Arts MSU

Boston’s Poet Laureate Selected as 2025 Womxn of Color Initiatives Artist-in-Residence

March 19, 2025

Michigan State University’s Womxn of Color Initiatives (WOCI) has selected Porsha Olayiwola, Poet Laureate for the city of Boston, Massachusetts, as its 2025 Artist-in-Residence. An award-winning poet, performer, educator, and curator, Olayiwola employs Afrofuturism and surrealism to explore historical and contemporary issues within the Black, woman, and queer diasporas. She will be in residence on Michigan State University’s campus March 24-27.

Two young women stand together in Times Square, smiling at the camera. One wears a brown jacket over a Michigan State t-shirt, and the other wears a dark green sweatshirt. They are surrounded by a crowd and bright digital billboards.

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Students Receive VIP Behind-the-Scenes Access to New York Fashion Week

February 27, 2025

Two Michigan State University seniors who are majoring in Apparel and Textile Design (ATD) received a behind-the-scenes look at the fashion industry during the February 2025 New York Fashion Week (NYFW). This experience included entry into select runway shows as well as panel discussions and networking opportunities with industry leaders.

Two women wearing black sit on a theatre stage that is lit in red. One woman is sitting and looking straight ahead. The other woman is more in the background of the left and sitting at an angle. A group of discarded chairs surround both women. Photo by Federico Sigillo.

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U.S. Premier of Italian Play Addressing Themes of Sexual Violence Coming to MSU, Other Universities

February 24, 2025

In the U.S. debut, acclaimed Italian playwright, actor, and director Giuliana Musso will explore the traumatic effects of silence when sexual abuse occurs at home through her play “Dentro (Inside): A True Story, If You Think So.” The play is a dramatized account of real-life conversations, Musso’s research on the topic, and her own attempt to bring awareness to the…

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‘9 to 5: The Musical’ Is a Collaborative Showcase of Talents

February 19, 2025

The “9 to 5: The Musical” production, presented by the Department of Theatre and running through Feb. 23 at the Fairchild Theatre, is a collaborative showcase of the efforts of many different students and faculty members. The overall production includes 23 cast members, 11 musicians, and a large production team of choreographers, designers, and technical directors.

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Faculty Voice: I’m a Maker and a Storyteller

February 14, 2025

Teresa Dunn is a Mexican American artist raised in rural southern Illinois. Her identity life and art are influenced by her racial and cultural heritages and the complexities of being a brown woman in the Midwest. She's a Professor of Painting and Drawing in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design in the College of Arts & Letters. Dunn wrote the…

Read more about the article MFA Candidate Uses Art to Create Positive Africa Movement, Challenging Negative Perceptions of the Continent and Black Diaspora

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MFA Candidate Uses Art to Create Positive Africa Movement, Challenging Negative Perceptions of the Continent and Black Diaspora

February 11, 2025

As an artist-activist, Vadu Rodrigues came to Michigan State University from his native Cape Verde with a desire to not only hone his skills as a graduate student in the MFA in Studio Art program but to also fuel his decade-long efforts to transform global perceptions of Africa and the Black diaspora.An installation artist and veteran photographer, Rodrigues has spent…

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MSU Department of Theatre Presents ‘9 to 5’ Musical Focused on Female Empowerment

February 4, 2025

Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre is pleased to present “9 to 5: The Musical,” based on the 1980 movie with Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin, about three hilarious female office workers who concoct a plan to get even with their sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, and bigoted boss. Performances are scheduled for Feb. 15-23, 2025, at the Fairchild…

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Exhibit Invites Public to Participate in Creation of Community Art Projects

January 14, 2025

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. Now through Saturday, Feb. 15, the public is invited to add their personal touch and creativity to the murals and sculptures that make up this exhibition, and as the show progresses, the artwork will evolve with each new day.

A picture of pair of hands carefully holding a circular piece of fabric featuring an intricate design of a yellow and purple flower with green leaves, surrounded by a red beaded border.

Alumni / Arts MSU / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Linguistics / Michigan Impact / News / U.S. Impact

Preserving Native American Culture and Traditions Through Language and Craft

November 22, 2024

Ellie Mitchell is on a mission to preserve Indigenous languages, arts, and crafts to ensure that Native American culture and traditions remain vibrant for future generations. A member of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and a Michigan State University alum with a B.A. in Linguistics, Mitchell is using her MSU education to support tribal language programs across the country as…

Arts MSU / Faculty / News / Performance / Production / Student / Student / Theatre / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

MSU Theatre Presents Unpredictably Fun ‘Unscripted’ Improv

November 12, 2024

Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre presents “MSU Unscripted,” a completely improvised production, showcasing the talents of the department’s first-year students, where audience members are invited to participate by offering suggestions when called upon. The spontaneous “MSU Unscripted” performances are scheduled for Nov. 21-24, 2024, at Studio 60 in the MSU Auditorium with each performance offering a unique blend of…