Art at Wayne Detroit

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT!

Ryan Herberholz
MFA '18

TRANSIENT NARRATIVES
Ideation Orange
420 W. 9 Mile Rd. Hazel Park, MI
Opening Reception: Friday June 5th 7-10pm
Exhibition Dates: June 5th - June 30th
Featuring Melissa A. Day and Ryan Herberholz.

TRANSIENT NARRATIVES

Transience describes both the activity of human beings and physical processes. On long enough timescales a building, a city, a single life, or the existence of a species on a planet in a solar system could be considered features of a transient universe. These works attempt to narrate the ineffable. While two differing approaches to landscape are evident in this exhibition they both explore the ways in which human beings interact with their environment and each other. These paintings contain evidence of activity and remnants of communication that divulge the fact that the only constant we can count on is change.

Ryan Herberholz is a painter who creates otherworldly landscapes and sculptural objects. He draws inspiration from frequent trips into the Michigan wilderness as well as from locations in Detroit’s North End neighborhood where he lives and works. Ryan received MFA from Wayne State University in 2018 and his BFA from the Stamps School at the University of Michigan in 2012. He has completed several community murals in Detroit and frequently exhibits work in the city and the surrounding region.

For more information:
https://www.galleryatio.com/events-exhibitions1


Wayne State University

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT!

Claas Kuhnen
Associate Professor of Teaching
Interior Design

At Wayne State, AI’s Reach Extends Beyond Science Labs Into Design

For Kuhnen, the technology is not magic. It is momentum. Across Wayne State, he is one example of how AI is steadily making its way into classrooms, research labs and professional workspaces as faculty, staff and students explore how it can improve learning, sharpen research and solve real-world problems.

Kuhnen, who teaches industrial and interior design, said there is now “no course left” in his teaching load where AI is not used in some capacity. Rather than treat the technology as a shortcut, he frames it as another tool students must understand that can improve productivity while still requiring human judgment, technical skill and creativity.

Read more here:
https://today.wayne.edu/news/2026/05/14/at-wayne-state-ais-reach-extends-beyond-science-labs-into-design-69078

At Wayne State, AI’s reach extends beyond science labs into design Wayne State University is using AI not only in STEM education but to teach creative skills such as industrial design.

WINTER '26 GRADUATING STUDENT SPOTLIGHT!

Diana Muccioli
BFA Design/Art
Industrial Design/Photography

WSU Recognizes Top Student-Athletes At Fourth Annual Golden W's

The Wayne State University Department of Athletics honored all Warrior student-athletes during the Fourth Annual Golden W's held last evening at the Masonic Temple in downtown Detroit.

Eleven (11) Deans' Award winners were also recognized. The Deans' Awards reflect robust factors that begin with GPA, but also considers a variety of elements, including number of credits completed, departmental engagement, and other pertinent factors.

[Graduating] senior distance swimmer Diana Muccioli is the recipient of the Deans' Award from the College of Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts for the 2025-26 academic year.

Read more about Diana here: https://tinyurl.com/zabzptww



Wayne State University College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts

Creative Student Assistants Wanted

Wayne State Athletics is looking for creative students to join our team starting Fall 2026!

If you enjoy photography, videography, graphic design, or social media and want real hands-on experience in college athletics send your resume and portfolio to [email protected] to apply.

Are you registered for the SNAG x Detroit Conference?

Don’t miss Iris Eichenberg () & Lauren Kalman () In Conversation! This will be a dynamic discussion exploring their multi-faceted practices and the idea of “building” through making.

📅Thursday, June 11
⏰5:15-6:00 pm
📍Community Arts Auditorium, Wayne State University

About the conversation:

Using the metaphor of the house, Eichenberg & Kalman explore their practices as ongoing processes of building and rebuilding-defining space, boundaries, and layers through work.

Get to know these Detroit-based artists. Link in our bio.

Images 1: Image by Joseph Tiano courtesy of I.M. Weiss Gallery

Image 2: Courtesy of Lauren Kalman

Images 3 & 4: Courtesy of Iris Eichenberg

More conference info here:
https://snagmetalsmith.org/conference/

Wayne State University College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts

Congratulations to our Creative Warriors crossing the stage today!

Ceremony VI – 1 p.m.
College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts
Watch the commencement ceremony here:
https://wayne.edu/commencement

Wayne State University College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts

Jennifer Olmstead, Associate Professor of Art History (and department Associate Chair), earns top honors from Wayne State Board of Governors

The Wayne State University Board of Governors upheld its tradition of honoring faculty excellence at its April 24 meeting by presenting its annual Faculty Recognition Awards. Five full-time faculty members were selected for this prestigious honor based on their outstanding accomplishments during the previous academic year, including their notable publications.

Art history seeks to understand how artists engage with society, culture and representation. In Delacroix’s Moroccans: Art and Masculinity, Jennifer Olmsted re-centers the importance of Morocco in French artist Eugène Delacroix’s work and offers a fresh perspective on the intersection of art and power in the age of empire.

“I’m honored to receive this recognition from the Board of Governors for a project that was motivated by my desire to understand why Morocco was so important for the artist and how he explored it in his work,” she said.

“I hope my readers and students will be inspired to pause and look more closely — with curiosity and an open mind — at art in the world around them.”



For more on the recipients:

Five faculty members earn top honors from Wayne State Board of Governors Jennifer Olmsted, associate professor in the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art, Art History, and Design in the College of Fine, Performing and Communicatio