The Women's and Gender Studies Department and the Institute for Research on Women and Gender host two exhibits per year in the main lobby of Lane Hall, 204 S. State Street. The exhibits, broadly related to issues of women and gender, are available for public viewing Monday through Friday, 9am-4pm.
About the Lane Hall Exhibit Space:
The exhibit space is located in the main lobby of Lane Hall, 204 S. State Street.Exhibits are available for public viewing during regular business hours (or by appointment for class visits). The exhibit budget is small, though some co-sponsorships can be secured. Budget items covered by Women’s and Gender Studies or IRWG normally include installation, installation supplies, and opening reception. Co-sponsorship funds may be raised for framing, shipping and expenses related to an artist’s talk, including honorarium, airfare and lodging and meals. Artist’s talks are given on occasion, but normally the artist says a few words during the opening reception.
Questions? Contact LaneHallExhibits@umich.edu
Current Exhibit
Portraits of Feminism in Japan
An exhibit curated by Allison Alexy, Bradly Hammond, Grace Mahoney, and Alexandria Molinari
Elaine Cromie, JenClare B. Gawaran, Takatoshi Hayashi, ivokuma (いぼくま), Nami Kaneko (金子奈美), Kang Jungsook, Lisa Taka Miyagi, Nancy Nishihira (西平・ナンシー), and Shigeki Shibata (柴田滋紀)
January 12 - July 31, 2023
Lane Hall Exhibit Space (M-F, 9am - 4pm)
204 South State Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109
About the exhibit:
What is feminism in Japan? Rather than imagining it as a singular, coherent object, this exhibit seeks to introduce the diversity, difference, and complexity inherent in feminist activism in Japan. As in other cultural contexts, “feminism” in Japan can invoke sharply different associations, from office workers trying to reshape taken-for-granted structures of power and authority, to mothers advocating for safer school lunches after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disasters, and queer couples seeking legal recognition for the families they have created. Mainstream feminist activism in Japan has focused on advocating for change in families, workplaces, schools, political institutions, and laws, among many other contexts. Many – but certainly not all – feminist activists in Japan are also responding to the lasting legacies of Japanese colonial projects, working toward recognition, repair, and meaningful reparations for racial and gender-based violence that continue to impact communities disproportionately.
This exhibit features original portraits of feminists who have shaped the landscape of women's and gender rights in Japan and beyond. Created by nine contemporary artists in Japan and the United States, the portraits and accompanying texts challenge simplistic understandings of "feminism" while also drawing attention to a diversity of experiences, needs, and activism within Japan. This exhibit also spotlights the history of Japanese studies at the University of Michigan in conjunction with the Center for Japanese Studies' 75th anniversary celebration.
University of Michigan departments or instructors can email LaneHallExhibits@umich.edu to request a group tour or schedule a class visit.
Exhibit Sponsors:
- Department of Women's & Gender Studies
- Institute for Research on Women & Gender (IRWG)
- Center for Japanese Studies
