Race: Are We So Different?

Coming soon

Evolution & Health

Through January 13, 2013

Ever wonder why so many people have knee problems and backaches?  Or why we crave sweet and fatty foods?

Evolution & Health explores how the ways in which we humans evolved promoted our survival, but not always our health.  Featuring interactive components and videos, the exhibition explores how evolutionary factors contribute to contemporary health issues including low back pain, skin cancer, lactose intolerance, and obesity.  

The U-M Museum of Natural History is the first venue for the exhibition, which will travel nationally.  Audience research will help the exhibition developers refine the exhibition.  Additional exhibit components will be added in Fall 2012.

Evolution & Health was developed by the New York Hall of Science and was made possible by a Science Education Partnership (SEPA) grant from the National Center for Research Resources, a component of the National Institutes of Health.

Glimpse: People of our Community

Through July 7, 2013

As we go about our daily lives, we encounter dozens, if not hundreds, of new people each week. But how often do we see beyond the surface? Glimpse: People of our Community, mimics this phenomenon by providing a momentary and partial view of people around Washtenaw County, the people we pass every day in the grocery store, at the library, at the stop light. The 22 large-format portraits were created by photographer Mohammed Langston to capture a sliver of our community and their thoughts on race; to highlight the diversity in our region; and to pique our curiosity. We hope to inspire our community to go deeper, to move beyond the “glimpses” of life and into real relationships with folks who are outside of our normal social circle.

Glimpse was developed as part of the Understanding Race Project, an audience engagement effort launched by the Museum in anticipation of the nationally traveling exhibit, RACE: Are we so different?, on display at the Museum from February 9-May 27, 2013.  The Museum is reaching out to community, school and campus audiences to engage them in conversations about race.

Race in this Place: A Community Conversation

Through July 7, 2013

We hear about issues of race in the news on a national level almost every day. But how does race affect our community here at home?  A new exhibit explores some of the ways race affects life in Washtenaw County, and presents some of the people and organizations working to make this a better place for all. Race in this Place explores four themes:  health, education, the legal system, and immigration. It identifies issues of race in each area, and presents information about local organizations working on these issues. The exhibit features a video by Ann Arbor documentary filmmaker Laurie White (Refusing to be Enemies - the Zeitouna Story) highlighting several local residents, who speak about their experiences of race in Washtenaw County. The exhibit also includes photography on the theme of race by area youth who participated in PhotoVoice workshops led by Professor Larry Gant, U-M School of Social Work, as well as artwork by youth participating in the Neutral Zone’s SEED program (Students Empowering Each other about Diversity).  Objects from the collection of the African-American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County are also presented.

Race in this Place was developed by Abigail Celis, PhD student in Romance Languages and Museum Studies, with support from U-M's Arts of Citizenship Program, and designed by the Museum’s exhibit staff. Race in this Place was developed as part of the Understanding Race Project, an audience engagement effort launched by the Museum in anticipation of the nationally traveling exhibit, RACE: Are we so different?, on display at the Museum from February 9-May 27, 2013.  The Museum is reaching out to community, school and campus audiences to engage them in conversations about race.

DNA and the Tree of Life

Through June 2013

Through large graphic panels and specimens from the University’s collections, the exhibit explores the relationship between genetics and evolution. It highlights the work of several U-M researchers, including Lacey Knowles, curator in the U-M Museum of Zoology and professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Knowles studies the processes that contribute to the evolution of new species, and how these combine to create the diversity of life we see today. Come and learn about your family tree—it’s bigger than you thought!