MEDIA ADVISORY

ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan’s website, Montage, features the latest news and features about the arts, culture, creative endeavors, collaborative projects and upcoming events. To visit the site, please to go www.montage.umich.edu

This week’s top arts-and-culture features include:

• Soleful innovator: Graduating senior Neil Zembo’s collaboration with Cass Community Social Services in Detroit offers an inspiring story about the power of design to transform an idea into a socially responsible project that makes a difference.
• Candid look at a film legend: The expansive exhibit, “The Many Hats of Robert Altman: A Life in Cinema,” is on display at U-M’s Hatcher Graduate Library Gallery through June 30. Altman, who died in 2006, is considered among the most influential American directors. His work reflects a naturalistic and stylized sensibility. Honoring the body of his film work, Altman received the Academy Honorary Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. His notable films include “MASH,” “McCabe and Mrs. Miller,” and “Nashville.”
• In the limelight: Catie Newell, an assistant professor of architecture at U-M’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, has been awarded the prestigious Rome Prize. Newell, a founding principal of Alibi Studio in Detroit, receives a fellowship, and a stipend to cover expenses during her studies in Rome, Italy. Her research explores textures and effects of light on architectural spaces. She also won the 2011 Architectural League Prize for Young Architects and Designers.
• Provocative & eclectic: Stamps School of Art & Design Senior Exhibit spotlights creative works in a range of media by an impressive collection of thoughtful young artists. The exhibit is on display through May 5 at venues around campus, including Warren Robins Gallery, Jean Paul Slusser Gallery, Work * Ann Arbor, and Work * Detroit.
• The future of art museums: The potential impact might not be so farfetched: In a matter of several years, Google Art Project could have the type of effect on the international art museum world and cultural literacy comparable to what “googling” has meant for Internet searchers – a greater access to information and broader understanding of the connection among cultures.

  The University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) joins a list of many of the most renowned international art museums participating in the Google Art Project, an online virtual journey to a front-row seat to some of the most fascinating artworks in the world. The project, which was launched two years ago, has grown from about a dozen museums to more than 150 museums in 40 countries. More than 40,000 high-resolution objects are available to be viewed.

• Histories—Personal & Universal: Retrospective of int’l artist El Anatsui at University of Michigan Museum of Art, through May 5. The Ghanaian-born El Anatsui, who lives and works in Nigeria, is widely known for monumental wall sculptures made from discarded bottle tops, and is recognized as one of the most original and compelling artists of his generation.
• Innovative course on creative process: U-M’s Stephen Rush and faculty members from the College of Engineering, the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, and Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning are helping undergraduate students tap into their creativity through the highly popular and acclaimed Creative Process course.