Catch MSU Museum Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology and Associate Professor of Geological Sciences Mike Gottfried on National Geographic Channel's "Prehistoric Predators - Monster Shark" on Tuesday, April 28, at 10 p.m. http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/prehistoric-predators/3573/Overview

May 10 - December 31
Michigan State University Museum -- West Gallery

Our Earth is a dynamic, ever-changing planet. Natural forces shape the surface of the planet through mountain building, erosion by the wind and water, and other processes. The continents themselves are in motion, drifting on huge, slowly moving plates of the Earth's crust. Paleontologists are especially interested in the Cretaceous Period (around 90-100) millions years ago, and fossils unearthed from this distant time help tell the story of how, when, and from where the ancient ancestors of today's animals reached their present-day homes, and where their closest relatives lived.

"Tanzania in Deep Time - A View from the Rift Valley" documents an ongoing research project that has produced a series of exciting fossil discoveries from the Rukwa Rift Basin of western Tanzania, on the African continent.

Geological activity along the Great Rift produces valleys that serve as basins for collecting sediments that erode from higher areas -- sometimes containing animal and plant fossils. Along with the fossils, data on the type of sediment, how different rock layers formed, and whether rivers once flowed through the region provide vital clues on what the environment was like millions of years ago, during the immense intervals of what geologists call "deep time."

The research and the exhibit are collaborative projects being carried out by a team that includes the Michigan State University Museum, Ohio University, Southern Utah University, and Tanzanian collaborators and students from the University of Dar es Salaam. This bilingual (English and KiSwahili) version of the exhibit first opened at the National Museum of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam, and now companion exhibits are touring the U.S. -- in East Lansing and Athens, Ohio. The project was funded by a National Science Foundation grant aimed not only at the research questions being addressed, but also at achieving a broader impact through interpreting the research to the public.

The Michigan State University Museum has published a new resource for educators designed to bring young people in touch with their communities, their ethnic identities and the authentic cultural expressions of their own families. "Folk Arts in Education: A Resource Handbook II" is a compilation of best practices in the field of educational efforts using community-based traditional knowledge associated with a wide range of expressive arts forms.

Volume editors Marsha MacDowell and LuAnne G. Kozma, folklife specialists at the MSU Museum, worked for over four years with a national team of advisors to select and secure sample curricula from over 50 exemplary programs for youth in educational settings in K-12 schools, youth-serving organizations, arts and humanities councils, museums, and cultural heritage and folk arts non-profit organizations. Programs combine direct participation and ethnographic methods using photography, video, radio, audio recordings, exhibitions, festivals, and residencies with tradition-bearers. Among the sample resources recommended by the national team of advisors are excerpts from the MSU Museum's own FOLKPATTERNS, a partnership program with Michigan 4-H.

The MSU Museum, home of the Michigan Traditional Arts Program, is a national leader in collecting, documenting, preserving and sharing traditional cultural practices and expressions. A forerunner to "Folk Arts in Education: A Resource Handbook II" has been in use by educators in K-12 schools and community programs since the 1980s.

"We hope that this resource will be used in the classroom and beyond in ways that inspire curiosity and learning about distinctive folk traditions, which are a very vibrant part of community life," notes Kozma, who is also a Michigan State University Extension specialist.

The 260+page book is available for sale in hard copy (loose-leaf binder) for $47.95 ($39.95 without three-ring binder) and CD version for $15, plus applicable taxes and shipping fees. In order to extend the accessibility of the publication, the MSU Museum has also made it available as a free download at http://www.folkartsineducation.org. "Folk Arts in Education" was funded by a grant to Michigan State University Museum from the National Endowment for the Arts through the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

The MSU Museum is the state's natural history and culture museum. Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the MSU Museum became the state's first Smithsonian Institution affiliate in 2001, linking to the world's largest museum and research complex in Washington, D.C. The MSU Museum, located on West Circle Drive on the MSU campus, features three floors of special collections and changing exhibits and is open seven days a week free of charge (donations are encouraged). For more information, call (517) 355-2370 or see http://museum.msu.edu .

