|
Media Contact
Lora Helou
Communications Manager
MSU Museum
pr@museum.msu.edu
(517) 432-3357
|
|
|
|
January 2006
Museum and Museum-Related News items are listed in descending chronological order.
Outstanding books celebrate unique culture of region
 |
|
|
|
GREAT LAKES CULTURE PROGRAM ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF FIFTH ANNUAL AWARDS COMPETITION
The Great Lakes Culture Program at Michigan State University has announced the winners of the fifth annual Great Lakes Culture Awards.
The awards recognize books that contribute to an understanding and appreciation of the cultures of the Great Lakes region.
"There is a growing body of new work on the culture of the Great Lakes and creative expressions related to life in this region. This group of awardees represents a rich resource for those interested in better understanding life and the people of the Great Lakes region," says C. Kurt Dewhurst, director of the program.
Winners of the fifth annual the Great Lakes Culture Program Awards include:
GLCP BEST BOOK AWARD FOR NON-FICTION/BIOGRAPHY: Made in Detroit: A South of Detroit Memoir, by Paul Clemens. Published by Doubleday. This memoir offers a personal account of growing up in Detroit, providing insights into the complexities of the changing life of a major American city. Clemens recounts growing up Catholic in a majority Black city offering a perspective about the cultural experience of daily life, race relations, and class conflict.
GLCP BEST BOOK AWARD FOR POETRY: Forever the Last Time, by Jim Slominski. Published by Wolsak and Wynn. This volume of poetry captures a sense of the Great Lakes region with a Canadian perspective. Poems focus on family relations, everyday life, sense of place, and powerful personal stories that enhance the reader's understanding of life in the Great Lakes region.
Established in 1999, the Great Lakes Culture Program is dedicated to the understanding and interpretation of the cultural history and expressions of the diverse peoples, traditions and customs of the Great Lakes region and the region's interaction with the world. The program is housed in the MSU Museum in East Lansing, Michigan.
The nomination deadline for next year's competition is Dec. 1; nominations should be made directly to the Great Lakes Culture Program. Further information is available at http://www.greatlakes.msu.edu.
|
|
|
|
|
THE VOICES PROJECT: EXPLORING FARMERS, FARMING, AND FOOD AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL
The Voices Project, based at the MSU Museum, is developing resources for organizations to use in their own work: planning, training, building public awareness, and inspiring change around farming, farmers and local food. Farmers, agricultural practitioners, humanities and theatre professionals are developing materials. The program is funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation.
Special program:
Friday, January 27, 2006
Michigan State University Museum - Auditorium, 2nd floor West
11:00 A.M. - 1:30 P.M. * brown bag lunch
What will be in the fields tomorrow? is an informal readers-theatre script of conversations drawn from the voices and experience of American farmers as documented by interviewer, photographer and video producer Cynthia Vagnetti.
Attendees will be a part of the program:
* sharing reading the script aloud in a group-read
* listening as audience, and
* talking back about the content, impact, and uses in the field
Please RSVP - space limited. (Contact: averyj@msu.edu .)
Another readers-theatre presentation is set for Traverse City presentation at Old Town Playhouse. Presentations and focus groups of agricultural and farmer organizations in Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin are also participating in the project.
|
From the Great Lakes Quilt Center
|
|
|
|
NEW ON VIEW IN HERITAGE HALL: 'MR. MANDELA'
"Mr. Mandela"
Beverly Ann White
1990
Pontiac, Michigan
43.5" x 44.25"
Cotton, cotton/polyester
MSUM #2003:50.2; Michigan African American Quilt Collection
Beverly Ann White's created her "Mr. Mandela" quilt to honor Nelson Mandela: "My statement quilts are made as a result of emotion. The inspiration for Mr. Mandela came from the very strong emotions of elation and relief I experienced when he was released from his years of captivity in South Africa."
White donated her quilts "View from the Mountain Top" and "Nelson Mandela" to the Michigan State University Museum in November 2003. The GLQC/MSU Museum's Michigan African American Quilt Collection includes more than 35 quilts, as well as documentary materials, which reflect the wide range of individual styles and traditions found with the Michigan African-American quilting community. Quilts from this collection have been featured in Marsha MacDowell, ed., African American Quiltmaking in Michigan (Michigan State University Press, 1997).
The Great Lakes Quilt Center has evolved from the sustained and significant quilt-related activities and resources at the Michigan State University Museum and the museum's long-standing interest in and commitment to preserving and presenting traditional arts history. Learn more at: http://museum.msu.edu/glqc/
|
|
|
|
|
2006 - YEAR OF AFRICAN ARTS AND CULTURE AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
From research centers to publishing, programming, performances and exhibitions, Michigan State University has a tremendous array of resources related to Africa, African studies and the African experience worldwide. A number of special programs are scheduled during 2006, creating an opportune time to advance a deeper understanding of African arts and culture through increased connections among campus units that contribute to the cultural life at MSU and the community.
