EAST LANSING, MICH.- The Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University (Broad MSU) announced today that the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union has contributed a $1 million gift to create an endowment in support of educational programming at the museum. The gift will establish the MSU Federal Credit Union Artist Studio Series at the Broad MSU, an annual series of performances, lectures, and educational programs featuring visiting artists from around the world. The programs will be designed to engage MSU students, school children in the community, and the general public.

The Broad MSU is dedicated to exploring global contemporary culture and ideas through art, serving as both an educational resource for the campus community and a cultural hub for the central Michigan region. With a collection containing 7,500 objects from the Greek and Roman periods through the Renaissance and on to the Modern, the Broad MSU is uniquely able to contextualize the wide range of contemporary art practices within a firm historical context.

“As a university museum, an important part of the Broad MSU’s mission is to create unique educational opportunities for our students and the surrounding community,” said Michael Rush, Founding Director of the Broad MSU. “We are grateful to the MSU Federal Credit Union for leading corporate support of the museum and for enabling us to bring some of the most important artists working around the globe to our campus and to the Greater Lansing community.”

The MSU Federal Credit Union Artist Studio Series will feature at least three visiting artists each year to engage in art making, lectures, and community educational opportunities. The first visiting artist of the series is Alyson Shotz whose work is included in the Broad MSU’s exhibition Pattern: Follow the Rules (March 22 – June 23). The MSU Federal Credit Union is also the lead sponsor of the exhibition. In conjunction with the exhibition, Shotz installed her work, Geometry of Light, in the Broad MSU education center. This optically spectacular work is made of various sized plastic lenses, mirrored beads, and fishing line. Taking advantage of the natural light in the space, the piece transforms visually over the course of the day, responding to light, weather, and time of day. As part of the new MSUFCU Artist Studio Series, Shotz will give a lecture on her work on April 24 at the Broad MSU.

“Supporting programs with MSU that also give back to our local community is one way MSUFCU fulfills our mission statement by helping those impacted by the program to achieve their dreams. We are happy to announce the MSU Federal Credit Union Artist Studio Endowment at the Broad MSU and to support programs that help ensure Mid-Michigan is a place full of vibrant arts and culture where people are proud to live, work, and visit,” said Patrick McPharlin, President/CEO of the MSU Federal Credit Union.