In celebration of the 65th anniversary of Michigan State University’s African Studies Center (ASC), the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University (MSU Broad Art Museum), the MSU Museum, MSU Libraries, and the ASC have partnered on a series of exhibitions marking this milestone year. Africa Past, Present, and Future: Celebrating 65 Years of the MSU African Studies Center invites reflection on the power of collections and object-based learning to expand our understanding of global cultures and our place within them.
“The MSU Broad Art Museum and the ASC have enjoyed a longstanding partnership over the years, and it is our pleasure to shine a light on their important work during this momentous anniversary year,” commented Steven L. Bridges, senior curator and director of curatorial affairs at the MSU Broad Art Museum and co-curator of the project. “As part of the university’s commitment to working with different communities from the African continent, as exemplified by the work of the ASC, the Africana collections on campus and here at the MSU Broad Art Museum have grown to be some of the most important in the United States today. Through these objects we continue to advance teaching and learning at the university and within our wider communities, connecting different peoples and cultures across time and geographies.”
Drawn from the extensive Africana collections of the MSU Museum, MSU Broad Art Museum, and MSU Libraries, these exhibitions explore the University’s deep and evolving relationship with the African continent through art, artifacts, and archival materials. The exhibitions highlight how collections continue to support research, teaching, and public engagement around African cultures.
The two venues and their dates are:
MSU Broad Art Museum: July 19, 2025 – January 18, 2026
MSU Main Library: August 18, 2025 – December 29, 2025
“These exhibitions are a tribute to the legacy and future of the African Studies Center, as well as to the powerful role that objects play in expanding our understanding of cultures across time and space,” said Kurt Dewhurst, curator at the MSU Museum and co-curator of the project. “The MSU Museum is honored to contribute its collections and expertise to this meaningful celebration.”
The exhibitions include textiles, ceramics, carvings, and photographs, and are shaped by a broad team of curators and scholars, including representatives from the MSU Museum, MSU Broad Art Museum, MSU Libraries, and African Studies Center. Materials on view reflect MSU’s long-standing partnerships on the continent, including its foundational role in the establishment of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“As we celebrate 65 years of the African Studies Center at MSU, we honor a legacy of transformative scholarship, partnership, and impact across Africa and right here in Michigan. It is a special honor to mark this milestone with exhibitions that build on our longstanding collaboration using art and cultural objects to teach about Africa’s diverse histories, peoples, and cultures,” remarked Leo Zulu, director of the African Studies Center. “This exhibition is not just a celebration of our past—it’s an invitation to imagine the future with us. I warmly invite everyone to visit, bring your families, and help spread the word, and I thank our partners at the MSU Museum, MSU Libraries, and the Broad for making this shared vision a reality.”
Both exhibitions are free and open to the public. For details on, visit broadmuseum.msu.edu and lib.msu.edu.
Images:
Tijani Sitou, See My Henna (Regardez-mon henne), 1983, printed 2006. Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan State University, purchase, 2009.41.2
Adire cloth wrapper, Nigeria, MSU Museum