Michigan State University Museum and Creative Change Education Solutions (Ypsilanti, Mich) have released Food, Farming and Community, a curriculum for adults interested in learning more about local food systems and sustainable agriculture.

This curriculum and other resources on the Food, Farming and Community website are available free to organizations and communities to use in their own work: planning, training, building public awareness, and inspiring change around farmers, farming and local food. Anyone with knowledge and experience about contemporary agriculture and sustainable practices would be able to facilitate a full program.

THE CURRICULUM
Six 1 - 2 hour sessions address broad sustainable agriculture issues and focus on making personal connections with food, understanding the environmental "footprint' of food production, learning about the difference between price vs. cost, and understanding the historic factors which have brought us to today's food systems. Participants come away with a better understanding of how food relates to their personal health, local and global economies, and the environment.

Each lesson includes facilitator and learner guides and PowerPoint slides. Project planners expect the resource to be used by faith-based groups, education, and community or regional groups involved with agriculture from Extension to sustainable and organic agriculture. Approaches to topics include creative expression, poetry, games, group collaborations, and connections to individual, family and community life.

MORE RESOURCES - READERS' THEATRE, BOOK CLUB AND FILM FESTIVAL

Learn more at: http://www.foodfarmingandcommunity.org

THE COLLABORATORS
Michigan State University Museum is a state natural history and cultural museum with a long history of agriculture heritage activities from exhibits and programs to educational resources. The Food, Farming and Community Resources are at: http://www.foodfarmingandcommunity.org or see, http://museum.msu.edu

Creative Change Education Solutions was selected to develop the curriculum through a nation-wide search. Its mission revolves around creating educational curricula and support materials concerning the sustainable future of tomorrow in different capacities. For more about Creative Change, see http://www.creativechange.net/

Food, Farming and Community Resources were developed through a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and support of MSU Extension and the MSU Museum.

Music, dance, arts and culture from across America and around the world come to downtown East Lansing for the Michigan State University Museum's annual Great Lakes Folk Festival, Aug. 7-9.

The MSU Museum announces the initial line-up of musical performers, sponsored by the City of East Lansing:

Berntson Family Band (Norwegian-American). Washington, D.C. & Los Angeles, California -- http://berntsons.com

Beyond the Pale (Klezmer), Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- http://beyondthepale.net

Gadelle (Acadian), Wellington, Prince Edward Island, Canada -- http://gadelle.com

Diunna Greenleaf and Blue Mercy (Blues), Houston, Texas -- http://diunna.com

Los Bandits de Michigan (Tex-Mex), Kalamazoo, Michigan -- http://losbanditsdemichigan.com

Lost Bayou Ramblers (Cajun), Broussard, Louisiana -- http://lostbayouramblers.com

Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Boys (Bluegrass), Gallatin, Tennessee -- http://jimandjesse.com

Alex Meixner Band (Polka), Allentown, Pennsylvania -- http://alexmeixner.com

Shotgun Party (Western Swing), Austin, Texas -- http://www.shotgunfiesta.com/

Slide (Irish Celtic), Dublin, Ireland -- http://slide.ie

Tumbao Bravo (Cuban/Caribbean), Ypsilanti, Michigan -- http://tumbaobravo.com/

In addition to more than 50 musical presentations, the weekend features artist showcases, demonstrations and meet-the-artist sessions.

BEYOND THE MUSIC, THE MSU MUSEUM'S FESTIVAL PROGRAM INCLUDES

• *NEW* Fiesta! -- Latino traditions -- celebrating crafts, games, music, dance, low-riders, customs and ritual, holidays, occupational arts and children's activities. This program area draws from the MSU Museum's recent work with the Smithsonian Institution.
• 2009 Michigan Heritage Award honorees: Willard Finch of Stockbridge for decorative architectural painting; and Les Ross Sr. of Marquette for Finnish "lumberjack" style harmonica playing.
• Taste of Traditions Foodways: with regional and ethnic food galore - Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Hawaiian, Jamaican and more. The half-mile festival site - across the street from the MSU campus -- spans the downtown core of the city, tapping laid-back park settings and pulsing city crossroads for three days of festival fun.

