Post published:January 12, 2026

‘Patchwork: Reclaiming Space’ Exhibit Invites the Public to Reflect, Create, and Heal

Patchwork: Reclaiming Space, a collaborative, participatory exhibition at the MSU Union Art Gallery that runs through Saturday, Feb. 14, invites the public to pause, reflect, and remember through shared creative expression rooted in community.

The exhibition encourages members of the Michigan State University community to spend time in the gallery acknowledging the past, reflecting on the present, and making art. All materials are provided for communal collage creation and to create fabric patches to be sewn into the communal tapestry displayed in the gallery — a shared patchwork of Spartans’ art brought together by Spartan Upcycle, the student-centered creative reuse branch of the MSU Surplus Store & Recycling Center (SSRC).

A wide shot of the MSU Union Art Gallery interior showing a clean, well-lit space with hardwood floors. A large communal crafting table sits in the center. In the background, white walls feature minimalist art displays and wall-mounted prompts such as "WHAT DOES YOUR STORY LOOK LIKE?" To the left, a colorful fabric tapestry hangs in a window, and a blue armchair sits in a corner. — *Patchwork: Reclaiming Space* is a collaborative, participatory exhibition at the MSU Union Art Gallery where the MSU community is invited to create collages and fabric patches to be displayed at the gallery through Saturday, Feb. 14. All materials are provided. *(Photos by Ryan Frederick)*

A large, communal fabric tapestry composed of dozens of unique, handmade squares stitched together on a bright neon-yellow backing. Each square features different designs, including hearts, flowers, Spartan "S" logos, and abstract patterns made from varied fabrics, ribbons, and thread. — *Patchwork: Reclaiming Space* is a collaborative, participatory exhibition at the MSU Union Art Gallery where the MSU community is invited to create collages and fabric patches to be displayed at the gallery through Saturday, Feb. 14. All materials are provided. *(Photos by Ryan Frederick)*

Visitors may create while working alongside others at a communal table or in a quiet nook, with their stories and artistic responses contributing to the collective narrative. As the exhibition unfolds, the communal collages and tapestry will grow, culminating in a vibrant portrait of the community.

Patchwork: Reclaiming Space is made possible through a collaboration between MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design and Spartan Upcycle, which offers hands-on arts and crafts opportunities using discarded materials collected through SSRC’s daily operations.

A wooden rolling library cart filled with three shelves of vintage books stands against a white gallery wall. Above the cart, the wall-mounted prompt reads, "WHAT IS A HAPPY MEMORY?" A clear acrylic shelf mounted just below the text holds a collection of postcards and photographs. — The *Patchwork: Reclaiming Space* exhibition includes several prompts to help inspire creativity. *(Photo by Ryan Frederick)*

This is the second year the Reclaiming Space exhibition is being held. Laurén Gerig, Assistant Professor and Director of Exhibitions and Outreach in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design, established the collaborative exhibition in 2025 in response to the anniversary of the violence on MSU’s campus on Feb. 13, 2023, recognizing the need for a space grounded in care, reflection, and sensitivity. This year’s exhibition builds onlast year’s themes of reclamation and honoring.

“Last year, the gallery team was overwhelmed by the response to the exhibition. We had guests visit the gallery multiple times while the show was up and some would sit in the space for a few hours. Some even brought their own supplies,” Gerig said. “Clearly there was a need and desire to have this space to create together. This year, Patchwork, expands on that and feels even more collaborative. What I love about this year’s iteration is that collage and patch-making are accessible, yet powerful, mediums.”

Helping bring this exhibition to fruition are Katie Deska Radigan, SSRC Education & Upcycle Coordinator; Dr. Andrea Allen, Assistant Professor of Art Education in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design (AAHD) and head of the AAHD Art Education Area; Reegan Loveland, Graphic Design senior; Lauren Rader, Art Education junior; Spartan Upcycle’s Delaney McIntyre, Environmental Studies and Sustainability senior; and Kate McCabe, recent Psychology graduate and sewist who reimagined a heap of squares into a cohesive tapestry. Both the AAHD Art Education Area and MSU Surplus Store & Recycling Center provided materials.

“The materials provided by the AAHD Art Education Area and MSU Surplus Store & Recycling Center have a history,” Gerig said. “By cutting, pasting, stitching, each person gives the materials a new life, adding to the story. It’s a process that is inherently reflective and an act of reclamation.”

A square art piece constructed from a wooden yardstick frame. The frame is heavily embellished with assorted buttons, pearls, typewriter keys reading "2025," and a pink butterfly charm. Inside the frame, a central graphic features the text "GRAB ANY SUPPLIES" in pink and red bubble letters, accompanied by a green four-leaf clover and a pink flower. — The *Patchwork: Reclaiming Space* exhibition is made possible through a collaboration between MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design (AAHD) and Spartan Upcycle, the student-centered creative reuse branch of the MSU Surplus Store & Recycling Center (SSRC). Materials for the exhibition were provided by the AAHD Art Education Area and the SSRC. *(Photos by Ryan Frederick)*

A high-angle view of a long, white communal table inside the MSU Union Art Gallery. The table is stocked with jars of scissors, bins of markers, and stacks of paper. "Patchwork Prompts" instruction cards are placed alongside various collage materials, including vintage pamphlets. In the background, vinyl lettering on the gallery wall reads "WHAT DOES HOME LOOK OR FEEL LIKE?" and "WHAT BRINGS YOU JOY?" — The *Patchwork: Reclaiming Space* exhibition is made possible through a collaboration between MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design (AAHD) and Spartan Upcycle, the student-centered creative reuse branch of the MSU Surplus Store & Recycling Center (SSRC). Materials for the exhibition were provided by the AAHD Art Education Area and the SSRC. *(Photos by Ryan Frederick)*

Last year, in honor of the day of remembrance at MSU, Spartan Upcycle hosted an upcycle pop-up in the MSU Union, inviting students to make a patch from scraps of different fabrics and other materials such as ribbons, buttons, bells, markers, and threads. The patches created during that event became the foundation of the tapestry now hanging in the MSU Union Art Gallery. Patches made in the gallery over the next month will be added to this tapestry and work on a second communal tapestry also will begin.

“When Spartan Upcycle started the patch project, we didn’t foresee a special way to commemorate the contributors and their artwork. So, it feels very meaningful that the tapestry, as it has taken shape so far, is part of Reclaiming Space,” Deska Radigan said. “We planned to expand the tapestry by hosting more pop-ups this year, but when Laurén and Andrea reached out to find collage supplies, everything evolved. The process has reaffirmed our shared motivation — to invite a sense of community by offering people a chance to contribute to something none of us could create alone.”

A public reception for the Patchwork: Reclaiming Space exhibition is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. The MSU Union Art Gallery is located on the second floor of the MSU Union, 49 Abbot Rd. East Lansing, Michigan, in Room 230. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

By Kim Popiolek