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July 21, 2020

New installation at Broad showcases community stories of care amid pandemic

The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at MSU invites community members to share messages of thanks for a new installation — Acts of Care.

While practices of physical distancing and self-isolation now shape our worldview, the installation will celebrate how our community has found ways to connect and care for one another.

The installation will open alongside the planned reopening of the museum on Sept. 1.

“We thought this would be the perfect way to welcome visitors back to the museum,” said Morgan Butts, director of communications. “We wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you to our communities and highlight how we’ve come together to help one another.”

The MSU Broad acknowledges the wide range of caregivers working tirelessly during these difficult times by focusing on their acts of care and our messages of empathy, compassion and gratitude for these fellow community members. Care takes many different forms. From the daily efforts of healthcare and other frontline workers, to learning about and taking action against racial injustice, to the support we receive from friends, family and neighbors, there are gestures of care all around us — both grand and small.

Community members are invited to submit a statement of gratitude and an accompanying image, which the MSU Broad will print and display in the Alan and Rebecca Ross Education Wing of the museum. Collectively, these statements and images will reflect the abundance of care in our communities as we navigate these challenging times together.

To contribute to the installation, share who has provided care for you and your community at broadmuseum.msu.edu/exhibitions/acts-of-care. Submissions must be received by Aug. 2 to be included in the first round of installation prior to Sept. 1 and submissions after will be added on a rolling basis.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University is a dynamic contemporary art museum that connects people with art through experiences that inspire curiosity and engagement. Opened on November 10, 2012, the museum was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid and named in honor of Eli and Edythe Broad, longtime supporters of the university who provided the lead gift of $28 million.

In 2017, the MSU Broad was awarded $1 million from MSU Federal Credit Union in support of the Art Lab, an expansion across Grand River Avenue that provides increased access to and research of the permanent collection. Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 150 years.

One of the top research universities in the world, MSU focuses its vast resources on creating solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges, while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

By: Morgan Butts