Consider it a tradition at the University of Michigan.
On most Thursdays in the late afternoon, a line of students stretches a few blocks from the Michigan Theater front doors.
Nearly every Thursday from mid September through April, a selection of the world’s most compelling artists take center stage at the Stamps School of Art & Design’s Penny Stamps Speaker Series at the Michigan Theater. File photo.
The appeal for students and the general public is simply to be in the presence of one of today’s most engaging artists, whose novel and provocative ideas about art, design and self-expression are transforming their chosen artistic medium and influencing cultural trends around the world.
At 5:10 p.m. nearly every Thursday from mid September through April, a selection of the world’s most compelling artists take center stage at the Stamps School of Art & Design’s Penny Stamps Speaker Series at the Michigan Theater.
The Stamps Speaker Series is divided into fall and winter segments that coincide with the academic calendar. And, in keeping with high expectations from a history of presenting a Who’s Who in the international art world, this year’s line-up features a diverse range of fascinating and provocative artists at the vanguard in photography, theatre, installation work, industrial design, interactive design, humor, performance art, sculpture, technology and socially conscious design.
“These creative leaders from around the world inspire students and the Ann Arbor community to think more critically and creatively about their work, their lives and how to play a positive role in the world,” said Chrisstina Hamilton, director of the Stamps Series. “The energy at these events is extraordinary, and it’s become a vital platform for students, the U of M community and the public at large to connect.”
The fall series kicks off Sept. 12 with Mary Ellen Mark, one of the most respected and influential image-makers of the past three decades. Her work has been exhibited internationally, and featured in LIFE, New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker and Vanity Fair.
“Individually, the speakers offer an intimate look into their deeply personal interpretations of contemporary art, and motivation of their work,” said Russ Collins, chief executive of the Michigan Theatre. “Collectively, the speakers represent a snapshot of how art and design play a vital role in the revolutionary changes in culture, politics, technology and consumerism.”
Following Mark, the speakers include:
• Simon McBurney — Director, writer and actor, McBurney is recognized as one of the most important theatrical creators working in Britain today. He is founder of the radical theater company Complicite that helped to bring new levels of physicality, visual complexity, and illusion to the stage. (Sept. 19)
• Mary Sibande — Rising young South African artist Sibande constructs elaborate visual narratives to consider race, gender, and class in post-colonial South Africa. In addition to her Stamps lecture and talks at MOCAD, Sibande’s Ann Arbor residency includes an original installation at the U-M Institute for the Humanities gallery, an open studio at the Stamps School on North Campus, and exhibition at Gallery DAAS, the U-M Museum of Art, and Stamps School Slusser Gallery. (Sept. 26)
• Mark Dziersk — An industrial designer, Dziersk is an expert in brand management, innovation and creativity, and head of industrial design initiatives at LUNAR, one of the world’s top international Industrial Design firms. (Oct. 3)
• Tribute to Mike Kelley — Called one of the most significant artists of his generation, Stamps graduate Kelley was an iconoclast who introduced a distinctive Detroit sensibility to the international art world with his references to everything from Soupy Sales to the Vernor’s gnome. He was a founding member of Destroy All Monsters, a collective formed in Ann Arbor in 1974 with artists Jim Shaw, Niagara and Cary Loren. (Oct. 10)
• Art is Open Source – Artist Salvatore Iaconesi is an engineer, artist, hacker, interaction designer and principal of Art is Open Source (AOS), an international informal network exploring the mutation of human beings with the wide accessibility of digital technologies and networks. Iaconesi is joined by fellow AOS principal, Oriana Persico, for a visual, sonic exploration of new rituals that have radically changed work, relationships, consumerism, and emotional experience. (Oct. 17)
• Liza Donnelly — Known for her acute observations on cultural and political issues, Donnelly’s cartoons have been appearing in The New Yorker magazine for over three decades. In Donnelly’s view, humor is serious business, helping us laugh at our failings, and working to make changes in ourselves and the world. (Oct. 24)
• Joseph Keckler — The Village Voice has called his work: “Tantalizing…dynamic… with magnetism and poise so high that he seems to have been born onstage.” Singer, musician, writer, and interdisciplinary artist, Keckler’s performance work incorporates vivid imagery and humor with operatic intensity. (Oct. 31)
• Lisa Strausfeld — She is currently Global Head of Data Visualization at Bloomberg where, she was hired in 2012 to build and lead a new team dedicated to creating consumer-focused interactive data products. (Nov. 7)
• Indira Freitas Johnson * — While based in Chicago, sculptor, cultural worker, peace activist and educator Johnson maintains close ties with India. Much of her inspiration comes from transitory, ritualistic Indian folk art practices which she uses to address issues of domestic violence, leprosy health education, labor, the environment, gender, peace, nonviolence and literacy. * (Nov. 12) Special Presentation @ 7 p.m., Stamps Auditorium, 1226 Murfin Ave. on North Campus.
• Sputniko! — Produced with the investigative cooperation of a range of scientists, Sputniko!’s works explore the relationship among technology, feminism and pop culture, while provoking cultural and ethical implications of new technologies. (Nov. 14)
• Antony Gormley — Antony Gormley’s sculptures, installations and public artworks investigate the relationship of the human body to space. His work has been widely exhibited throughout the UK and internationally, including at the Venice Biennale and Documenta 8. (Nov. 21)
• John Marshall — A principal in rootoftwo, LLC a hybrid design + art studio that creates hybrid design projects, Marshall’s work draws on humor, play, interaction and participation. (Dec. 5)
