The MSU Museum was named a Smithsonian Institution affiliate Wednesday, becoming the first museum in Michigan to receive such status.
MSU will primarily work with the institute to develop programs for the 2002 Great Lakes Folk Festival, Aug. 9-11. The event was created following the successful three-year run of the National Folk Festival.
Kurt Dewhurst, director of the MSU Museum, said it’s an honor to be the first museum in the state to be affiliated, and he hopes to continue the cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution.
“This is very gratifying,” Dewhurst said. “It’s a result of the long-term relationship we’ve had with Smithsonian on a variety of different projects over the last two decades.”
The collaboration goes back to 1987 with the Festival of American Folklife in Washington, D.C., which lead to a Festival of Michigan Folklife in East Lansing and, now, the Great Lakes Folk Festival.
Dewhurst said the two have also worked on a cultural heritage project in South Africa and a project that will research Arab-Americans in Dearborn.
He he hopes to see a museum studies program come to MSU and the opportunity to be more accessible to the institute.
“There are a broad range of activities at the museum, and this will make it more visible in the public arena,” Dewhurst said. “It’s designated to bring exhibits here and for us to have them there.”
Sarah Stollak, special projects coordinator for the Michigan Traditional Arts Program at the MSU Museum, said it’s great for the museum to get the recognition it deserves.
“It’s very important because it makes our festival well respected,” said Stollak, who’s also a promoter for the 2002 Great Lakes Folk Festival.
She said the museum will play a major role in making the first-time festival an educational experience as well as a cultural experience.
“The entire festival is both educational and entertainment,” she said. “Last year we had a showcase with different members of different groups do a comparison of fiddles. They showed some differences and similarities - and this was an excellent example of the culture context.”
The National Folk Festival was sponsored by the National Council for the Traditional Arts, the city of East Lansing and the MSU Museum. The Great Lakes Folk Festival will be primarily sponsored by the museum.
Lonna Seibert, affiliation coordinator for the Smithsonian Institution, said the MSU Museum will join about 90 other museums in 30 different states as well as Washington, D.C., Panama and Puerto Rico.
“The affiliation is growing on a daily basis and we don’t want to put a cap on it,” said. “We hope to have an affiliation in every state.”
