MSU Museum

Ian Morris is a graduate student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Natural Science and College of Engineering.

A closeup of a microphone against a bright red background. In a speech bubble shape, a photo of smiling young man with short brown hair, wearing a blue collared shirt in front of a grey background. Text on image reads "Ignite Talks MSU" and introduces the person in the photo.

A black microphone on a red gradient background. White text on image reads “IGNITE TALKS MSU” in bold letters. A second column in white text reads “Thursday, March 12 from 7:00-8:30PM, MSU Museum, 409 West Circle Drive, Lansing, MI. Register at museum.msu.edu” Features the MSU Museum CoLab Studio, Ignite MSU, and MSUFCU logos.

Time for another featured speaker: Ian Morris, presenting “How Tiny Diamond Defects Could Power the Quantum Internet.”
Hear this and other talks on March 12 at Spring 2026 Ignite Talks MSU! buff.ly/Xzt2zqZ

#SmithsonianWHM #WomensHistoryMonth #WHM

A glitchy textured background in bright neon yellow with black text that reads "Speculative Futures: The Future is Feminine Poetry Reading with Brittany Rogers and MSU Student Poets on March 11, 2026. Register at museum.msu.edu" Logos include the MSU Museum, Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, and the RCAH Center for Poetry logos.

Celebrate Women’s History Month with an evening of powerful poetry that envisions new futures shaped by women’s voices. Detroit-based poet and educator Brittany Rogers joins MSU student poets for a reading exploring imagination, resilience, and possibility through a feminist lens. bit.ly/3_11_26

The event featured electronic music artist and MSUFCU Arts Power Up artist-in-residence Carl Craig and Rodney Whitaker, University Distinguished Professor of Jazz Bass and Director of Jazz Studies at MSU, and was moderated by MSU Museum CoLab Creative Director and Music Professor Mark Sullivan.

‘Born into a gold mine’ - City Pulse One man’s music walks the earth. The other man’s music floats above it. One plucks rhythm and soul from strings and wood. The other makes machines cry. Jazz bassist Rodney Whitaker and …

The Lansing City Pulse covered the MSU Museum's program "Made in Detroit: Carl Craig and Rodney Whitaker in Conversation," discussing the meeting of the two musical giants from Detroit.
buff.ly/jZCxFbH

A closeup of a microphone against a bright red background. In a speech bubble shape, a photo of a young man with short black hair, wearing a blue collared shirt and posing against a white background. Text on image reads "Ignite Talks MSU" and introduces the person in the photo.

A black microphone on a red gradient background. White text on image reads “IGNITE TALKS MSU” in bold letters. A second column in white text reads “Thursday, March 12 from 7:00-8:30PM, MSU Museum, 409 West Circle Drive, Lansing, MI. Register at museum.msu.edu” Features the MSU Museum CoLab Studio, Ignite MSU, and MSUFCU logos.

Time for another featured speaker: Matias Leon, presenting “Bendable Mooncrete/Marscrete for Outer Space.”
Hear this and other talks on March 12 at Spring 2026 Ignite Talks MSU! buff.ly/Xzt2zqZ

Register for free: bit.ly/BR_2_26_26

Graphic with the text "Visual Realities – Short Film Screening, Talk, & Conversation" on a red and blue abstract background. The right side features a realistic digital rendering of a woman with medium skin tone, long dark hair with bangs, and a neutral expression, set against a dark gradient background with subtle glitch-like elements.

In two days, join us for a screening of Elysia marginata from New York City-based filmmakers Allyson Packer and Jesse Fisher. This short film blends AI-generated content with documentary footage and virtual reality to craft a speculative narrative about human agency in a virtualizing world.

Electronic music artist Carl Craig and jazz bassist, composer, and educator Rodney Whitaker came together for an in-depth conversation on creativity, improvisation, and artistic practice. Both born… Made in Detroit: Carl Craig and Rodney Whitaker in Conversation

In case you missed our "Made in Detroit: Carl Craig and Rodney Whitaker in Conversation" event last week, you can watch the full conversation on YouTube!

buff.ly/Tagsspi
#BlackHistoryMonth #SmithsonianBHM #BHM

A closeup of a microphone against a bright red background. In a speech bubble shape, a photo of a young man in a colorful beanie taking a selfie in front of a waterfall. Text on image reads "Ignite Talks MSU" and introduces the person in the photo.

