- Permanent Exhibition
- Special Exhibitions
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- Upcoming Exhibitions
- Past Exhibitions
- Online Exhibitions
Below are brief descriptions of past Kelsey exhibitions, many preserved in online versions. The accordion buttons will bring up short descriptions of each show.
2018–2019: Urban Biographies, Ancient and Modern
August 24, 2018–January 6, 2019 Curators: Christopher Ratté, with Lisa Nevett, Nicola Terrenato, and Kathy Velikov |
This exhibition showcases three Classical cities where the University of Michigan sponsors field projects: Gabii in Italy, Olynthos in Greece, and Notion in Turkey. The archaeologists excavating these cities, in collaboration with students and faculty from U-M’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, are comparing their findings to projects of urban rebuilding in contemporary Detroit, asking two main questions: How do contemporary archaeological methods facilitate the study of both ancient and modern cities? And how can the study of the past help illuminate the challenges and opportunities facing Detroit today?
2017–2018: Excavating Archaeology @ U-M: 1817–2017
October 18, 2017–May 27, 2018 Curators: Terry G. Wilfong and Carla M. Sinopoli |
This exhibition explores the history of archaeology and museums at the University of Michigan for the past 200 years and looks forward to the future of archaeology and museums at Michigan in the coming century.
2017–2018: Cosmogonic Tattoos by Jim Cogswell
June 2, 2017–May 2, 2018 Curator: Jim Cogswell |
In celebration of the University’s Bicentennial in 2017, artist and professor Jim Cogswell has been invited by the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology and the University of Michigan Museum of Art to create a set of public window installations in response to the objects in their collections. His project used adhesive vinyl images applied in saturated colors to windows in the two buildings, highlighting the role of these museums in the life of our campus community.
2017: The Art and Science of Healing: From Antiquity to the Renaissance
| February 10–April 30, 2017 | MORE INFORMATION |
| Curator: Pablo Alvarez |
PURCHASE THE CATALOGUE |
| VIEW THE EXHIBITION WEBSITE |
This exhibition, hosted by the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology and the University of Michigan Library, explores the early history of Western medicine as illustrated by a broad selection of archaeological artifacts, papyri, medieval manuscripts, and early printed books.
2017: Course Display Case: Women of Etruria
| December 2016-March 2017 | MORE INFORMATION |
| Curator: Elaine Gazda |
This exhibit, highlighting the lives of Etruscan women, was prepared by students in Professor Elaine Gazda’s class on Etruscan Art and Archaeology (Fall 2016) who selected the theme, did research on the objects, and participated in designing components of the display.
2016–2017: Less Than Perfect
| August 26, 2016–January 8, 2017 | MORE INFORMATION |
| Curator: Carla Sinopoli | VIEW THE EXHIBITION WEBSITE |
In our society, we are taught to strive for and expect perfection. Yet throughout our lives, we learn as much or more from our flaws and failures as we do from our successes. Less Than Perfect celebrates failure and the lessons it teaches. Featuring objects that span more than 2000 years and four continents, this exhibition explores the stories they tell about their makers, their making, and their use.
2016: Leisure and Luxury in the Age of Nero: The Villas of Oplontis near Pompeii
| February 19–May 15, 2016 | MORE INFORMATION |
| Curator: Elaine Gazda | VIEW THE EXHIBITION WEBSITE |
| PURCHASE THE CATALOGUE |
Organized in cooperation with the Archaeological Superintendency of Pompeii and the Oplontis Project at the University of Texas, this international traveling exhibition explored the lavish lifestyle and economic interests of ancient Rome’s wealthiest and most powerful citizens, who vacationed along the Bay of Naples.