A new Cultural Engagement Council at Michigan State University, comprised of leaders of allied cultural units, outreach and student life, has launched 2006 - Year of African Arts and Culture at Michigan State University. Activities revolve around celebrating human expression and the African experience worldwide. Programs also aim to increase collaborations among campus units, more integration of the arts in educational offerings, and more diverse cultural experiences for audiences on campus and throughout the state of Michigan.
Core partners in this CEC initiative include the Department of Art and Art History, Office of Diversity, Kresge Art Museum, MSU Museum, MSU School of Music, Student Affairs, Department of Theatre, WKAR Television and Radio, Wharton Center for the Performing Arts, and University Outreach and Engagement.
Keep connected at http://culturalconnection.msu.edu and the MSU Events Calendar (http://www.events.msu.edu) for programs and activities throughout the year.
|
Siyazama: "We are trying"
|
|
|
|
MSU MUSEUM EXHIBIT EXPLORES ART, EDUCATION AND AIDS IN SOUTH AFRICA
 Traditional arts have become the wellspring of inspiration for an innovative new approach to educating the public about the dangers of AIDS. The exhibition "Siyazama: Traditional Arts, Education, and AIDS in South Africa" opens at the Michigan State University Museum on Feb. 5, 2006.
"Throughout the world art has long been used as a tool for cultural, social and economic change," notes Marsha MacDowell, MSU Museum curator of folk arts and MSU professor of art and art history. "In South Africa many educators and activists used performing and visual arts in the successful anti-apartheid movement. Now arts are being used there to inform and inspire citizens about the AIDS epidemic."
One arts-based intervention, the Siyazama (Zulu for "we are trying") Project, uses traditional and contemporary artistic expression to document the realities of HIV/AIDS and to open lines of communication about the virus. Though based in South Africa, the project is a model for collaborations among artists, educators and health practitioners.
Fighting AIDS within South Africa presents many challenges, co-curator and Harvard doctoral student Marit Dewhurst observes. "Even though the post-apartheid government has mandated changes, many communities continue to experience high rates of poverty and racial discrimination," she says. "Perhaps more importantly, strongly maintained traditional practices and beliefs, especially related to gender roles, inhibit conventional approaches to AIDS education. Despite these challenges, many community organizations have turned to the arts for innovative AIDS education and outreach projects."
"Siyazama" showcases a sampling of the artistic work created by participants in the Siyazama Project -- fiber and wire baskets, dolls, necklaces and other beadwork -- and explores the application of traditional knowledge and skills to contemporary issues, materials and experiences. In addition, the exhibition includes work by other artists in South Africa who have received national awards for their traditional creations as well as work produced as part of craft-based economic development projects.
The exhibition is a collaborative project with Natal Technikon (formerly Durban Technikon) that grew out of the South African National Cultural Heritage Project, a bi-national project led, in part, by Michigan State University Museum and MATRIX: Center for Humane Arts, Letters, and Social Sciences Online. Special events are being coordinated in conjunction with on-campus and Lansing-area community organizations; for more details, see http://museum.msu.edu "exhibitions."
"Siyazama: Traditional Arts, Education, and AIDS in South Africa" is on exhibit in the MSU Museum's Heritage Gallery Feb. 5 - June 30, 2006. The Museum Store will featured selected hand-made goods from South Africa during the exhibit's run.
Funding has been provided by the Andrew J. Mellon Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, and, for partial support of a traveling portion of the exhibition, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.
The MSU Museum is Michigan's natural history and culture museum and the state's first affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. The Museum features three floors of special collections and changing exhibits and is open seven days a week free of charge (donations are welcome). The museum is located on West Circle Drive next to Beaumont Tower on the MSU campus in East Lansing and is accessible to persons with disabilities. Hours are Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. For more information, call (517) 355-2370 or see http://museum.msu.edu
|
|
|
|
|
2006: YEAR OF THE MUSEUM
In its centennial year, the American Association of Museums, Washington, D.C., has designated 2006 "Year of the Museum." The Michigan State University Museum joins in this major national effort to encourage Americans to experience, celebrate and support the museums in their communities today and beyond.
Museum nationwide serve the public good as centers of learning, stewards for cultural and natural treasures, protectors of artistic and historic heritages, gathering places for the enjoyment of individuals and families, and key partners in travel and tourism. Read more at : http://museum.msu.edu/GeneralInformation/About/
|
Chocolate lovers indulge for a great cause
|
|
|
|
MSU MUSEUM'S BENEFIT HITS THE SWEET SPOT IN GREATER LANSING
 Tickets are now on sale for Michigan State University Museum's Chocolate Party Benefit, presented by the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, Harrison Road, East Lansing, on Sunday, Feb. 26. In this popular annual community event, chocolate lovers indulge for a great cause -- all to benefit the care and preservation of the MSU Museum's natural history and cultural collections.
The MSU Museum Chocolate Party Benefit is set for 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center on the MSU campus, and features samples to savor from the area's finest "chocolatiers." Area chefs and caterers compete to create inspired, edible masterpieces featuring the key ingredient -- chocolate. Meanwhile, lucky visitors can indulge in all the taste-tempting chocolate creations: cakes, tortes, cheesecake, candy and fudge, fondued fruit, chocolate bread and more.
