The University of Michigan Museum of Art believes that life is better when it is shared — shared with others, and shared with art.
Our Mission
The U-M Museum of Art puts art and ideas at the center of campus and public life. We create experiences that enrich our understanding of one another, foster joy, and build a more just future. Through exhibitions, programs, research, and community partnerships, we are redefining what a campus museum can be.
Through our commitment to serving historically underrepresented groups and amplifying untold stories, we’ve created experiences that spark joy and drive meaningful conversations around today’s most pressing issues.
Historically, museums have struggled with inclusivity and solidarity. UMMA is poised to actively create a new standard for anti-racist action as an institution with deep ties in the community. Here’s how we are working towards that.
How do we lead real change in museums, so that the communities we care about can thrive in the 21st century? This is the question that we strive to answer every day at UMMA.
To redefine what it means to be an art museum means doing new and unexpected things. More than just exhibitions and programs, UMMA is leading the charge to create new forms of artistic innovations. Explore some of our projects and initiatives:
Hands-on, immersive experiences for graduate students in Chinese Art History. Supported by the Kingfisher Foundation, this global program is dedicated to preserving and advancing the tradition of direct object study.
As part of a nationwide coalition of campus art museums, UMMA is working to bring together leaders from coast to coast to experiment with bold, new collaborations.
In partnership with the Ann Arbor City Clerk’s Office, the Creative Campus Voting Project and the UMICH Votes Coalition UMMA hosts election hubs in a central Museum gallery to expand access to democracy and create new kinds of civic spaces.
With myUMMA, online visitors have access to interactive creation tools powered by UMMA’s entire collection. myUMMA unlocks new ways to use UMMA’s art to react to and speak to the present moment. Users can curate their own collections, create lesson plans, save favorite works of art, and share curated collections with friends, family, classmates, students, or the world.
An in-public investigation into 11 objects of African art in UMMA’s collection, proactively engaging with debates about restitution and the ethics of museums’ owning African heirlooms collected during the era of colonization. Research for this project is still available to explore online.
The UMMA Leadership Board (ULB) is a volunteer advisory board created and supported by UMMA to provide strategic guidance on issues of advocacy and fundraising for the Museum.
The Student Advisory Board (SAB) is dedicated to creating a culturally inclusive community through programmatic efforts, and amplifying student voices to shape the museum.
Our Commitment
to Anti-Racist
Action.
Historically, museums have struggled with inclusivity and solidarity. UMMA is poised to actively create a new standard for anti-racist action as an institution with deep ties in the community. We commit to:
Amplify BIPOC perspectives and voices
Be honest and transparent about our history and collections
Make the museum an open, safe, comfortable, and equitable place
Mandate anti-racist staff development and education
And our efforts to stand with traditionally excluded community members don’t end there. Keep reading to learn more.