A black microphone on a red gradient background. White text on image reads “IGNITE TALKS MSU” in bold letters. A second column in white text reads “Thursday, March 12 from 7:00-8:30PM, MSU Museum, 409 West Circle Drive, Lansing, MI. Register at museum.msu.edu” Features the MSU Museum CoLab Studio, Ignite MSU, and MSUFCU logos.

Meet featured speaker Thomas Hennessey, presenting “Invasive plants are more than meets the eye.”
Hear this and other talks on March 12 at Spring 2026 Ignite Talks MSU! buff.ly/YP8nkzA
Thomas is a graduate student in the Department of Forestry in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

A large brick and white stone building in collegiate gothic style with many windows receives new windows, being installed via a cherry picker crane.

A room under construction, with one wall stripped bare while a round metal fence around a giant sphere sits in the middle underneath plastic, protective sheets. Construction materials can be seen scattered about.

A view inside the attic space of the MSU Museum, showing new duct work and insulation to bring with ladders in the background. A brick wall on the left with a wooden ceiling.

A large arched window and wall stripped bare, two ladders set up for construction work. Natural light shines in through the window.

The MSU Museum recently completed essential infrastructure upgrades focused on strengthening the building itself. These behind-the-scenes improvements ensure our galleries can safely support the exhibitions and programs of the future. See more photos of the behind-the-scenes work: buff.ly/LBkAwGb

Kaedon is a graduate student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, in the College of Natural Science.

A closeup of a microphone against a bright red background. In a speech bubble shape, a photo of a young man with short dark hair, wearing rectangular black glasses, and smiling brightly at the camera. Behind him, a dark grey background. Text on image reads "Ignite Talks MSU" and introduces the person in the photo.

A black microphone on a red gradient background. White text on image reads “IGNITE TALKS MSU” in bold letters. A second column in white text reads “Thursday, March 12 from 7:00-8:30PM, MSU Museum, 409 West Circle Drive, Lansing, MI. Register at museum.msu.edu” Features the MSU Museum CoLab Studio, Ignite MSU, and MSUFCU logos.

Time for our third featured speaker for Spring 2026 Ignite Talks MSU! Meet graduate student Kaedon Cleland-Host, presenting “Recording atomic electrons at 100 trillion frames per second.” Hear this and other talks on March 12! buff.ly/YP8nkzA

View of a stage from behind rows of audience members, facing away from the camera towards three gentlemen sitting on a stage in front of a projector screen. On the screen, text can be seen reading "Made in Detroit: Carl Craig and Rodney Whitaker in Conversation" On the left, a white man in a navy blazer and t-shirt with white hair; Mark Sullivan the Creative Director of the CoLab Studio. In the middle, a Black man dressed in all grey with round black glasses holds a microphone; DJ and artist-in-residence Carl Craig. On the right, a Back man in a brown hat and dark purple blazer holds a microphone with two hands; Director of Jazz Studies, Rodney Whitaker.

Three men sit on a stage. Closest to the viewer, a white man in a navy blazer and t-shirt with white hair; Mark Sullivan the Creative Director of the CoLab Studio. In the middle, a Black man dressed in all grey with round black glasses holds a microphone; DJ and artist-in-residence Carl Craig. On the right, a Back man in a brown hat and dark purple blazer holds a microphone with two hands; Director of Jazz Studies, Rodney Whitaker.

Two Black men in conversation, both holding microphones. Left, a Black man dressed in all grey with round black glasses; DJ and artist-in-residence Carl Craig. On the right but blurry, a Back man in a brown hat and dark purple blazer; Director of Jazz Studies, Rodney Whitaker.

A closeup photo of a Black man speaking into a microphone, wearing a felt tan hat and purple blazer. He is Director of Jazz Studies, Rodney Whitaker.

Thank you to everyone who attended our sold out "Made in Detroit: Carl Craig and Rodney Whitaker in Conversation" yesterday evening! We hope you enjoyed this talk between two Detroit-made creatives! See more photos on our Flickr page: buff.ly/kep2Iv7
#BlackHistoryMonth #SmithsonianBHM

Learn more: buff.ly/byHJ7Dc

Graphic with the text "Visual Realities – Short Film Screening, Talk, & Conversation" on a red and blue abstract background. The right side features a realistic digital rendering of a woman with medium skin tone, long dark hair with bangs, and a neutral expression, set against a dark gradient background with subtle glitch-like elements.

