{"id":168792,"date":"2026-08-24T10:40:48","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T14:40:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.nmc.edu\/?p=168792"},"modified":"2026-08-24T10:46:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T14:46:30","slug":"fall-exhibitions-and-programs-at-the-dennos-celebrate-michigan-artists-and-creativity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nmc.edu\/?p=168792","title":{"rendered":"Fall exhibitions and programs at The Dennos celebrate Michigan artists and creativity"},"content":{"rendered":"

TRAVERSE CITY \u2014\u00a0The Dennos Museum is excited to announce our\u00a0fall<\/span>\u00a0exhibition<\/span>\u00a0and program offerings. This season celebrates the diversity and richness of our state\u2019s artistic and creative talent through solo and group\u00a0exhibitions<\/span>, artist talks, and workshops, and at the beloved Holiday Artist Market and in The Dennos Museum Store. Discover something new, create with, and support a variety of Michigan makers this\u00a0fall<\/span>.<\/p>\n

The unofficial kick-off to\u00a0fall<\/span>\u00a0begins with the opening of Full Circle: Plastic Waste Transformations on August 28 by Traverse City-raised artist Simon Anton. He will be returning to the area with objects built in his Detroit studio over the last 12 years.. Then, join us for the\u00a0fall<\/span>\u00a0opening reception for Darryl Brown\u2019s (St. Ignace) Bubbles of Love and Material World: Ten Women on September 23. Darryl Brown is a registered member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians and describes his work as native pointillism and modern primitive. Material World: Ten Women comes to The Dennos from the Muskegon Museum of Art and features 10 Michigan women artists using traditional and non-traditional materials in surprising ways, often taking viewers\u2019 expectations and flipping them on their heads. Also opening to the public that evening will be Drawing to Motion: Contemporary Inuit Artwork from The Dennos Museum.<\/p>\n

\u201cIgniting curiosity has always been central to our work at The Dennos,\u201d said Craig Hadley, Executive Director and Chief Curator at the museum. \u201cVisitors to The Dennos this\u00a0fall<\/span>\u00a0will have ample opportunity to engage their curiosity through our Inuit art and permanent collections. In addition, our three new temporary\u00a0exhibitions<\/span>\u00a0explore contemporary Inuit drawings, highlight the significant contributions of Michigan women artists, and celebrate the extraordinary work of painter Darryl Brown. Now is the perfect time to come back and reengage with The Dennos if you haven\u2019t seen us recently.\u201d<\/p>\n

As we step into a new season following our summer brand launch, The Dennos invites you to connect, reflect, and create through a dynamic schedule of public programs. From mindful \u201cslow looking\u201d sessions to hands-on workshops with featured\u00a0exhibition<\/span>\u00a0artists like Darryl Brown, there are countless ways to engage with the arts at The Dennos. Enjoy live music, community film screenings, and family-friendly seasonal celebrations for visitors of all ages!<\/p>\n

Curator of Education and\u00a0Exhibitions<\/span>\u00a0Liz Celeste remarks, \u201cthe museum always transforms into a hub of activity and connection during the\u00a0fall<\/span>\u00a0semester. I\u2019m really excited to be partnering again with long-time collaborators like the Traverse Area District Library, Children\u2019s Therapy Corner, and Full Tilt Comedy to bring back programs that draw more and more visitors each year, as well as, to invite numerous exhibiting Michigan artists to engage directly with visitors in dialogue during several planned artist talks throughout the season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Additional programs and details may be added throughout the season. To stay up to date on all that is happening at The Dennos, sign-up for our e-newsletter<\/a>\u00a0or visit our website at\u00a0www.dennosmuseum.org\/events<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fall<\/span>\u00a02026\u00a0Exhibitions<\/span><\/h2>\n

Full Circle: Waste Plastic Transformations
\n<\/strong><\/em>Aug. 28, 2026 \u2014 Aug. 8, 2027
\n<\/strong>In\u00a0Full Circle: Waste Plastic Transformations<\/em>\u00a0the Traverse City raised artist Simon Anton returns to the area with a body of sculpture and design objects built over the last 12 years at his Detroit Studio for his solo exhibit at The Dennos. Using plastic sourced from Detroit neighborhoods, factory waste and the automotive industry, Anton creates art and design objects that blur the line between sculpture and design, material science and sustainability. His work has been shown at the Venice Architecture Biennale, Carnegie Museum and Salone de Mobile amongst others. For The Dennos, Anton is showing a combination of experimental wall works and functional design objects.<\/p>\n

Material World: Ten Women
\n<\/strong><\/em>Sept. 24, 2026 \u2014 Jan. 3, 2027
\n<\/strong>Material World: Ten Women<\/em>, an invitational\u00a0exhibition<\/span>\u00a0organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art, features women artists working with non-traditional materials or using traditional materials in non-traditional ways. The\u00a0exhibition<\/span>\u00a0highlights the use of the physical characteristics of material and technique as a component of both visual and conceptual themes. Many of the works use found objects common to the everyday household, or bring elements from nature into inside spaces. Painting, sculpting, weaving, and assemblage merge in surprising ways throughout the show \u2014 crocheted metal wire is transformed into complex organic shapes, steel rod is welded into traditional vessel forms and animal shapes, paintings are cut apart and reassembled on the loom, birch bark becomes quilt-like in complex geometric arrangements, and quilts become soft sculptures and drawings, amidst many other approaches that surprise and delight. The participating artists are: Marcelyn Bennett-Carpenter, Boisali Biswas, Elizabeth Brandt, Kristin Casaletto, Kim Cridler, Nanci LaBret Einstein, Hattie Mendoza Lee, Anne Mondro, Mary Stoppert, and Susan Yamasaki.<\/p>\n

