The Latest
Stories from the Arts Initiative
What’s So Funny?
American culture graduate student and stand-up comedian Julianna Loera-Wiggins is workshopping some new material about getting into her first fistfight on the rugby field.
Visualizing concussion experience through new research-informed mural
The Concussion Center at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology is using visual art to capture the experiences of concussion patients.
Rhiannon Giddens named Arts Initiative’s first U-M Artist-in-Residence
The University of Michigan’s Arts Initiative has announced musician, composer and scholar Rhiannon Giddens will be its inaugural U-M Artist-in-Residence.
The new program aims to bring extraordinary, innovative artists to campus in order to create, grow and impact the world while engaging the university community in the transformative power of the arts.
Political Satire Meets Musical History: Gershwin's Pulitzer Winner Takes the Michigan Theater
The University of Michigan’s Gershwin Initiative is turning back the clock to showcase a pioneering work of American political satire that proves the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Hey, We Need to Talk: Common Sense Diner at UMMA
From the moment you walk into the gorgeous space Philippa Pham Hughes has created at the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) the vibes are immaculate. Think anthropology meets your grandmother‘s kitchen. Visiting Artist for Art & Civic Engagement at UMMA, Hughes has curated the “Hey, We Need to Talk!” exhibition with extreme intentionality. Every artwork, furniture piece, and even the wallpaper has been thoughtfully selected, each element carrying its own significance.
Semester of ‘Gender Euphoria’ celebrates diversity through art at U-M
The Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design is presenting a semester-long celebration featuring queer artists and artmaking around the theme of “Gender Euphoria.”
These performances, exhibitions, conversations and provocations explore how to make art and find queer joy in a state of emergency.
No Safety Net: Pushing Boundaries in UMS's 24/25 Season
The University Musical Society (UMS) is set to challenge audiences once again with the return of its provocative No Safety Net series in the 2024-25 season. This cutting-edge program, known for presenting works that tackle contemporary issues head-on, will feature three interactive theatrical experiences that promise to spark dialogue and push the boundaries of traditional performance.
Using art to aid well-being with Take Care programming
The University of Michigan’s Arts Initiative, Wolverine Wellness and other campus partners have joined forces to center personal and community well-being in the 2024-25 academic year with a focus on the theme Take Care.
OVPR, Arts Initiative award funding to seven teams
The Arts Research: Incubation & Acceleration grant program has awarded its second round of funding to seven arts-based research projects, led by teams representing nine schools across the University of Michigan campuses in Ann Arbor and Dearborn.
The ARIA program, a collaborative venture by the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Arts Initiative, awarded more than $300,000 in April to support innovative projects that emphasize the pursuit of new methodologies and interactions that can reshape the role art plays in academic inquiry and social discourse.
School of Social Work to host featured artist residency
The School of Social Work, in partnership with the U-M Arts Initiative, has announced the selection of the Pan-African Creative Exchange as the featured artist residency for 2024.
This is the first artist residency at SSW and the second iteration of the Arts Initiative’s Visiting Artist Integration Program, designed to infuse the University of Michigan’s engagement and learning processes with the dynamic creativity of artists.