We're excited to announce that our Director, Devon Akmon, has been announced as one of four new board members for the Japanese American National Museum (JANM)! Read the press release: buff.ly/QTfULIT @devonakmon.bsky.social @jamuseum.bsky.social

Deadline this Sunday, 5/10! 2026 Michigan Central Art × Newlab Creative Residency is accepting apps for four fellows. Each receives $30K, fabrication access, & mentorship over 12 weeks in Detroit. 2 tracks: Art + Technology & the new Art + Health track w/ Henry Ford Health.

Museums are under pressure like never before—and the fights over what we see are intensifying. Join me, Ann Burroughs (Japanese American National Museum), Hamza Walker (The Brick), & moderator Elizabeth Larison (National Coalition Against Censorship) for: "How Do Museums Resist Censorship?"

Prize-winning composer Philip Glass has canceled the world premiere of his symphony about Abraham Lincoln at the Kennedy Center.

Excited to be part of a powerful conversation, hosted by @zocalopublicsquare.bsky.social, called “How Do Museums Resist Censorship?” If you are in Los Angeles on Monday, February 23, join us for a timely and important discussion. RSVP to join online or in-person: zps.la/museums

Prominent museums in Minneapolis are standing in solidarity with the local community today.

Limiting our national story to only “the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people” erases essential truths about who we are and how we arrived here. That kind of selective history is not consistent with American values.

Some interesting food for thought in this article: "For most of the 20th century, pop culture was the glue that held the U.S. together. But what will it mean now that everything has splintered?"

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tia Graham of The Metro on WDET, Detroit Public Radio, for a segment titled “Can museums maintain public trust amid Trump pressure on Smithsonian?” Give it a listen and let me know your thoughts on the topic.

92% of adults view museums as nonpartisan sources of education, and 96% would support lawmakers who fund them. Now museums are using that trust to foster dialogue in polarized times — modeling how people might think and listen together. https://phlnthrp.com/49zGzXF

"Through lawsuits and executive orders, threats and intimidation, the administration is seeking to shift the country to the right...To do so, he is targeting the institutions – universities and museums – that form people’s minds and imaginations, their sense of identity."

92% of adults view museums as nonpartisan sources of education. This rare level of confidence gives museums both an opportunity and a responsibility to model how people might think and listen together, explains one museum director.

It was only a matter of time. Donors are withholding contributions, & ticket sales are declining. What will become of the Kennedy Center? "The opera, which has performed at the arts center since 1971, was concerned about declines in attendance and donations during President Trump’s second term."

UMich is launching ArtsRx, a new clinical-art initiative that harnesses the healing power of music, visual arts, performance, and storytelling to support students and Ann Arbor residents while strengthening community well-being.

Copenhagen: Art, Architecture, and the Joy of Movement devonakmon.com/news/adventu...

Earlier today, I joined Robyn Vincent on The Metro, hosted by Detroit’s flagship NPR station WDET, to discuss how museums are responding to political pressure amid the White House’s ongoing attacks on the Smithsonian.

"The September residency will encompass live performances, film screenings and a public exhibition featuring art and artifacts from his personal collection."

Video of Jardins d’Été by artist Quayola, on view at the Toledo Museum of Art as part of the exhibition Infinite Images: The Art of Algorithms. toledomuseum.org/exhibitions/...

Huge thanks to @ulabeast.bsky.social for taking an interest in the @aadl.org #summergame and reporting on it for a national audience on Morning Edition! And humongous thanks to all the players, staff, partners and volunteers who make it happen, bigger and better, every summer!

Call for Artists! The Ann Arbor Housing Commission has issued an RFQ for public artwork at the new Dunbar Tower. Selected artists will be commissioned to create original works for the building’s interior, exterior, & new community space. Deadline to submit is coming fast: August 31. #A2Council

I wonder if immersive storytelling & technologies will make "visiting" historical/cultural landmarks & heritage sites more accessible as consumer tech like VR expands opportunities. Excurio, founded in 2020, is one example creating “immersive expeditions” to explore the world virtually.

I’m delighted to share that I voted Yes on Proposals A and B in the Ann Arbor special election! Now it’s your turn—have you made your voice heard? #A2Council #A2Votes

There's less than a month left to submit a proposal for the MSU Museum CoLab Studio's exhibition, "Singularity," don't miss out! buff.ly/r47qJJb

The MSU Museum's open call for "Singularity," an exhibition that speculates on the future impact of rapid developments in artificial intelligence, is open for submissions until July 4, 2025. Learn more: museum.msu.edu/explore/cola...

"Rise of the Deceiver is an action co-op game in which players, imbued with powers bestowed upon them by the legendary members of the Wu-Tang Clan, fight against invaders that wish to corrupt their home." www.theverge.com/games/681702...

