UMMA's Popular 'Subject Matters' Event Returns With Topics like: Water, the French, and Our Brains
Top Left:
LaToya Ruby Frazier, Shea brushing Zion's teeth with bottled water in her bathroom, 2016-2017, gelatin silver print on paper, Museum purchase made possible by the University of Michigan Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Director's Acquisition Committee, 2019
Top Right:
Meghann Riepenhoff at work creating Waters of the Americas: EPA ID NYD980592497, Eastman Kodak’s Emissions B (Confluence of the Genesee River and Lake Ontario, Rochester, NY, 03.12.2022), Courtesy the artist and Yossi Milo Gallery © Meghann Riepenh
Bottom Right:
Joan Snyder, Art and the Nature of Grief, 1992, monoprint on paper, Museum purchase made possible by the Jean Paul Slusser Memorial Fund
Maybe you love learning, but are feeling a little stuck these days. Random YouTube documentaries no longer hold your interest, and you’re sweeping everyone at bar trivia because it’s just too easy.
But if the idea of having a lively discussion in an art exhibition with strangers from all walks of life perks you up, then, well, we have just the thing.
For three nights this fall, visitors to the University of Michigan Museum of Art will dive deep into a topic they likely had no idea could be so interesting. No prior knowledge needed!
It’s the continuation of UMMA’s event series, “Subject Matters,” which invites visitors to approach explorations of art with the same mindset one might have while going down an Internet rabbit hole, clicking through Wikipedia pages or YouTube videos. No strict curriculum here–you just follow the threads of your interests wherever they take you.
The series, which takes place in person with group discussions across various galleries at the Museum, features thought provoking and irreverent topics inspired by the art on the Museum’s walls.
The subjects scheduled for the Fall 2022 semester are
- “The Water Cycle – The Not-So-Hidden Ways Water Impacts History, Culture, Our Bodies, and Our Homes” (October 11th)
- “Topics in French Studies – Et Après? Survival, Scars, Guilt, Redemption, and Recovery in Literature and Art” (October 25th)
- “How to Think – How Photography and Image Processing Offers a Window Into the Human Creative Process Too” (November 15th)
“Subject Matters” is offered in collaboration with the UM faculty who worked with UMMA to curate installations in Curriculum / Collection 2022. For each session, visitors will join Dave Choberka, Andrew W. Mellon Curator for University Learning and Programs, along with a guest speaker for often surprising and always meaningful discussion.
The events are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required as each event will be capped at 25 people per session. Register for one, or for all.
