Arts and Culture

DCRP Book Aligns with NMU Strategic Plan

Jan. 30, 2025 —
The book selected for this year's Diversity Common Reader Program (DCRP) at Northern Michigan University is As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom Through Radical Resistance by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson. Held annually since 2013, the DCRP revolves around a nonfiction book of interdisciplinary interest that advances discussions of diversity, inclusion and social justice.

U.P. Students Win Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Jan. 28, 2025 —
Northern Michigan University's Northern Shores Storywork Writing Project has announced the 31 Upper Peninsula teens selected as regional award winners for the 2025 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the country's longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for creative students in grades 7-12. There were 113 submissions from the Upper Peninsula, a significant increase over the eight received last year.

NMU Presents Immersive 'Alice in Wonderland'

Jan. 13, 2025 —
Northern Michigan University's CO/LAB Dance Company will present Alice in Wonderland: An Immersive Experience, described as a “mesmerizing whirlwind of color and movement that weaves through the audience like a living, breathing dreamscape.” The performance is unique in that it will take place in an intimate downtown Marquette space that allows the audience to be more actively engaged, interacting with the dancers and scenery elements.

Theatre and Dance Presents Holiday Soiree Dec. 11

Nov. 26, 2024 —
Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present its Holiday Soirée celebration and fundraiser for student scholarships on Wednesday, Dec. 11. The festive event kicks off with a holiday buffet and live auction from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Panowski Black Box Theatre, followed by student and guest-star performances from 7:30-9. There will also be a special visit from Santa Claus.

NMU Theatre & Dance Presents New 'Home for the Holidays' Show

Nov. 21, 2024 —
Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present a festive new production titled “Home for the Holidays” Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 5-7 and 12-14 in Forest Roberts Theatre. The show is about a group of NMU students who convene to share tales of their diverse family traditions before they journey home for the holidays. It features musical singing and dance numbers—many familiar—with bits of dialogue to tie it all together.

U.P. Teens Invited to Enter Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Program

Nov. 8, 2024 —
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation's longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for creative teens, are accepting entries from teenagers across the country in grades 7–12 through Dec. 3. The Northern Shores Storywork Writing Project site at Northern Michigan University is serving as the Upper Peninsula affiliate of the awards.

Hughes' Portrait Paintings Earn Accolades

Nov. 7, 2024 —
Northern Michigan University Art and Design Professor Steve Hughes, whose freelance studio has the appropriate moniker Primary Hughes, has received some notable accolades for his boldly colorful acrylic paintings that meld portraiture with graphic elements and patterns. Most recently, he was selected as a monthly winner in the Figure & Portrait category of the 14th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition. He will compete for a $15,000 grand prize and a chance to have his work featured on the cover of PleinAir Magazine at a convention and expo in May.

NMUDoIt Student Theater Group Presents 'The Last Five Years'

Nov. 6, 2024 —
NMUDoIt, a student theater group established early this year at Northern Michigan University, will present its first full-length production—the musical The Last Five Years—at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14 through Saturday, Nov. 16, in the Panowski Black Box Theatre. Tickets are free (donations accepted). Written and composed by Drama Desk winner Jason Robert Brown, The Last Five Years is described as an emotionally powerful and intimate musical about two New Yorkers in their 20s who fall in and out of love over the course of five years.