With the generous support of Stamps alumna Penny Stamps, the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series brings a broad spectrum of creative thinkers and makers to benefit the Stamps School, and the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor communities. Depending on the length of their stays, visitors present public lectures, work with Stamps students, participate in panel discussions, generate site-specific works, and give public performances. Presentations are free and open to the public.
September 11
Anna Deavere Smith
Actress, playwright, and teacher, Smith highlights issues of community, character and diversity in America.
September 18
Pussy Riot
Founding members of the art collective Pussy Riot and the NGO Zona Prava discuss their activities as conceptual artists and political activists.
September 25
Rei Inamoto
Chief creative officer for AKQA, Inamoto has been instrumental in making AKQA the first firm in history to receive five Agency of the Year accolades.
October 2
Fred Tomaselli
Tomaselli explores reality dislocation and the broken dreams of utopianism in complex works that utilize painting, photo collage, and unorthodox materials.
October 9
IBM: Phil Gilbert
Gilbert is an entrepreneur and self-proclaimed “startup guy” whose mission is to transform one of the world’s most iconic companies to power the systems of the world.
October 16
FoodCorps
Curt Ellis and Ian Cheney are co-founders of FoodCorps, a national team of Americorps leaders who connect kids to real food and help them grow up healthy.
October 17
Amie Siegel
Multimedia artist Amie Siegel discusses her interest in uncommon odysseys and her exhibition Provenance, on view at the University of Michigan Museum of Art from August 16 to December 7.
October 23
Random International
Using science to develop a new material vocabulary, this collaborative studio considers the man/machine relationship, with the viewer as an active participant.
October 30
Ryoji Ikeda
Japan’s leading electronic composer and visual artist, Ikeda orchestrates sound, visuals, and physical phenomena into immersive live performances and installations.
November 6
Inta Ruka
Latvian photographer Inta Ruka has spent over 20 years photographing the people of Latvia to provide an undisguised view of Latvia’s state of flux since its integration into the European Union.
November 8
Harrell Fletcher
Fletcher is known for transforming the everyday experiences and objects of community residents into curated exhibitions. He has also created a participatory website, Learning to Love you More, with Miranda July.
November 13
Superflux
Anab Jain, cofounder of the London- and India-based design studio Superflux, helps shape the studios vision of designers as sense-makers, translators and agent provocateurs.
November 20
Francoise Mouly
Art Editor of The New Yorker for over 20 years, Mouly is also the publisher and editorial director of TOON Books, an imprint of comics and visual narratives for young readers.
December 4
Seth Ellis
Ellis makes site-specific narratives that explore the stories inherent in material culture, place and everyday objects.
For a complete roster of visitors for all semesters: stamps.umich.edu/stamps
Videos of past presentations can be found at Stamps’ Play Gallery.
About the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan
The Stamps School offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in art and design. The School’s unique open curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary study, requires international educational experiences, fosters community engagement, and draws on the resources only available at a top-ten research university.