The new MSU Multicultural Center is set to finish construction this fall, with opening festivities slated for early in the spring semester. Upon decades of advocacy by some of the Spartan community’s most marginalized students for a free-standing building on campus, the 34,000-square-foot facility on the corner of Shaw and Farm lanes will both celebrate the vastness of multicultural identities at MSU while also offering a sense of belonging — serving student needs in a number of ways.  

One of the ways the center will help represent students is through the infusion of art throughout the building. While a permanent sculpture will be installed outside the facility, plans for rotating exhibits inside the building will allow various artists from a wide variety of backgrounds to showcase their art as well as their culture.  

MSU Partners Collaborated to Commission New Permanent Sculpture
In the fall of 2023, representatives from the university’s Public Art on Campus Committee (PAOCC) reached out to the Coalition of Racial and Ethnic Minorities (CoREM) for guidance on narrowing down a focus for the initial art installation. The coalition recommended a focus around indigenous artists based in the Great Lakes region, and more specifically, Michigan artists if possible. 

The Public Art on Campus Committee carried the sentiment over to the MCC Steering Committee for more input from faculty, staff and students. Altogether, input was received from the PAOCC, Multicultural Center Steering Committee, and additional constituents, including University Outreach and Engagement, Coalition of Racial and Ethnic Minorities, and interested students identified by the assistant vice president of Student Life & Engagement for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.  

“On this project, CoREM seemed like the right group to seek to try to vet through all of the various angles and issues so we could come up with a direction,” says Steve Troost, campus planner in Infrastructure and Planning and Facilities and a member of the PAOCC. The coalition is made up of various racial/ethnic faculty and staff advocacy groups, with each also having strong ties to their respective communities’ student bodies and alumni groups. “We engage with the college, lead unit [or relevant groups] directly, so we can have ideas from them on what they think the art should represent.” 

CoREM, through the assistance of its EAGLE affiliate, supplied a list of potential indigenous artists to consider. After review, a list of artists reflecting this direction was identified, a short list of preferences developed and a final consensus reached to commission an exterior sculpture from the Anishinaabe artist Jason Quigno. 

Artist Jason Quingo Brings a Sense of Symbolism and History to the MCC
Quigno has been producing large-format stone sculptures around Michigan for several decades and sees his work as capsules preserving Anishinaabe influences and heritage. Quigno has even received a lifetime achievement Legacy Award in 2023 from the Michigan Legacy Art Park, nonprofit art display in Benzie County.  

“I feel honored to be chosen for this project and I feel a lot of responsibility, too, in knowing this work will stand here for generations,” says Quigno, who serves as Anishinaabe stone carver at Asinaabe Studios. “I feel it’s a good thing to have an Anishinaabek artist for this project, being where the university sits is originally Anishinaabek land. With this project, MSU is acknowledging and honoring the original people of this place.”  

The sculpture builds on the initial conversations Quingo had with the Steering Committee, the North American Indigenous Student Organization (NAISO), the Native American Institute and various other affiliated entities from umbrellas like CORES. The concept centers on Shaman stories and imagery from the Medicine Wheel. The sculpture’s base will be a 10’ x 8’ turtle 2.5-feet tall with floral designs etched on its shell. On top of the turtle shell coming from the center will be four flowing ribbon-like sculptures standing 12-feet tall. In all, the sculpture will be 14.5-feet tall. The base, or floor, of the light well/niche will be stone with a serpent shape created out of a contrasting darker-colored stone. 

The sculpture will anchor the light well’s western end and centered north to south. The Medicine Wheel serves as a symbolic statement that everything comes in fours — the four seasons, the four stages of life, the four races of humanity, four cardinal directions, etc. Indigenous people used medicine wheels to mark significant locations, such as places of energy, spiritual and ceremonial grounds, as well as places of meditation, teaching, and celebration. 

That all said, Quigno understands this project is meant to serve a variety of different cultures and to celebrate the intersections of identities that make up the MSU community. The sculpture will represent everybody and, by nature, be inclusive in its symbology. Its turtle base represents the land as Turtle Island. Above the turtle, the four abstract figures represent the four CORES groups and symbolizes how coming together is beautiful and enriches everyone's lives. 

“This sculpture will be here for generations, and I hope people see in this sculpture how society is a better place when we embrace all of our differences. When we come together,” Quigno adds. The MCC sculpture will accompany another piece by Quigno on MSU’s campus. His limestone sculpture, “Aabiji Bidemigan Bimaadiziwin,” can be found outside Cook/Seevers Hall.  

More to Come
The Public Art on Campus Initiative requires half of one percent of the building project costs go toward artwork. For the MCC’s $38 million price tag, the art budget amounts to $190,000. Up to $150,000 will be used for the initial piece. The remaining funds will be used for potential future artists in residence programming as well as student rotational art opportunities. This aligns precisely with one of the main intentions for the facility: to broaden the possibilities and open the door to additional special experiences for students to express themselves.