Art and the town-gown gap

I recently contributed an article to annarbor.com about a selection of university fine art galleries in Ann Arbor and Detroit that relates to two of 21c3’s “eight assets,” - education and cultural economic development. As institutions of education and learning, academic galleries are resources that are available to everyone in the community - not just students and faculty. At the same time, it takes an effort to bridge the town-gown gap, reach out to the community and venture outside of the microcosm of academia. My article touches on a number of ways that academic galleries run by the University of Michigan and Washtenaw Community College connect with different people and communities. It also highlights opportunities for students and faculty members to get involved in exhibitions and connect with a wider community. Link to my article, “University art galleries try to bridge the town-gown gap,” on www.annarbor.com