This award-winning event is of the region's premiere arts programs and a summer-time high note -- and is expected to draw more than 90,000 visitors throughout the weekend to celebrate culture, tradition and community. GLFF was named the state's top public humanities program by the Michigan Humanities Council and the event received an artistic excellence grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to help produce this year's activities.
Festival hours are: Friday, Aug. 7, 6 - 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 8, noon - 10:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 9, noon - 6 p.m. For more information, call the MSU Museum at (517) 432-GLFF (4533) or learn more at http://www.greatlakesfolkfest.net . You can also invite your Facebook friends at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=46300743090 .

Admission to the MSU Museum's Great Lakes Folk Festival is free (donations are encouraged).

The Great Lakes Folk Festival is presented by the Michigan State University Museum, Michigan's first Smithsonian affiliate. The MSU Museum's Michigan Traditional Arts Program researches, documents, preserves, and presents our shared heritage and cultural expressions. Primary financial support for GLFF comes from the City of East Lansing, Michigan State University Office of the Provost and University Outreach and Engagement, and Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. In addition, nearly 100 corporations, foundations and organizations also support GLFF annually, as well as individual donors, "Great Friends."

DONATE NOW!
To help support the Great Lakes Folk Festival, make a gift online at: https://secure.museum.msu.edu/webCredit/GLFFContributions/form.html.

Folk performer and song-writer, activist and book author, and one of the most noted thinkers/advocates and organizers for social justice, Si Kahn, will visit MSU on April 9 and 10 for a number of events sponsored and co-sponsored by the MSU Museum's Our Daily Work/Our Daily Lives program.

Special Lecture
"Bending Toward Justice: The Work of Organizing in Today's America"
Thursday, April 9, 7 p.m.
101 North Kedzie Hall

Our Daily Work/Our Daily Lives Brown Bag
"How Music Keeps You Going Through Decades of Organizing: A Conversation with Si Kahn"
Friday, April 10
MSU Library, Room 449W, 12:15 - 1:30 p.m.

Currently there will be an opportunity to meet and interact with Si at an Our Daily Work/Our Daily Lives brown bag from 12:15 - 1:30 on Friday, April 10th in room 449W of the MSU Library.

"Our Daily Work / Our Daily Lives" is a joint project that focuses on the artistic traditions of workers and on workplaces as contexts for the expression of workers culture. The richness and diversity of workers' experiences and workers culture is explored and presented through an ongoing series of exhibits, lectures, and presentations; writing and research projects; reunions; and demonstrations and discussions. The program was established in 1992 and is coordinated by the Michigan Traditional Arts Program at the MSU Museum and the Labor Education Program in the College of Social Science's School of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Also in the evening on April 10, Kahn will perform in concert at 8 p.m. at the Unitarian Church at the Ten Pound Fiddle Coffeehouse (proudly co-sponsored by Our Daily Work/Our Daily Lives). For information on tickets and more information on the concert, go to the Ten Pound Fiddle website: http://www.tenpoundfiddle.org/cv.asp?cid=137. For more information on the other events, contact John Beck at 517-432-3982 or by e-mail at beckj@msu.edu.

Read more about Si Kahn at his website: http://www.sikahn.com/.

Smithsonian Affiliations, a national outreach unit of the Smithsonian Institution that shares Smithsonian collections and expertise with a network of more than 160 museums and cultural organizations across the country, is pleased to announce Lori Hagadorn of Michigan State University is a recipient of the prestigious intern partnership program award.

Hagadorn, from Brooklyn, Mich., is working towards a B.S. in Anthropology from MSU this May, and will be engaged in a cultural studies internship at the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Her internship will focus specifically on organizing activities for the "Wales Smithsonian Cymru" program at the 2009 Folklife Festival on the national mall in Washington, D.C. Hagadorn is sponsored by the Michigan State University Museum, in East Lansing, Michigan's first Smithsonian Affiliate.