How do you trust what you see? Join us next week for a screening of Elysia marginata from filmmakers Allyson Packer and Jesse Fisher. This short film blends AI-generated content with documentary footage and virtual reality to craft a narrative about human agency in a virtualizing world.

A closeup of a microphone against a bright red background. In a speech bubble shape, a photo of a young Black woman, her hair in braids, wearing hoop earrings and a tie-dye shirt as she poses outdoors for the camera with grass, sidewalk, and trees visible out of focus in the background. Text on image reads "Ignite Talks MSU" and introduces the person in the photo.

A black microphone on a red gradient background. White text on image reads “IGNITE TALKS MSU” in bold letters. A second column in white text reads “Thursday, March 12 from 7:00-8:30PM, MSU Museum, 409 West Circle Drive, Lansing, MI. Register at museum.msu.edu” Features the MSU Museum CoLab Studio, Ignite MSU, and MSUFCU logos.

Time for our second featured speaker for Spring 2026 Ignite Talks MSU! Meet graduate student Yétúndé Alábẹdé, presenting “Language as a Gift: Lessons from African Families.”
Hear this and other talks on March 12! buff.ly/YP8nkzA

Carl Craig selected for MSUFCU Arts Power Up Artist-in-Residence program - The State News From mid-January to April, world-renowned Detroit DJ, producer and techno innovator Carl Craig will participate in the MSUFCU Arts Power Up Artist-in-Residence program. Hosted by the MSU Museum’s…

MSUFCU Arts PowerUp Artist-in-Residence Carl Craig featured by the State News. Craig’s residency is hosted by the MSU Museum’s CoLab Studio in partnership with FRIB and is designed to foster deep collaboration between artists, researchers, and students across disciplines: buff.ly/qMyrYKk

Register for free: bit.ly/3_11_26

A diverse audience sits in front of a short stage where two Black men sit in grey chairs discussing images on a projection screen. On the screen, an artistic reimaging of the Hulk as a Black man next to text that reads "Black Kirby". Left, Stacey Robinson wearing a black sweater, jeans, and dark glasses while holding a microphone up. On the right, Dr. Julian Chambliss, wearing a grey blazer and black glasses as he holds a microphone and gestures at the screen.

A diverse audience smiling and clapping. In focus, a young Black MSU student wearing a yellow cardigan, large colorful tassel earrings, and red glasses while smiling and clapping.

Facing left, a Black man with a short beard holds up a microphone against a black background. Stacey Robinson wearing a black sweater and dark glasses.

A glitchy textured background in bright neon yellow with black text that reads "Speculative Futures: The Future is Feminine Poetry Reading with Brittany Rogers and MSU Student Poets on March 11, 2026. Register at museum.msu.edu" Logos include the MSU Museum, Residential College in the Arts and Humanities, and the RCAH Center for Poetry logos.

Thank you for making our "Speculative Futures | Afrofuturism and the art of Stacey Robinson" talk and workshop an amazing success! Save the date for "Speculative Futures | The Future is Feminine: Poetry Reading with Brittany Rogers and MSU Student Poets" on March 11!
Photos by Aaron Word.

Against a photo of Detroit's skyline with a dark green overlay, text reads "Made in Detroit: Carl Craig and Rodney Whitaker in Conversation on Thursday, February 19 in the MSU Museum Commons" featuring images of both Black musicians in small circle cutouts.

Join electronic music artist Carl Craig and jazz bassist, composer, and educator Rodney Whitaker for an in-depth conversation on creativity, improvisation, and artistic practice on Thursday, February 19. Register: buff.ly/xn6ElhA
#BlackHistoryMonth #SmithsonianBHM

See more photos on our Flickr! buff.ly/DZU3B2t
Photos by Aaron Word.

Two MSU student visitors stand under a balloon arch made of pink, red, and white balloons. Behind them, a case of preserved butterflies in a rainbow of colors. Both students hold together a balloon that spells out "love" with a heart.

A group of MSU students sit at a table in front of painting supplies.

