Category: AAHD - College of Arts & Letters

A large painted caterpillar sculpture sits in the foreground outside of SCENE Metrospace gallery in downtown East Lansing. Several people gather on the sidewalk near the entrance in front of colorful tree-inspired window displays.

MSU IAH Course Puts Art and Forestry into Action in East Lansing

November 9, 2026

Integrative Arts and Humanities (IAH) courses at Michigan State University are part of the general education curriculum for MSU undergraduate students and offer an opportunity to explore the impact arts and humanities have locally and globally. This spring, MSU students in the IAH course (241E) Hacking the Built Environment learned about the urban tree canopy in East Lansing from city…

A smiling man in a yellow shirt stands beside a vibrant gallery wall installation of colorful abstract figures in motion.

AAHD / Alumni / Art, Art History, and Design / Arts MSU / News

MSU Alum Honored with Artista Latino Award at ArtPrize

October 6, 2026

MSU alum Gustavo Uriel Ayala received the Artista Latino Award at this year’s ArtPrize for his installation, titled “Masking Tears With Sweat.” The Artista Latino Award is a community award that recognizes and celebrates outstanding works of art by Latin American and Hispanic artists participating in ArtPrize, an international art competition and cultural festival held annually in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Text on a light green background reading 'Stanley + Selma Hollander lecture series' on the left, separated by a vertical line from the words 'Artist Designer + Scholar' on the right.

AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / Arts MSU / Donor / Event / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Programs / Scholarship

Hollander Lecture Series Brings Artists, Designers, and Scholars from Around the World to MSU

September 28, 2026

Michigan State University’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design will welcome 10 artists, designers, and scholars to campus during the 2026-27 academic year as part of its annual Stanley and Selma Hollander Visiting Artist, Designer, and Scholar Lecture Series. All lectures and events in the series are free and open to the public.

Students from the Ceramic Arts in Greece education abroad program sit together in front of the stone seating of an ancient Greek theater.

AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / Arts MSU / Exhibition / Faculty / Faculty / News / Student / Student / Study Abroad / Study Abroad

Education Abroad in Greece Inspires Students’ ‘Lasting Impressions’ Exhibition

September 17, 2026

Inspired by the history, culture, and ceramic traditions of Greece, Michigan State University students who participated in the Ceramic Arts in Greece Education Abroad in Spring 2026 transformed their experiences into works of art that are now on display in the “Lasting Impressions” exhibition at the MSU Union Art Gallery. The exhibition is on view through Saturday, Oct. 3, with a public reception scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

An angled view of the “Faces and Traces: A Cross-Border Portrait Project” exhibition shows dozens of student-created portraits in a range of artistic styles and media displayed together on a wall.

AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / Arts MSU / Event / Exhibition / Faculty / Faculty / News / Student / Student

Cross-Border Art Project by MSU and Canadian Students Reaches New Audience at ArtPrize 2026

September 10, 2026

A unique cross-border art project that brought Michigan State University students together with students from Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD U) to explore identity, connection, and the boundaries that separate us is now part of ArtPrize 2026, an international art competition and cultural festival that welcomes more than 900,000 visitors to Grand Rapids, Michigan, each year to…

A television news crew films visitors exploring the student-curated museum exhibition on Michigan State University traditions, with artifacts, display cases, and interpretive panels throughout the gallery.

AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / Arts MSU / Exhibition / Faculty / Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Scholarship / Student / Student / Theatre

From the Shadows of Beaumont Tower: Hands-On Curatorial Experience Brings Spartan Traditions to Life

July 20, 2026

Painting the MSU Rock. A primal midnight scream during finals week. Formal social etiquette from a 1954 student handbook. And even Sparty himself. These iconic Michigan State University traditions — and many more — are featured in the What If We Kissed in the Shadows of Beaumont Tower?: Connecting Generations Through MSU Student Traditions exhibition created by students in the…

Aditi Gonuguntala smiles while adjusting her graduation cap outdoors on Michigan State University's campus. She is wearing a green graduation gown, a white Spartan stole, honor cords, and an Experience Architecture medal.

AAHD / News / Student / Student / WRAC / XA

Experience Architecture Student Finds Purpose in Inclusive Design

July 7, 2026

After exploring several majors at Michigan State University, Aditi Gonuguntala found more than a degree program in Experience Architecture (XA). She found a new way of thinking — one centered on designing experiences that are accessible, inclusive, and built around people's needs. Aditi Gonuguntala Now a senior majoring in Experience Architecture with a minor in Graphic Design, Aditi said discovering…

Split image of a woman with long, wavy hair wearing a black top, looking serious; and a man with a mustache in a light shirt, smiling outdoors.

AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / Arts MSU / Award / News / Philosophy / Student / Student

Award-Winning Art and Interdisciplinary Research Earn Scholars Varg-Sullivan Awards

May 29, 2026

This year's Varg-Sullivan Endowed Graduate Award winners are Niloufar Fallahfar, a Spring 2026 MFA in Studio Art graduate, who is the 2026 Outstanding Achievement in the Arts recipient, and Jonah Branding, a graduate student pursuing a dual Ph.D. in Philosophy and Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, was named the 2026 Outstanding Achievement in Letters recipient. The Varg-Sullivan Endowed Graduate Awards, presented…

A group of people is painting handprints in colorful paints on a white, sculptural object outdoors. They wear gloves and appear focused and collaborative.

AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / Arts MSU / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Student / Student

Student-Built Mobile Microgalleries Add New Public Art to East Lansing

May 15, 2026

Two new microgalleries from Michigan State University’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design (AAHD) will be featured at the 2026 East Lansing Art Festival on May 16 and 17, completing a three-part public art project designed and created by MSU students during the 2025-2026 academic year. The two new microgalleries are freestanding, mobile galleries designed to move between multiple sites and events. They will join the Honeycomb…

A man with a beard, sunglasses, and cap stands pensively beside an abstract wall art piece with beads. The scene exudes a creative and thoughtful atmosphere.

AAHD / Art, Art History, and Design / Arts MSU / Exhibition / News / Student / Student

MFA Artist Uses Art as Activism to Challenge Stereotypes and Celebrate African Culture

May 12, 2026

For Vadu Rodrigues, there is no separating art from activism. Growing up in Cape Verde, an island nation off the coast of West Africa, he uses his art — and the Positive Africa creative movement he founded — to challenge negative stereotypes about the continent and its people by highlighting its history, culture, and communities.