ALL LECTURES ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. START TIME IS AT 7PM UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED…
Events are sponsored by the Department of Art, Art History, and Design along with the generous support of others at MSU, including: College of Arts & Letters, Creating Inclusive Excellence Funding Program from the Office for Inclusion & Intercultural Initiatives, Office of the Provost, Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum MSU, and Asian Studies. Additional sponsors include: Luther and Louise Roehm Endowment, Marlio Endowment, AIGA Detroit, and MSU Federal Credit Union.
John Akomfrah // Friday, September 19, 6PM // Education Wing, Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, MSUPioneering filmmaker, director, and theorist John Akomfrah explores questions of memory and identity to create moving- image works that address histories of the African diaspora. The lecture accompanies his solo exhibition John Akomfrah: Imaginary Possessions on view Sept. 19- Feb. 1 at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, MSU.
J.R. Mankoff // Thursday, October 9 // S. Kedzie Hall, 107
Alumnus J.R. Mankoff studied photography at Michigan State (BFA, ’05) and begun his career assisting renowned photographers Norman Jean Roy, David LaChapelle, and Max Vadukul. His photographs of A-list musicians, artists, architects, and actors have been commissioned by clients such as Elle, Vogue, SPIN, Vanity Fair, and NBC Universal.
Bisi Silva // Tuesday, October 28 // Education Wing, Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, MSU
Independent curator Bisi Silva will discuss the development of contemporary art and curatorial initiatives from Africa and its diaspora. Silva will use the art sector in Nigeria and the activities of the Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos, which she founded in 2007, and currently directs, as the point of departure to discuss the evolving art dynamics on the continent.
Aaron Draplin // Wednesday, October 29 // Natural Science, 326
Raised in Michigan Northwoods, Aaron Draplin founded the Portland-based Draplin Design Company in 2004. Draplin Design boasts an impressive range of print, identity, web development, and illustration projects. Their clients
include Snowboard Magazine, Esquire, Wired, Nike, Ford Motor Company, and Hughes Entertainment.
Sin-Ying Ho // Wednesday, November 12 // College of Ed. KIVA
Ceramicist and Queens College faculty member Sin-Ying Ho creates life size vessels depicting universal human nature. Referencing her own experiences being Hong Kong-Chinese, living in North America, her work aims to speak to the universal. Her work is represented in the collections of Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum, Icheon World Ceramic Center, Korea, Canada Council Art Bank, and many others.
Hannah Feldman // Thursday, November 20 // S. Kedzie Hall, 107
Northwestern University faculty member Hannah Feldman has written extensively on the intersections between violence and aesthetic practices for Art Journal, Artforum, and Frieze, among others. In addition to her lecture, Dr. Feldman will be the keynote speaker at the annual Art History and Visual Culture Undergraduate Symposium held on November 21.
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Dr. John Bowles // Tuesday, January 27 // Natural Science, 326
The research interests of University of North Carolina faculty member Dr. Bowles focus on identity as it intersects with race, gender, and sexuality in modern and contemporary African American Art. His recent book, Adrian Piper: Race, Gender, and Embodiment is the first scholarly monograph of Piper’s work.
Keetra Dean Dixon // Wednesday, February 18 // Natural Science, 326
Working collaboratively and individually to play with the fallibility of communication and social exchange, the hybrid studio practice of designer Keetra Dean Dixon includes installations, exhibits, and commercial projects. She served as Installation Design Director for the ’08 Venice Architecture Biennale and was commissioned for the ’09 Presidential Inauguration and the ’12 Olympics.
Art Orienté Objet // Tuesday, February 24 // S. Kedzie Hall, 109
The French duo, Marion Laval-Jeantet and Benoit Manngin, operate in an interdisciplinary space that links art and scientific study in ethology, immunology, and ecology. Art Orienté Objet’s projects invite ethical conversations encompassing a wide range of research practices. In 2011, their work was awarded a Golden Nica at Ars Electronica.
Jennifer Sterling // Tuesday, March 3 // Broad Business College, N100
Specializing in print and interactive product design, Sterling Design, was recognized by Graphis as one of the top 12 firms worldwide. Jennifer Sterling’s work is represented internationally in numerous public collections and was acknowledged by Graphic Design U.S.A. for its important contributions to the future of design.
John Kissick // Tuesday, March 24 // S. Kedzie Hall, 109
The collage-like paintings of John Kissick rely on a rich vocabulary of shapes and marks that explore the language and history of abstraction. He has contributed numerous articles to Art: Context and Criticism, New Art Examiner, and Border Crossings. Kissick is currently the Director of the School of Fine Arts and Music at the University of Guelph.
Harmony Hammond // Thursday, April 2 // S. Kedzie Hall, 107
A leading figure in the feminist art movement, Harmony Hammond co-founded A.I.R., the first women’s co-op gallery in NYC (1972). Occupying the space between painting and sculpture, her work introduces feminist and queer content into the world of abstraction. Hammond’s work has been honored by the NEA, Guggenheim, and Pollock-Krasner Foundations.
RESCHEDULED FOR FALL 2015 Wangechi Mutu // Tuesday, April 14 // College of Ed, KIVA
The sensuously grotesque hybrids of internationally renowned mixed-media artist Wangechi Mutu explores the split nature of cultural identity to suggest social critiques of gender, culture, and mass media imagery. Mutu has received fellowships from the Joan Mitchell Foundation, the Louis Comfort, Tiffany Foundation, the Deutsche Bank, and many others.
Mickalene Thomas //Monday, April 27 // S. Kedzie Hall, 107
The paintings of Mickalene Thomas combine iconic images of African American women alongside the classic genre of portraiture. Drawing on art history and popular culture, her monumental works consider the relationship between black female sexuality, beauty, and power. Her work is represented in the collections of the Guggenheim, Whitney, MoMA, and many others.