The MSU Museum Chocolate Party Benefit is unique in that it gives the general public access to a competitive professional industry event. Competition entries take their inspiration from museum collections and this year's "rain forest" theme. Several of the museum's artifacts and specimens from rain forest regions in Central and South America will also be on display at the event.
At the same time, local restaurants, caterers, bake shops, candy makers and other vendors also share samples of their best sweet treats. Participating chocolatiers from the area include: Bake N' Cakes, Caruso Candy Inc., Cookies by Design, Fabiano's Homemade Candies, Golden Rose Restaurant, How Sweet It Is, International Bread Shop, the Peanut Gallery, a Piece O' Cake, Puffin's Pastry Shop/MSU Bakery and Wright Endings. (Vendors are subject to change.)
Tickets are $30 for the general public and $25 for MSU Museum members. A special "Premier Chocolatier" ticket for $75 offers an advance preview of Chocolate Party creations, a year-long MSU Museum membership and a behind-the-scenes tour of many of the museum's collections later this spring.
Tickets are available at: Bake N' Cakes, Caruso Candy Inc., Cookies by Design, Fabiano's (three locations), Golden Rose Restaurant, How Sweet It Is, International Bread Co., the Chocolate Cove inside the Peanut Gallery, the MSU Museum Store, and on-line at http://museum.msu.edu/Events/ChocolateParty/ .
Sponsors for this year's event are the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, 99.1 WFMK, Anderson International Travel, Uncle John's Fruit House Winery, Michigan Brewing Company, Dobson Healthcare Services, Pastry 1, Cacao Noel and Paris Gourmet.
Reflections on collections
The Chocolate Party benefits care and preservation of the extensive collections of the MSU Museum -- which number nearly 1 million objects, artifacts and specimens housed in four buildings across the MSU campus. Many date back to the museum's founding in 1857. Proper light and temperature control, space and security are important in helping ensure collections are preserved and accessible for future generations. Collections are an irreplaceable world resource held in trust for the long-term benefit of society. Natural and cultural history collections are vital for research, education, interpretation, public enjoyment and inspiration, cultural identity, environmental protection, and advancement of scientific knowledge.
The MSU Museum is Michigan's natural history and culture museum and the state's first Smithsonian Institution affiliate. The museum features three floors of exhibits and special collections, and is located on West Circle Drive, next to Beaumont Tower on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing. The Museum is open weekdays 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Sundays 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Admission is free (donations are welcome) and the facility is accessible to persons with disabilities. Contact (517) 355-2370 for more information.
|
|
|
|
|
SABBATICAL TAKES GOTTFRIED TO NEW ZEALAND FOR FOSSIL MARINE VERTEBRATE STUDY
Mike Gottfried, Associate Professor of Geological Sciences and MSU Museum Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology, will spend an extended period of time in New Zealand as part of his sabbatical leave during Spring Semester 2006. While in New Zealand, Gottfried plans collaborative research on fossil marine vertebrates with his colleague Ewan Fordyce at Otago University, including field work in Oligocene-age deposits on the South Island, and describing some very interesting fossil material in the Otago Museum.
This overall aim of this research is to better understand the evolutionary response associated with the formation of the circum-Antarctic current during the Oligocene (approximately 30 million years ago), which thermally isolated Antarctica and led to the cold polar seas that are now prevalent in this region. New Zealand holds a very rich Oligocene-age fossil record and is the key to interpreting the faunal changes that led to the establishment of "modern" marine faunas in high-latitude southern seas.
|
|
|
|
|
HOLMAN IDENTIFIES TURTLE FOSSIL AS NEW SPECIES: TERRAPENE CORNERI
After borrowing a 13 million-year-old turtle fossil found 34 years ago by paleontologist George Corner at a Webster County, Neb., dig site, J. Alan Holman, curator emeritus at the Michigan State University Museum, has officially identified the find as a new species. In the findings, published recently in the Herpetological Journal, Holman named the holotype fossil "Terrapene corneri," in honor of Corner, a longtime colleague and collections manager of the division of paleontology at the University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln, Neb.
The south-central Nebraska dig site has proved fruitful for Corner and museum collections. He said over 100 different species of vertebrate animals were found at the site. "When I found the turtle I knew it was different, that I had never seen anything like it before," Corner said. "But, I didn't have the expertise to describe it."
Holman, however, is a leader in herpetology, the study of reptiles and amphibians. Corner said Holman -- who has collaborated on the Webster County site for years -- has built one of the best herpetology collections in the United States. Holman is a museum associate at the University of Nebraska State Museum.
The turtle resembles the box turtle "Terrapene ornate" that is still prevalent in the Great Plains. However, differences do remain and "Terrapene corneri" remains a holotype - the original specimen from which the description of a new species is made. -- Thanks to University Communications, UNL
|
|
|
|
