Lansing-East Lansing Impact

Michigan State University's Beaumont Tower illuminated at night with red, white, and orange Halloween-themed projections featuring ghostly figures and skeletal hands stretching across its brick facade.

MFA Theatre Candidate to Help Transform Beaumont Tower with Animated Projections for Halloween

October 26, 2026

Michigan State University’s Beaumont Tower will transform into a canvas of light, animation, and music as the Halloween carillon concert returns for the second consecutive year with a new collection of haunting melodies and large-scale animated projections. The event, “The Ringing 3: Music for All Hallows Eve,” will take place Thursday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

A person standing on a rocky overlook with a view of Edinburgh in the background.

Digital Humanities / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / News / Student / Student / Study Abroad / WRAC / XA

Experience Architecture Student Finds Inspiration in 1920s Printing Presses

October 12, 2026

Julia Bolash’s path into design started with fonts. As her interest in design grew, so did her curiosity about what makes design effective — not just visually, but in how it serves the people using it. That led her to user experience design and, eventually, to the Experience Architecture (XA) program at Michigan State University.

A group of people pose together indoors, many with expressive or playful gestures, while one person lies stretched out at the front. Theater seats are visible in the background.

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

MSU’s ‘Midnite’ Brings Shakespeare, Horror, and a Killer Donkey onto the Stage

October 1, 2026

What happens when a group of film majors head into the woods to make a horror movie? Things get supernatural and weird! The Michigan State University Department of Theatre presents “Midnite," written by Reina Hardy and Rory Leahy with direction by Rob Roznowski, Professor in the Department of Theatre. This horror-comedy reimagines Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” filled with madness,…

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 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…

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 group of more than 20 people pose together on the steps outside a brick building.

Community Outreach / English / Faculty / Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Programs / Religious Studies

MSU Fellowship Helps Michigan Teachers Rethink Genocide Education

August 19, 2026

As artificial intelligence and social media reshape how students evaluate information, teaching about genocide and mass atrocities has grown more complex. Teachers in Michigan are required to spend at least six hours on genocide curriculum during grades 8-12. They must navigate not only changing technology but also shifting geopolitical events and a generation of students who see the world differently…

A performer sits cross-legged at center stage with palms raised upward, illuminated by cool blue lighting and circular projections. Two dancers stand behind holding flowing blue fabric.

Faculty / Lansing-East Lansing Impact / Michigan Impact / News / Programs / Student

Ask the Expert: How Arts and Humanities Drive Michigan’s Economic Future

July 29, 2026

Higher education plays a key role in educating Michigan residents as well as supporting the state’s economy, workforce, and culture. Michigan’s 15 public universities generate nearly $45 billion in annual economic impact with Michigan State University supporting $9.7 billion, according to the Michigan Association of State Universities Economic Impact Report released in 2026. Additionally, MSU educates more Michigan residents than…

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…