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Curator at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Michelle Joan Wilkinson will be in conversation with Krannert Art Museum Senior Curator Allyson Purpura and Professor Irvin Hunt, Department of English (University of Illinois Urbana Champaign) about the process of putting together exhibitions and the kinds of stories they tell. Terri Weissman, curator of "Another Place: Storymaking the Entangled Prairie" will moderate.
Presented in conjunction with the "Another Place: Storymaking in the Entangled Prairie" exhibition.
ABOUT THE CURATOR
Michelle Joan Wilkinson is a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), where she is expanding the museum’s collections in architecture and design. She co-curated the inaugural exhibitions "A Century in the Making: Building the National Museum of African American History and Culture" and "A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond." Wilkinson also served as a lead co-curator for "Making Home—Smithsonian Design Triennial" at the Cooper Hewitt, which examined how design shapes the physical and emotional realities of “home” across the U.S., its territories, and Tribal Nations. Prior to joining NMAAHC, she was Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, and held positions at the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Studio Museum in Harlem. Her work illuminates the often-invisible histories of design, architecture, and space in African American life, by thinking through the way built environments reflect identity, preserve memory, and shape experiences of belonging.
About the exhibition:
kam.illinois.edu/another-place
Part of the School of Art & Design Visitors series.
**Parking nearby is free after 5 pm and on weekends.**
Krannert Art Museum acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.
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KRANNERT ART MUSEUM
SPRING 2026 EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS
JANUARY
• Jan 10, Rest Lab: Pause + Play, 11 am–12 pm
• Jan 17, Artventures for Kids!, 1–3 pm
• Jan 24, Knit & Sit, 1–3 pm
• Jan 28, Members’ Preview & Reception, 5–7 pm · RSVP required.
• Jan 29, Opening Night at the Museum! 5–7 pm · Enjoy live music and celebrate with 11 artists featured in "Another Place: Storymaking the Entangled Prairie | School of Art & Design Faculty" exhibition.
• Jan 31, Latina Voces Reception, 1–3 pm · Artwork by Urbana High School students
FEBRUARY
• Feb 5, Visiting Art Scholar Talk: dr. gloria j. wilson, 5:30 pm · Auditorium (KAM 62)
• Feb 5, SPEAK Café, 6–7:30 pm
• Feb 19, Night OUT at the Museum, 5:30–7:30 pm
• Feb 20, Panel Discussion with Partners from Peru, 2 pm · Auditorium (KAM 62) & Zoom · Living Legacies of “Fragmented Histories: Andean Art Before 1600” · En español e inglés
• Feb 21, In the Studio: Printmaking Workshop, 1–3 pm
• Feb 21, Reception for Imagination, Faith, and Desire, 4–6 pm
• Feb 26, Visiting Artist Talk: Oscar Joyo, 5:30 pm · Auditorium (KAM 62)
MARCH
• Mar 5, Visiting Curator Talk: Michelle Joan Wilkinson | Telling Stories with Exhibitions, 5:30 pm · Auditorium (KAM 62)
• Mar 5, SPEAK Café, 6–7:30 pm
• Mar 12, Improvisers Exchange: Sudden Sound Concert, 6 pm
• Mar 17–21, Spring Break at Krannert Art Museum – We’re open!
• Mar 28, Knit & Sit! 1–3 pm
• Mar 30–Apr 3, Weeklong Residency with the Women’s Collective from Lota, Chile
APRIL
• Apr 2, SPEAK Café, 6–7:30 pm
• Apr 2, Performance | FOREST: Stories in Progress, 5:30 pm · Auditorium (KAM 62) · Part of Deke Weaver's "The Unreliable Bestiary" series.
• Apr 3, Noontime Panel | Memorias de la Mujer Lotina: Arpilleras, Women, and Coal in Chile, 12–1 pm · Auditorium (KAM 62) · Reception to follow. En español e inglés.
• Apr 9, Teen Takeover & ArtSpeak Teen Art Showcase, 5–7:30 pm
• Apr 10–11, Boneyard Arts Festival & Mom’s Weekend visitors during open hours
• Apr 11, Improvisers Exchange: Sonic Location, 1–3 pm
• Apr 11, MFA Exhibition Opening Reception, 4–6 pm
• Apr 16, Curator Talk | Luis Muro Ynoñán, 5:30 pm · Auditorium (KAM 62) · Curator, The Field Museum · In conjunction with the Living Legacies of "Fragmented Histories: Andean Art Before 1600" exhibition.
MAY
• May 7, FAA Finals Fest, 12–3:30 pm · For U of I students
• May 9, BFA Exhibition Opening Reception, 4–6 pm
• May 30, Acquired Taste Celebration! Benefit Party, 5:30–8:30 pm · Ticket sales benefit the museum.
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For event updates:
kam.illinois.edu/events
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We offer a variety of accessibility supports to help ensure visitors can fully participate. Contact us at [email protected] with any questions or to request accommodations.
Krannert Art Museum acknowledges support from Illinois Arts Council.
Image: Detail of Brooke C. White, Oceans of Grasses series, 2025.
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Event Venue
Krannert Art Museum, 500 Peabody Dr, Champaign, IL 61820-6913, United States
Tickets
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