Hagadorn is pursuing a specialization in Museum Studies as part of her Michigan State University course work. In addition to her studies, her preprofessional training has included work as a cultural collections intern at the MSU Museum, where she gained experience in preservation and archiving techniques, exhibition installation, research and digitization. She has served as an MSU Museum volunteer for special events and educational programs. Part of her Smithsonian Affiliations internship will be based at Michigan State University, where she will assist with programming at the MSU Museum's Great Lakes Folk Festival, Aug. 7-9 in downtown East Lansing.

"The Smithsonian Affiliations internship is a tremendous opportunity for a new museum professional and we're delighted to combine it with our ongoing work to research, document and share traditions and cultural expressions at the Michigan State University Museum," notes Marsha MacDowell, MSU Museum curator and MSU professor of art and art history. "Lori will gain excellent practical skills at both the Smithsonian and at the MSU Museum that will supplement her studies richly."

Founded in 2001, the Smithsonian Affiliations Intern Partnership Program provides students in Affiliates' communities with the opportunity to gain practical skills and experience in the museum field. The program is open to college and graduate students whose academic backgrounds and career aspirations lie in the museum field. Through a competitive application process, candidates first submit their application materials to their local Affiliate institution for pre-approval. From these candidates, the year's intern partners are selected to come to the Smithsonian to work with Smithsonian staff in subject areas or on projects that complement the Affiliate's endeavors. Intern partners typically work full-time (40 hours per week) at the Smithsonian for 10 weeks during the summer months. At the end of the summer, intern partners return to school but continue their projects and enhance their experience by interning 12 to 15 hours per week for up to four months at the local Affiliate institution.

An intern partner receives a stipend totaling $4,000, with the Smithsonian Affiliations Office and the sponsoring Affiliate institution each contributing one half. A complete list of Smithsonian Affiliates is available on the Smithsonian Affiliations Web site at http://affiliations.si.edu.

The MSU Museum is Michigan's natural history and culture museum and the state's first Smithsonian Institution affiliate. The MSU Museum -- accredited by the American Association of Museums -- collects, preserves, studies and interprets cultural artifacts and natural history specimens, with collections numbering more than 1 million in four buildings on the MSU campus. One of the oldest museums in the Midwest, the MSU Museum is committed to education, exhibitions, research and the building and stewardship of collections that focus on Michigan and its relationship to the Great Lakes and the world beyond.

-CAMPUS ARCHAEOLOGY PROGRAM:
Campus Archaeology works with multiple departments across the University to make sure that this cultural heritage is protected. Each construction project on campus that disturbs the earth is properly mitigated by CAP. Almost the entire process of completing an excavation project, from design to historical research to excavation to reporting to outreach is completed by MSU undergraduate and graduate students, advancing their education in unique ways. CAP also works to contribute to the public understanding of MSU's cultural heritage, through contributions to academic journals, giving talks and presentations on campus, and developing outreach opportunities throughout the community.

Learn more about campus archaeology, read a blog and check out an online exhibition at: http://campusarch.msu.edu/

-NOTES FROM KENYA: MSU HYENA RESEARCH
Michigan State University students in the Holekamp Lab blog about their experiences in Kenya, research on spotted hyenas and adventures in the field.
See research and news stories, an MSU Special Report, blogs and more here: http://msuhyenas.blogspot.com/

-ALLIANCE FOR AMERICAN QUILTS AND MSU MUSEUM'S 'QUILT INDEX'
The Alliance for American Quilts is asking quilt enthusiasts from inside and outside of the quilt world to tell us what they love about our projects and our mission to document, preserve and share the rich history of quilts and quiltmakers.

Check out a couple profiles here: http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/news/highlights/harper.php
http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/news/highlights/brackman.php

The Michigan State University 2008 President's Report highlights an MSU Museum program in South Africa. The report profiles five areas across campus and around the world that are powering and empowering prosperity: advancing science and knowledge, creating sustainable energy solutions, providing access to knowledge, ensuring food supplies and connecting cultures and sharing values.

