Arts MSU

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.

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 gather around a large black-and-white drawing displayed on an outdoor easel during the MSU Drawing Marathon.

Arts MSU / Event / Faculty / Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Staff / Student / Student / Theatre

Drawing Marathon Brings Eight Hours of Non-Stop Creativity to Campus

September 22, 2026

The Summer Circle Theatre Courtyard will become a hub of creativity as people from across campus and the community come together to draw and create during the annual Drawing Marathon on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hosted by MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design, this free event will include hands-on art activities, live models, music, and drawing opportunities for participants of all experience levels.

Illustrated poster for the “Sacred Nine Project: The Billings Pendulum 250,” featuring a colonial-era figure swinging a mallet, with text promoting a performance about revolutionary America.

Arts MSU / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Religious Studies / Research

MSU Professor Brings America’s First Composer to Life in October Musical Performance

September 21, 2026

As the United States continues to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its founding, David Stowe, Professor of Religious Studies and Adjunct Professor of History at Michigan State University, is helping audiences rediscover a figure often overlooked in the story of the American Revolution: composer, teacher, writer, and patriot William Billings. On Sunday, Oct. 4, the public is invited to experience “The…

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.

Promotional image for “Discovery: A New American Musical” featuring a space shuttle lifting off against a blue, cloud-filled sky.

Arts MSU / Partnership / Student / Theatre / U.S. Impact

MSU’s New Musical Laboratory Explores NASA’s Return to Space with ‘Discovery’

September 16, 2026

When the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch in 1986, seven astronauts died, and NASA questioned whether the space shuttle program should fly again. That question is at the heart of the new musical “Discovery,” coming to Michigan State University Sept. 24-27, 2026, as part of the MSU Department of Theatre New Musical Laboratory, which brings together…

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 man speaks into a microphone before a seated audience during the College of Arts & Letters Colloquium 2026, with welcome slides projected behind him.

Arts MSU / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty and Staff / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Philosophy / Programs / Staff / Student / Student

College Begins 2026-27 Academic Year with New Programs, People, and Possibilities

September 3, 2026

A new academic year brings new beginnings and Fall 2026 marks an especially significant moment for Michigan State University’s College of Arts and Letters. Students are returning to a college that has grown in scope, with new academic programs, newly housed majors, and expanded opportunities. The year also brings a new slate of performances, exhibitions, and other creative and academic experiences.

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…

Colorful text on a black background reads "Michigan Pride Juried Exhibition." Details about the event, reception, and juror are displayed below.

Arts MSU / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Exhibition / Faculty / Faculty / News / Student

Michigan Pride Juried Exhibition Celebrates LGBTQ+ Artists From Across Michigan

June 11, 2026

Pride takes many forms — celebration, resistance, remembrance, self-discovery — and in the Michigan Pride Juried Exhibition, it takes shape through art. Scheduled for June 11-July 23, 2026, at (SCENE) Metrospace, the Michigan Pride Juried Exhibition, presented in partnership with MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design and the City of East Lansing, celebrates the creativity, diversity, and resilience of LGBTQ+ artists from across Michigan.

Two women are standing in an indoor setting. One looks concerned with her hand on her forehead, while the other gently touches her shoulder, offering comfort.

Arts MSU / Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Performance / Production / Student / Student / Theatre

Medical Simulation Center Transformed into Immersive Theatre Production

June 3, 2026

For a recent theatre production presented by members of the Department of Theatre at Michigan State University, audience members became part of the performance, one that transformed a healthcare simulation center into a deeply intimate, immersive theatrical experience that blurred the line between actors and audience. This production of "Mary Jane" was not confined to the stage, nor was the audience confined to their seats.