U-M Faculty Arts Ambassadors share creativity across state of Michigan
The University of Michigan’s Arts Initiative is launching the Faculty Arts Ambassador Program, supporting two U-M faculty members in bringing community-centered arts experiences to locations across Michigan this summer.
Designed to expand access to the arts and strengthen connections between U-M and communities statewide, the program supports participatory events—such as workshops, exhibitions, and artist-led conversations—co-created with local partners. Engagements will take place across Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula between May and August 2026.
Faculty ambassadors receive project funding, travel support, and a stipend, along with logistical and marketing support from the Arts Initiative.
Meet the 2026 Arts Ambassadors
Jonathan Holland – Creative Expression Workshops for Healing & Connection A formerly incarcerated poet, memoirist, and lecturer in LSA’s Department of English, Language, and Literature, Holland leads multidisciplinary creative workshops that engage individuals impacted by the criminal justice system. His project will bring writing, performance, and visual art workshops to prisons and partner organizations across Michigan, emphasizing storytelling, creative confidence, and community connection.
“Poetry has given me purpose—through loss, addiction, incarceration, and transition,” said Holland. “I’m excited to cultivate community and hope through this work, because no matter where life takes us, writing is always there. All you need is a pen, a piece of paper, and an idea.”
As part of the program, Holland will collaborate with U-M’s Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) to lead a two-day writing workshop series with incarcerated participants in Upper Peninsula correctional facilities.
Catie Newell — Objects for Passing: Art for Grief, Care & Life Transitions An architect, artist, and professor at Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Newell explores how material and spatial practices can support reflection and healing. Her project combines sculptural glass, functional objects, and photography to engage themes of grief, care, and life transitions.
“It’s thrilling to look ahead to these community engagement events, knowing the work will find new forms and meanings in the hands of those who participate,” said Newell.
Newell will offer artist talks, hands-on workshops, and open studio experiences in partnership with organizations including the Dennos Museum Center in Traverse City and Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petoskey.
Connecting communities through art
The Faculty Arts Ambassador Program builds on the Arts Initiative’s State of the Arts strategy—now in its third year—which sends U-M student and faculty artists into communities across Michigan through collaborative, public-facing work. Other projects include the CultureCorps student internship program and tours by the U-M Symphony Band and the Dropped Keys Theatre Company.
“Through the Faculty Arts Ambassador Program, U-M faculty share the inspiration they spark on campus with communities across the state, partnering with local arts, culture, and other service organizations to create meaningful experiences that not only enhance the lives of all Michigan citizens, but bring new meanings and purpose to the work of our faculty,” said Mark Clague, executive director of the Arts Initiative.
Summer Tour Details
Jonathan Holland Programming: Writing Workshops (2-Day Series)
Workshop Details: Centered on storytelling, accessibility in creative practice, and personal narrative as a tool for reflection and self-expression, these workshops create space for participants to develop their voices and share their experiences.Location: Chippewa Correctional Facility, Kincheloe, MI (Upper Peninsula, via PCAP)
Catie Newell Programming: Artist Talks & Hands-on Workshops
Artist Talk & Workshop Details: Newell’s artist talks and hands-on workshops invite participants into her material-driven practice, exploring light, perception, and the emotional resonance of objects and environments.
Locations: Dennos Museum Center (Traverse City, MI) and Crooked Tree Arts Center (Petoskey, MI)
Dates: Thursday, July 30 at 10 a.m. (artist talk and workshop in Petoskey); Friday, July 31-Saturday, August 1 (artist talk and workshops in Traverse City)
