Founding Director Michael Rush is happy to announce the museum has done great so far, but he feels bad about the conflict with the DIA.

“I hope they will pull through,” Rush said. “I have to say though, we are doing way beyond all expectations because we will soon exceed 100,000 visitors in about nine months.”

Rush also said the museum is able to stay open because of memberships and money earned from organizations renting out the facility for various functions, such as parties or meetings.

People from across the U.S. and 75 different countries keep coming back to the museum because they are interested in new exhibits, he said.

“We mostly see people who are open and curious and want to see what artists from around the world are doing,” Rush said. “The people are proud to have something so exciting in the community that they can bring their family and friends to.”

Tammy Fortin, curatorial program manager for the museum, helps bring new art, programs and events to the museum to keep it current, interesting and attractive to more and more people.

Upcoming events for the semester include three art openings, a jazz concert, a bike ride, four art lectures and a film screening at Studio C!, in Okemos.

“One of the reasons we do so many events is to bridge the gap between the museum and the community,” Fortin said. “MSU has such a fertile ground in terms of talent, so we have unique pairing and do things a bit different so the museum stands out.”

The public programs are created to contextualize the exhibits in the museum, she said.

Elementary education sophomore Emily Baker went to the museum this past year and said curators are doing a good job constantly rotating new art. She also said she is open to attending some of the upcoming events.

“This museum is news and people want to bring their family and show them everything,” Baker said. “They would be good activities to do to keep busy and relax during the stressful school year.”