The Anacostia Museum and NMAL, along w/ NMAAC & NMAI, have played a vital role in expanding the Smithsonian’s work & reach through community-based approaches & inclusive storytelling. Proposed budget cuts would severely undermine their work & the Smithsonian’s broader mission. wapo.st/4jKmyRf

My colleague, Dr. Julian Chambliss, curated the exhibition Techno: The Rise of Detroit's Machine Music for @msumuseum.bsky.social. Just in time for Movement in Detroit, here’s a great interview exploring “how Detroit and its people are integral to the rise of techno music.”

Art for your boo-boo! Band-Aid x The Met collaboration featuring designs by Hokusai.

Missed any of our programs for "Techno: The Rise of Detroit’s Machine Music?" Check out the recordings of the talks and panels here: buff.ly/5inFZrR Programs hosted with WKAR - Public Media from Michigan State University.

We finally had the occasion to visit the biennial Desert X, a site-specific international art exhibition held throughout the Coachella Valley. Desert X 2025 features 11 site-responsive installations that thoughtfully engage with the region's unique desert environment.

Be still, my beating heart.

Visit "Techno: The Rise of Detroit's Machine Music" now through July 12. Tuesday - Saturday 10:00AM - 5:00PM. Free admission! Register Here: bit.ly/Techno_MSUM

A friend shared this earlier today. On the nose? #a2council

We are thrilled to share that MSU Museum Director Devon Akmon has been elected Chair of the Board for the American Alliance of Museums! Congratulations, @devonakmon.bsky.social! Read more: bit.ly/AAM_news

"Must we always have this? Why not housing?" Poster dates back to Works Progress Administration. Image from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. #a2council

Well now, how about that?

We stumbled on an article a few weeks back—and ended up in Columbus, Indiana. Never heard of it? Neither had we. But this small city near Indianapolis is packed with world-class modern architecture. Saarinen, Pei, Meier, Girard, Kiley… it’s an open-air museum of American design. Totally unexpected.

It’s a holiday, we’re on the road home from exploring the architectural treasures of Columbus, Indiana—and Dharma still managed to knock out her regular city council newsletter from the passenger seat. Not even a getaway can slow her resolve. Color me impressed. #A2Council

DJ John “Jammin” Collins of Underground Resistance brought the funk to the Techno: The Rise of Detroit's Machine Music exhibition space last week. Up next, this Thursday, is the one and only Carl Craig. Come through: museum.msu.edu/events/perfo... Pix: @funkytreetown.bsky.social

Yesterday, I spoke with David Leins, Senior Producer of The Metro on WDET, Detroit’s NPR affiliate, about the impact of the executive order on IMLS. I should note that this interview took place before we received notification of the termination of our two IMLS grant awards. wdet.org/2025/04/09/l...

The National Endowment for the Humanities has begun slashing its staff following directives from the Trump administration to shrink the federal workforce, deepening the blow to cultural organizations, researchers and programs across the country...

A fascinating and complex look at museums, ethics, and the stewardship of human remains. Raises big questions about how we honor history while respecting the people behind the exhibits.

"On Wednesday, at the Google Cloud Next conference in Las Vegas, the company demonstrated Veo 2 with a trailer for a new film, produced by the Dali Museum and Goodby Silverstein & Partners, that brings to life Salvador Dali’s unmade screenplay Giraffes on Horseback Salad."

To truly honor Michigan’s cultural contributions, techno or otherwise, we have to center the people who lived it. That’s how you build trust, tell deeper stories and create something real.”

One of my favorite quotes — and a guiding north star in my life — comes from the highly influential architect and urban planner Daniel Burnham: "Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood and probably themselves will not be realized." #A2Council

DJ John Jammin Collins of Underground Resistance and community curator for MSU Museum's "Techno: The Rise of Detroit's Machine Music" is up next in our exhibition programming series! His DJ set this Friday is free, but spots are limited. museum.msu.edu/events/under...

Japanese American National Museum takes a stand against DOGE cuts to NEH (LA Times)

Among the thousands of groups affected by the sudden cessation of funds are state arts councils, museums, historic sites, archives, libraries, educators and media outlets in all 50 states.

Tonight, MSU Museum hosts legendary Detroit DJ/producer/composer Jeff Mills for a sold-out conversation on his genre-defying work. Catch the live stream via WKAR! From Axis Records to collabs w/ orchestras, filmmakers, & NASA, Mills continues to redefine Techno at the intersection of art+science.

As a proud Arab American, I encourage you to learn more about our vibrant community during Arab American Heritage Month. A great place to start is the Arab American National Museum!