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Reaching for the Stars, and Beyond:
Astronomy at the University of Michigan
Through August 30
Presents the leading edge research of eight U-M astronomers. The U-M Department of Astronomy is a leader in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics, with particular strengths in the study of black holes, the formation of stars, and galaxy evolution.
ViewSpace
Self-updating exhibit of discoveries from the Hubble Space Telescope. Thanks to a gift from the Jeremiah Kaplan Foundation. ViewSpace will soon move to a permanent location on the fourth floor.
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Fourth Floor Rear Gallery
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Hubble Space Telescope:
New Views of the Universe
Through September 30
This multimedia, interactive traveling exhibition explores the extraordinary discoveries made by the Hubble Space Telescope, which will be 19 years old in April 2009. The exhibition features spectacular backlit color images and includes numerous interactive displays to help visitors learn about astronomy and space science.
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Fourth Floor Temporary Gallery
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Casting Tradition: Contemporary Brassworking in Ghana
Through July 2009
This exhibition is a collaboration with Raymond Silverman, U-M Professor of History of Art and Afroamerican and African Studies. It is the product of a partnership between the Exhibit Museum and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Museum (KNUSTM), sponsored by the American Association of Museums, that allowed Silverman to spend five weeks in Ghana working with his colleague, Gilbert Amegatcher, a Professor of Art and Design at KNUST, to conduct the research for the exhibition. Amegatcher then spent five weeks with Silverman at the Exhibit Museum processing the research material and designing the installation. Distance learning technology was used to create a virtual collaborative environment for their students who assisted in planning the exhibition.
The tradition of lost-wax casting has been practiced among the Akan people of Ghana for at least 500 years. "Casting Tradition" examines how the traditions associated with casting metal evolved, especially over the last 100 years. Particular attention is given to the relationship between technology, creativity, and the market.
The exhibit features over 50 brass objects commissioned from the metalworkers of the town of Krofrom, including pendants, beads, boxes, bowls, and other objects. Large photos and interpretive labels present the history of lost-wax casting in Ghana, and two multimedia displays present the casting process from start to finish, as well as a series of interviews with some of Krofrom's brass casters.
Journeys of the Bison Hunters
Through August 2009
"Journeys of the Bison Hunters," a new exhibition on the Museum's 4th floor, tells a story of bison hunters and regional traders who lived in small mud-walled villages near modern Roswell, New Mexico, between AD 1275 and 1450. The exhibit highlights the research of U-M archaeologist Professor John Speth. It was developed by LSA senior and Museum docent Nikole Bork, who graduates this spring with a BA in Anthropology (with honors), and a minor in Classics.
At the U-M Shapiro Library:
The World's Biggest Experiment: At the Frontiers of Particle Physics
Curated by U-M theoretical physicist Aaron Pierce, this exhibit gives background information about particle physics in general and the Large Hadron Collider project in particular. This summer, scientists plan to re-activate the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s largest particle accelerator complex, to explore the validity and limitations of the Standard Model, the current theoretical picture for particle physics.
Professor Pierce is a theorist who studies the phenomenology of particle physics beyond the Standard Model, Collider physics, and connections between physics and cosmology. His PhD is from University of California, Berkeley (2002).
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