Michigan State University’s Department of Art, Art History and Design, or AAHD, is shining a spotlight on the creative work of its academic staff, offering the public a look into the lives and practices of the artists who help shape MSU’s arts community.
Their work, brought together for the “Nexus” exhibition, is now on display through Sunday, Sept. 21, at (SCENE) Metrospace, located at 110 Charles St. in East Lansing, Michigan.
The featured artists include:
- Rebecca Casement, academic specialist
- Erica Hooker, academic specialist – advisor
- Alex Nichols, academic technology coordinator
- Walt Peebles, woodshop technician
- Harold Perkins, sculpture technician
- Mackenzie Sheehan-D’Arrigo, professional aide
Nexus is defined as “a connection or series of connections linking two or more things; the central and most important point or place.” Like the title of the exhibition, these artists, who maintain their own artistic practices beyond their academic roles, are “at the core of the success of the department,” said Laurén Gerig, assistant professor and director of galleries and outreach in the Department of Art, Art History and Design.
The artists, who are respected for sharing their skills and immense knowledge of materials, methods, and conceptual and critical thinking with the MSU community, bring a wide range of media, concepts, and lived experiences to this exhibition.“
In their own creative practices, and beyond campus walls, each artist explores aspects of daily life,” Gerig said. “Photographs capture the unexpected happenings and liminality of human existence. The unseen labor of motherhood is meditated upon and documented. Empathy, vulnerability and memory are evoked through clay forms that are simultaneously intuitive yet controlled. Sculptural encounters created by disparate materials set a stage for inquiry, and meticulous craftsmanship honors process and time. Through diverse media, ‘Nexus’ calls viewers to seek connection within each artwork, the overall exhibition, and throughout the community.”
This diversity of practice within “Nexus” is precisely what the exhibition’s title suggests.
“In the context of this group exhibition, ‘Nexus’ encompasses the distinctive differences between our work, and that we are connected as artists and makers, and in our roles in the department,” Casement said.
Peebles offered a similar perspective: “The people exhibiting work in this show all have roles within the department that are critical to our students’ success. We serve in widely differing ways, in roles that can fundamentally enrich a student’s experience well beyond what they get in the classroom.”
For Casement, who works across multiple mediums, her sculptures are rooted in life’s transformative experiences. Her contributions span a broad period, revealing the evolution of her work as she honed her voice as an artist.
“All of my pieces in the exhibition are based conceptually around the times in life that change who we are, how we evolve out of those experiences, and the people who help to heal us,” she said.
Peebles also draws on personal curiosity when creating works that range from functional objects to deeply personal mementos.
“I included in the exhibition several objects I made over the years to satisfy my curiosity,” he said. “All were motivated by practical considerations.”
One example is a Welsh coracle — a small, rounded, lightweight boat — constructed simply because, as Peebles put it, he “wanted to try one out, and making one was a lot easier than flying to Wales.”
Community emerges as a central thread, both within the exhibition and in the lives of the artists. For Casement, community is a central part of her work as an artist and as an educator and technician at MSU.
“We grow and improve when we are in community with others,” she said. “That can be in the larger context of community, but it can also simply be with a small group of people who share life with you.”
Peebles, whose work often takes shape in solitude, still values those connections, especially when they lead to deeper conversations.
“I have showed the coracle at several small boat shows and enjoy talking with visitors about something they most likely have never seen before,” he said. “I hope something sparks an idea or a conversation that may humanize the viewer’s experience and encourage their own exploration. Maybe it will help a student feel more comfortable in approaching us with questions about their own work.”
That sense of openness and dialogue extends to students and visitors alike. Casement hopes the exhibition reinforces the skill and dedication that the Department of Art, Art History and Design faculty and staff bring to campus life.
“I hope that it increases awareness that we are in our roles because we are incredibly good at what we do. We have knowledge and skills that come from years of making and growing as artists,” she said. “I hope it also highlights that we are continually growing and learning along with the students, and it is that desire to learn that makes us good at what we do.”
Peebles adds that grades, deadlines, or market demand do not bind the works in “Nexus.” Quoting his grandfather — “Don’t let your schooling get in the way of your education” — he reflected on the personal satisfaction of making.
“The objects presented aren’t done for a grade, or for money, though I’m sure most artists would not mind selling a piece once in a while,” he said. “People make stuff because we find it deeply satisfying, and what we make may have little or no connection to our jobs — people are much more than their jobs.”
The Department of Art, Art History, and Design scheduled the “Nexus” exhibition for the beginning of the Fall 2025 Semester as one way to introduce incoming students to some of the people within the department who will be an important part of their educational journey at MSU, giving them and current students alike the opportunity to see the art of these teachers and mentors, to understand how personal inquiry and professional expertise intertwine, and to explore how creativity thrives within connection.
The “Nexus” exhibition is supported by MSU’s College of Arts and Letters; the Department of Art, Art History, and Design; and the City of East Lansing.
This story originally appeared on the College of Arts and Letters website.
