MSU College of Arts & Letters

MSU College of Arts & Letters Educating & inspiring actors, artists, designers, linguists, philosophers, writers, teachers.
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Students, faculty, and alumni at Michigan State University are leaving their mark on downtown East Lansing. From vibrant...
05/29/2026

Students, faculty, and alumni at Michigan State University are leaving their mark on downtown East Lansing. From vibrant murals and unique microgalleries to vinyl installations that play with light and color, Spartans are transforming public spaces throughout the city—and more projects are on the way.

Yeroham Ashagre, one of five MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY - Art | Art History | Design MFA candidates to graduate in May an...
05/28/2026

Yeroham Ashagre, one of five MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY - Art | Art History | Design MFA candidates to graduate in May and the recipient of the 2026 MSU MFA Prize, uses his art to explore the bounds of life and death. For his thesis exhibition "Womb of Tomb" that was previously at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at MSU, Ashagre created 12-foot-tall clay sculptures that appear n**e, headless, and with mismatched body parts carrying the weight of history and humanity.

Ashagre was also awarded a 2026-2027 Dedalus Foundation Master of Fine Arts Fellowship in Painting and Sculpture, a national award with a stipend given to only four MFA graduates each year.

Mary Juzwik, Professor in Michigan State University Department of English and Michigan State University College of Educa...
05/26/2026

Mary Juzwik, Professor in Michigan State University Department of English and Michigan State University College of Education, received a William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award, one of the university’s highest honors. This MSU award recognizes sustained contributions to research, teaching, and outreach. Juzwik provides leadership in English education, interdisciplinary scholarship, and mentorship that have shaped both the field and the next generation of educators.

Michigan State University Department of Theatre is preparing for the 2026 Summer Circle Theatre season, which runs June ...
05/26/2026

Michigan State University Department of Theatre is preparing for the 2026 Summer Circle Theatre season, which runs June 4-21. This year’s theme is “Resilience,” with three productions featuring characters who are challenged to grow, adapt, and rediscover their sense of self and will. There will be pre- and post-show performances, including lively cabarets and improv. All performances are free to the public.

The Farmscapes to Forests: Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Ecological Research Artists-in-Residence Program enters ...
05/22/2026

The Farmscapes to Forests: Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Ecological Research Artists-in-Residence Program enters its fifth year, featuring Kalamazoo-based visual artist Ellen VanderMyde as the 2026 Artist-in-Residence and, for the first time, a group exhibition showcasing work by last year’s cohort of MSU College of Arts & Letters faculty artists.

Vadu Rodrigues, one of five MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY - Art | Art History | Design MFA candidates to graduate in May, us...
05/22/2026

Vadu Rodrigues, one of five MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY - Art | Art History | Design MFA candidates to graduate in May, 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. His thesis exhibit used fabrics, wax prints, and fishing nets, all collected during his travels throughout Africa, to convey stories and traditions from the African communities he visited. His work was on display this spring at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at MSU 2026 MFA Exhibition.

Michigan State University along with Candace Keller, Associate Professor of African Art and Visual Culture in the Depart...
05/20/2026

Michigan State University along with Candace Keller, Associate Professor of African Art and Visual Culture in the Department of Art | Art History | Design, partnered with Ghana's Mmofra Foundation to preserve the Willis Bell Photographic Archive. This archive is one of the most complete visual records of post-independence Ghana. More than 40,000 photographs documenting Ghana's first decades after independence have been restored, digitized, and returned to public view.

Niloufar Fallahfar, one of five MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY - Art | Art History | Design MFA candidates to graduate in May...
05/19/2026

Niloufar Fallahfar, one of five MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY - Art | Art History | Design MFA candidates to graduate in May, uses her artistic practice to bridge two-dimensional canvas and three-dimensional space. As a native of Iran, Fallahfar draws inspiration from historic Persian architectural forms, offering a new way to look at paintings and a better grasp of the historical significance of these shapes associated with Persia. Her work was on display this spring at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at MSU 2026 MFA Exhibition.

Michigan State University faculty members and leaders headed to the Flint, Saginaw, and Bay City area as part of the Spa...
05/18/2026

Michigan State University faculty members and leaders headed to the Flint, Saginaw, and Bay City area as part of the Spartan Bus Tour featuring people and places (including Spartans) that help shape this part of Michigan.

College of Arts & Letters and Residential College in the Arts and Humanities faculty participants included Marsha MacDowell, Alejandra Márquez, M. Billye Sankofa Waters, and Scot Yoder.

At the Gloria Coles Flint Public Library, MacDowell and members of the Flint African American Quilters Guild discussed their craft and collaboration with MSU’s Quilt Index, a digital archive preserving stories and images of quilts and their makers.

“This grassroots effort of documenting women’s history, art history, and local history is now being preserved and made accessible for people who want to continue to do research and education using it,” said MacDowell, Professor and Director of the Quilt Index. “It reflects our shared commitment to preserving cultural heritage, elevating traditional arts, and celebrating stories that shaped Michigan’s communities.”

Bus tour participants also visited the Frankenmuth Woolen Mill (one of the town’s Spartan-owned businesses), the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum in Bay City, and Flint Farmers’ Market.



Photos courtesy of Derrick L. Turner, Michigan State University

Two new microgalleries designed and created by students in MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY - Art | Art History | Design will b...
05/15/2026

Two new microgalleries designed and created by students in MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY - Art | Art History | Design will be featured at the 2026 East Lansing Art Festival on May 16 and 17. The microgalleries, Vivid Visions and Fragmented Reflections, will join the Honeycomb Gallery outside (SCENE) Metrospace, completing a three-part public art project that ran during the 2025-2026 academic year.

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