“It felt like mental rest I haven't felt in a long time to hear her and other artists talk about how they see the world and how they train their attention–that feeling when you walk out of an art museum and the world around you feels and looks different.”
—student workshop participant
Dear friends,
The Institute for the Humanities Gallery offers meaningful, personal encounters with world-class art and artists in the heart of U‑M’s central campus. As director of the institute, I have the pleasure and privilege of witnessing the positive effects that art has on students, faculty, and the broader U‑M community. At a time when opportunities to slow down and see the world in new ways are increasingly rare, hundreds of people walk by the institute’s gallery every day, often pausing to appreciate the latest exhibition or discuss a new installation. If art has ever changed the way you move through the day, you know the power of these experiences. Will you make a gift today to help us continue these experiences for our students?
The institute’s streetside gallery, located in the Thayer Academic Building, serves as both an exhibition space and a classroom. In 2025–26, 35 classes visited exhibitions featuring nationally and internationally recognized visual artists, with programs tailored specifically to course curricula. Faculty have described these visits as “highlights of the semester” and “stunning, very smart, and especially useful for our students to see and hear.”
Curator Amanda Krugliak regularly teaches a class, “Provocations and Other Acts,” that encourages students to consider the arts, humanities, and museum practices as catalysts for social change. In addition, Amanda hosts a workshop for U‑M faculty and graduate researchers to help them visualize their research in new and innovative ways.
A gift of any amount would help us expand our reach on campus, host exciting new exhibitions, and build a network of enduring relationships among world-class artists, U‑M students, faculty, and the broader community. Will you support the Institute for the Humanities Gallery, ensuring its longevity and enhancing undergraduate education through the humanities?
With very best wishes,
Jason Young
Director, Institute for the Humanities
Mary Fair Croushore Professor of the Humanities
