Gallery. This powerful and transformative event will be centered on self-love, reclaiming space, healing, and grief and will offer a safe and supportive environment to celebrate personal growth, creative expression, and community. The event will feature Peace, a celebrated poet from Detroit and the Writer-in-Residence at Inside Out Literary Arts, who will share their inspiring work. Additionally, attendees are invited to sign up for one of 20 open mic spots to share a poem, play a song, or express themselves creatively.
The Reclaiming Space exhibition is made possible through the partnership with the Department of Art, Art History, and Design (AAHD) and The Poetry Room with special thanks for their help in bringing this exhibition to fruition going to Assistant Professors in AAHD Andrea Allen and Rebecca Casement, Art Education students Avy Fimiani and Kayla Fineout, and BFA in Graphic Design student Jillian Moreno.
“In general, AAHD is always looking to art as outreach,” Gerig said. “In the process of planning this particular show, we’ve had opportunity to collaborate with folks across Art, Art History, and Design; College of Arts & Letters; local and regional poets thanks to Masaki Takahashi with The Poetry Room; and experienced generosity from Lansing businesses like Vintage Junkies who donated the chairs for the sitting area. I would like to see this type of participatory exhibition become an annual event; Reclaiming Space is just the beginning.”