MSU students laugh as they pick out scents, colors, and dried flowers to make soap from the table in front of them.

MSU students learn how to make woven potholders. At the table with a black tablecloth, three MSU students sit across from an older woman who shows them how to weave pink and red strings into the finished product.

Thank you to everyone who came to our UNWIND: LOVE cozy crafting event! We hope you enjoyed all the crafts, meeting Tucker the therapy dog, and making soap! Special shout out to the Greater Lansing Weaver's Guild for their mentoring! We hope you'll join us at the next Unwind: Bratty on March 13!

There's still room at tomorrow's event! buff.ly/CW7zLlg

A glitchy textured background in bright neon green with black text that reads "Speculative Futures: Afrofuturism and the Art of Stacey Robinson on February 11, 2026 from 6-7:30 PM. A Conversation and Zine Workshop with Stacey Robinson, moderated by Dr. Julian Chambliss. Register at museum.msu.edu" Textures and patterns on the background include faces, eyes, music notes, and numbers in abstract grid pattern. Logos include the MSU Museum logo and the Department of African American and African Studies at Michigan State University logo.

A stack of posters with the art of Stacey Robinson, an afrofuturist collage of Black faces against a space background balancing on an image of Saturn and a scale. A small zine in a bright green color sits on top of the posters.

Against a photo of Detroit's skyline with a dark green overlay, text reads "Made in Detroit: Carl Craig and Rodney Whitaker in Conversation on Thursday, February 19 in the MSU Museum Commons" featuring images of both Black musicians in small circle cutouts.

Join us for Black History Month events, starting tomorrow with "Speculative Futures | Afrofuturism and the Art of Stacey Robinson " and "Made in Detroit: Carl Craig and Rodney Whitaker in Conversation" on February 20! #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistory #SmithsonianBHM

A closeup of a microphone against a bright red background. In a speech bubble shape, a photo of a young man with dark skin and short black hair, wearing a grey blazer and a white polo posing for a photo against a grey background. Text on image reads "Ignite Talks MSU" and introduces the person in the photo.

A black microphone on a red gradient background. White text on image reads “IGNITE TALKS MSU” in bold letters. A second column in white text reads “Thursday, March 12 from 7:00-8:30PM, MSU Museum, 409 West Circle Drive, Lansing, MI. Register at museum.msu.edu” Features the MSU Museum CoLab Studio, Ignite MSU, and MSUFCU logos.

It's time to announce our speaker line-up for Spring 2026 Ignite Talks MSU! First up, meet graduate student Kelechi Amakoh, presenting “Ugly Campaigns, Fragile Democracies.”
Hear this and other talks on March 12! buff.ly/gOrNqlz

Illustrations of science collections fill the space, overlapping in different colors. Left, a large black and white butterfly. Across the top, two pink beetles. On the right, a stegosaurus skeleton. Text in two black boxes reads “SciCurious: Fall in Love with Science” followed by text in black with the address “MSU Museum 409 W. Circle Drive,” green text with the date “February 14 from 12pm to 4 pm” and purple text “Register at museum.msu.edu” followed the MSU Museum logo in different shades of green.

Fall in love with science this THIS SATURDAY with SciCurious (formerly Darwin Discovery Day) at the MSU Museum! See specimens not usually on display, interact with live reptiles and insects, and enjoy hands-on activities! buff.ly/H0UY6or

An MSU student wearing a tan, brown, and white plaid sweater pets a very fuzzy white dog, smiling as the dog boops their nose.

Two MSU students pose for a photo in front of a Valentine's Day themed balloon arch and fringe curtain, both holding fun props like a pink crown and kissing lips.

3D paper hearts stacked on top of one another in four layers, each heart a different pink or red/orange color and smaller than the last.

On a white background, quarter circle shapes in shades of purple and pink with scattered purple highlights spell "UNWIND" in a creative way. Other text reads “Unwind: Your once-a-month exhale: LOVE. Location: MSU Museum. February 6. Register at museum.msu.edu”

Therapy dogs and cozy crafting night at the MSU Museum TONIGHT with UNWIND: Love! 💚 buff.ly/lJZSXDS

Part of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). Images in this post include x-rays of three Lookdown fish, a Viper Moray, and a Dhihios Seahorse. All radiographs by Sandra J. Raredon, Division of Fishes, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.