Arts MSU

A composite portrait of four students in a brightly lit dressing room with mirrors in the background. From left to right: a student in a dark green Michigan State t-shirt layered over a white corset-style costume piece, smiling; a student in an orange collared shirt with glasses and a short beard; a student in a light blue fitted top with silver jewelry and a white skirt, smiling; and a student in glasses, a white t-shirt, and a light denim button-down shirt.

Department of Theatre Performing Two Plays — ‘The Seagull’ and ‘Stupid F**king Bird’ — Offering One Repertory Experience

September 19, 2025

Michigan State University's Department of Theatre continues its 2025-2026 Season, Secrets & Spotlights, with two plays performed in repertory that span more than a century of theatrical storytelling. Anton Chekhov's “The Seagull,” first performed in 1896, and Aaron Posner's “Stupid F**king Bird,” a bold reimagining of Chekhov's classic, will run Oct. 4-12, 2025, in the MSU Auditorium’s Arena Theatre.

A group of young children and adults sit in a circle on the floor, joyfully tossing colorful scarves into the air.

AAHD / Arts MSU / Faculty / Faculty / News / Student

MSU Making a Mark When It Comes to Investing in the Arts as Essential to K-12 Education

September 16, 2025

Walk into a classroom infused with music, movement, and visual storytelling, and you’ll find something remarkable: students leaning in, asking questions, connecting ideas — and most importantly, lighting up with curiosity. It’s a vivid contrast to a growing concern in K-12 education across the country. According to a 2023 Gradient Learning report, 80% of teachers are concerned about their students’…

Children sit on both sides of a long table, contributing to a shared painting. The paper canvas is filled with colorful shapes, swirls, and rainbows. An instructor oversees the activity.

AAHD / Arts MSU / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Programs / Student / Student

MSU’s SmART Program Expands Community Art Access While Giving Art Education Majors Teaching Experience

September 15, 2025

As most experienced teachers well know, lesson plans don’t always go according to plan. Thinking on your feet and taking advantage of unforeseen “teachable moments” can often lead to the biggest lessons of the day. However, this is not something that can be easily taught in a classroom and is much better learned through real-world experiences, like what Michigan State University’s Saturday Morning Art (SmART) program provides.

A small group of students gathers around a large easel with a charcoal drawing of trees and abstract shapes, with another student on the side of the frame.

Arts MSU / Event / News

Drawing Marathon Returns to Summer Circle Theatre Courtyard Sept. 23

September 12, 2025

The annual Drawing Marathon, hosted by MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design, returns this year to the Summer Circle Theatre Courtyard, located in front of the Kresge Art Center, on Tuesday, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the event of rain, the Drawing Marathon will move inside the Kresge Art Center. The public is invited to this non-stop, eight-hour drawing event.

Arts MSU / Diversity, Equity and Inclusion / Faculty / Faculty / Faculty Stories / Film Screening / French / Michigan Impact / News / U.S. Impact

Documentary by French Professor Earning Recognition at Film Festivals Worldwide

September 11, 2025

"Chœurs Atlantiques | Tales from the Atlantic Beyond," a documentary produced and directed by Safoi Babana-Hampton, Professor of French and Francophone Studies in the Department of Romance and Classical Studies at Michigan State University, is reaching audiences worldwide through an expanding series of film festival screenings, including a screening in Michigan on Friday, Sept. 12, and at one of the…

Black-and-white composite image featuring 15 individual portraits arranged in three rows of five. The individuals vary in gender presentation, hairstyles, and expressions.

AAHD / Arts MSU / Event / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Lecture Series / News

Stanley & Selma Hollander Artist, Designer, and Scholar Lecture Series to Bring Distinguished Guests to MSU in 2025-2026

September 8, 2025

Through its annual Selma & Stanley Hollander Artist, Designer, and Scholar Lecture Series, the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State University hosts several internationally recognized leaders in the fields of art and design, who each offer inspiring talks that explore how visual representation in all its complex forms exists as a mode of inquiry. The 2025-2026 Selma & Stanley Hollander Artist, Designer, and Scholar Lecture Series will bring 15 distinguished guests to campus.

Stylized illustration of three women in vintage aviation uniforms walking forward with determined expressions. The first two wear matching blue uniforms and hats, while the third, leading the group, wears a red bandana, rolled-up sleeves, and carries a toolbox. A plane flies overhead.

Arts MSU / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Performance / Production / Theatre / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

New Musical Takes Flight at MSU in Partnership with Department of Theatre and Wharton Center

September 3, 2025

Buckle up for turbulence, tunes, and 1960s hijinks as Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre, in collaboration with Wharton Center, presents “Taking Off!,” a high-flying new musical comedy and this year’s New Musical Laboratory production. Performances are scheduled for Sept. 19-21, 2025, at Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre.

AAHD / Arts MSU / Exhibition / Faculty / Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Staff / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

‘Nexus’ Exhibit Features Work by Artists Who Help Shape MSU’s Arts Community

August 26, 2025

Michigan State University’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design (AAHD) is shining a spotlight on the creative work of its academic staff, offering the public a look into the lives and practices of the artists who help shape MSU's arts community. Their work, brought together for the “Nexus” exhibition, is now on display through Sunday, Sept. 21, at (SCENE) Metrospace.

A group of college-aged performers on a theater stage, energetically acting out a scene. One performer stands center stage with arms outstretched, surrounded by others wearing red and green shirts, some crouching and others clapping or laughing in the background.

Arts MSU / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Performance / Student / Theatre / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

MSU Department of Theatre Looks Forward to 2025-2026 Season

August 21, 2025

The Michigan State University Department of Theatre’s 2025-2026 Season, Secrets & Spotlights, features performances designed to foster empathy by immersing audiences in stories that highlight diverse characters and perspectives. The season opens with “Taking Off!” — a New Musical Laboratory production running Sept. 19-21, 2025 — and concludes with a Storefront Series production April 23-26, 2026. Seven additional shows will be presented throughout the year.

Ten portraits created by Michigan State University and OCAD University students for the Faces and Traces: A Cross-Border Portrait Project, arranged in two rows of five. Each piece uses a different style and medium to interpret the artist’s partner, from realistic graphite drawings to abstract line work and vibrant mixed media compositions.

AAHD / Arts MSU / Faculty / International Impact / News / Student / Student / Visual Arts, Arts Administration, and Performing Arts

Art Project Brings U.S. and Canadian Students Together

August 13, 2025

When Emma Sambaer, an Art Education student at Michigan State University, was paired with Shiva Mohseni, an OCAD University student from Toronto, for a unique cross-border art project, she noticed how much they had in common despite being separated by an international border.Students from MSU and OCAD U were tasked with creating portraits of each other to capture the likeness…