Darryl Brown:\u00a0Bubbles of Love
\n<\/em><\/strong>Sept. 24, 2026 \u2014 March 28, 2027
\n<\/strong>Bubbles of Love<\/em>\u00a0is a creative expression that goes beyond the imagination to unlock the magic hidden in this original style.\u00a0Bubbles of Love<\/em>\u00a0is a quantum bridge for serious appreciation of the circumpunct alchemy in time and space.\u00a0Bubbles of Love<\/em>\u00a0is a dreamscape of both primitive and modern juxtaposed color and a whimsical journey that blends Atavistic Animism with a pure discovery in the moment and from different angles. The colors, the paints and the textures makes\u00a0Bubbles of Love<\/em>\u00a0a fun filled mystery, each painting fulfills the promise, if you explore the canvas, you are certain to discover more and more.<\/p>\n

About Darryl Brown Medidegwe Anamosh (Barking Dog)
\nDarryl \u201cBarking Dog\u201d Brown is a poet and a writer of mystical journeys, prophecy, and life lessons. He is also a three-time award winning painter, including an award from the National Congress of American Indians. His art is described as Atavistic Surrealism, Pointillism, Juxtaposition, and he has developed the Alchemy of Arts with meditation and healing with Emotional and Spiritual colors.\u00a0Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed Darryl to the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs in 2019. He is currently serving a second, three year term.\u00a0He is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians.<\/p>\n

<\/em>Drawing to Motion: Contemporary Inuit Artwork from The Dennos Museum
\n<\/strong><\/em>Sept. 24, 2026 \u2014 May 30, 2027
\n<\/strong>While many visitors are familiar with the Dennos Museum’s extensive collection of multiple prints and carvings of hardstone and ivory, few are aware of the growing collection of drawings and new media animations in our holdings.\u00a0Drawing to Motion<\/em>\u00a0highlights these distinct forms, expanding our contemporary understanding of Inuit artmaking. From spiritual and physical transformations to modes of transportation and scenes of daily life, this\u00a0exhibition<\/span>\u00a0provides an intimate view into the hand-drawn and animated-by-hand world of Inuit artists from the late 20th and early 21st centuries.<\/p>\n

Fall<\/span>\u00a0Programs at The Dennos<\/h2>\n

Tour Tuesdays
\n<\/strong>Tuesdays, 12 p.m.
\n<\/strong>Come to the museum and join an informal tour of our current\u00a0exhibitions<\/span>\u00a0with one of our docents. Tours are free with museum admission and will begin at 12pm. Please meet by the front desk a few minutes before the tour begins.<\/p>\n

Second Sunday Art Projects
\n<\/strong>Second Sundays, 1-3 p.m.
\n<\/strong>Come to the museum and take part in a vibrant participatory artistic experience every second Sunday of the month! From printmaking to weaving, each session offers a unique and creative activity.\u00a0 Second Sunday projects are included with admission to the museum.<\/p>\n

Artist Talk Simon Anton
\n<\/strong>Friday, Aug. 28, 5-6:30 p.m.
\n<\/strong>Join us for the opening day of Simon Anton\u2019s Full Circle: Plastic Waste Transformations. Learn more about how he blends sculpture, design, and sustainability in his work. Limit of 50.<\/p>\n

Full Circle<\/em>\u00a0Reception
\n<\/strong>Friday, Aug. 28, 6:30-8 p.m.
\n<\/strong>Join us immediately following Anton\u2019s artist talk for an evening\u00a0 reception with a cash bar. No ticket necessary.<\/p>\n

Silent Disco Dance Party
\n<\/strong>Friday, Aug. 28, 8-11 p.m.
\n<\/strong>Get ready to boogie to your choice of three DJs under the illuminating glow of a new art installation by Simon Anton in the sculpture court of the Dennos. FREE for NMC Students and museum members. All ages welcome.<\/p>\n

The Art of Being Present: A Slow Looking Series\u00a0
\n<\/strong>Every other Wednesday, 10 a.m.<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>In a world of 8-second scrolls, when was the last time you truly saw something? Join us at The Dennos for a refreshing departure from the rush of daily life. Modern health studies have shown that regular museum engagement acts as a powerful non-pharmacological intervention, lowering anxiety and promoting mental clarity. Each session in this series is a standalone invitation to quiet the noise and dive deep into just two or three select artworks. Through guided “slow looking” techniques with the museum curator, we\u2019ll move past first impressions to discover the hidden narratives, intricate textures, and emotional resonance waiting beneath the surface. No art background is required\u2014just a pair of eyes and a moment of your time.\u00a0Register with NMC Extended Education<\/a><\/p>\n