Learn more and see a newly produced video segment, also airing on the Big 10 Network, here: http://report.president.msu.edu/content/connecting.php

February 12, 2009 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln and the Michigan State University Museum features "We Celebrate Mr. Lincoln's 200th Birthday" through October 2009 in the Ground Floor Lobby.
The exhibition includes images of the most beloved and honored president of the United States. Lincoln signed the Morrill Act which created a Land-grant System to provide funding for colleges in the U.S. It made possible the establishment of The Agricultural College of Michigan, which became Michigan State University.

The exhibit draws largely from the Lincoln collection of Jewell F. Stevens, which was donated to MSU on Feb. 12, 1959, the Lincoln Sesquicentennial. In addition to artifacts and prints which came to the MSU Museum, the Stevens collection contains more than 1000 books, pamphlets, manuscripts and maps donated to the MSU Library.

Other highlights include:
-A plaster bust of Lincoln as a younger man, before he grew his trademark beard. Avard T. Fairbanks sculpted it in 1942. Fairbanks (1897 - 1987), was a prolific American sculptor, who earned a Ph. D. in anatomy from University of Michigan and taught sculpture there for a time.

-A plaster statue called "The Council of War" represents President Lincoln consulting with Edwin M. Stanton, his Secretary of War, and General Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War. The original was created in 1868 by sculptor John Rogers and the plaster figures were still being made through 1895. This was Rogers' most popular group, seen in Victorian parlors across the country.

-A carving of Abe Lincoln by Vermont wood carver Ely Hannah, created in 1963. He also did furniture restoration for Jacqueline Kennedy in the White House. This item is on loan from Curator Val Roy Berryman.

-A facsimile of the letter of sympathy that Lincoln wrote in 1864 to "Mrs. Bixby," who lost five sons in the Civil War. Numerous replicas of the letter have been printed over the years.

According to popular wisdom, we are what we eat. What we eat says volumes about us - our backgrounds, our social, cultural, economic and religious status, our food preferences, in other words, who we are. The Michigan State University Museum serves up an appetizing new special exhibition, "Michigan Eats: Regional Culture Through Food," April 5 - Nov. 15 in the Heritage Gallery.

The exhibition follows a statewide tour along side the Smithsonian's "Key Ingredients: America by Food," last year and centers on distinctive Michigan specialties that tell the story of how "Michigan Eats." The updated and expanded exhibition, now debuting at home at the MSU Museum, examines the creation of early Michigan cookbooks and a variety of food-centered celebrations -- from fish fries to cherry and berry festivals aplenty. The exhibit also explores the concept of "foodways."

"Foodways represents an entire complex of ideas, behaviors and beliefs centered on food production, preparation, presentation and consumption, and the role of culture in shaping and preserving it," explains Yvonne Lockwood, MSU Museum curator of folklife. "The biological necessity to eat is unquestionable; however, it is to culture, not biology, that we must look to explain why we eat what we eat."

At the same time, "Michigan Eats" draws on the MSU Museum's extensive history and cultural collections to help illustrate Michigan's foodways and regional riches -- like cabbage slicers for sauerkraut, sap buckets for maple syrup, apple picking sacks, Native American wild rice winnowing baskets, and early Kellogg's cereal packaging.

The New Americans Museum in San Diego is presenting two MSU Museum-produced exhibitions that explore and celebrate the contributions of America's diverse immigration experiences.

Two of the exhibitions are part of MSU Museum's traveling exhibition portfolio and were previously shown at the MSU Museum. One was co-created by the MSU Museum and the National Arab American Museum and the other builds on the MSU Museum's renowned collection of ethnic stereotypes built by the late John and Selma Appel.

"A Community between Two Worlds: Arab Americans in Greater Detroit" and "Immigration and Caricature: Ethnic Images from the Appel Collection" are on exhibit through July 5. Learn more at: http://www.newamericansmuseum.org/index.htm .

"These exhibits are an excellent demonstration of the ways in which the MSU Museum's cultural collections are being used by communities worldwide to engage local audiences in meaningful dialogue and educational experiences," notes Marsha MacDowell, MSU Museum curator of folk arts and MSU professor of art and art history.