Futuristic technology reveals secrets in ancient Vesuvius Scrolls

The Vesuvius Scrolls, appearing like petrified croissants, in a drawer.

When Italy’s Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, it buried the palatial villa of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, Julius Caesar’s father-in-law. These black and brittle papyri may look like charred croissants, but U-M classicist Richard Janko believes they contain lost masterpieces of literature, history, and philosophy.

  1. Could riding older school buses hinder student performance?

    Students who ride newer, cleaner-air buses to school have improved academic performance, according to a U-M study that linked school bus funding information with standardized test scores and found improvements in reading/language arts and math scores when the oldest buses were replaced with newer vehicles.

  2. Human stem cells coaxed to mimic the very early central nervous system

    The first stem cell culture method that produces a full model of the early stages of the human central nervous system has been developed by a team of engineers and biologists at U-M, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and the University of Pennsylvania. The model, which resembles all three sections of the embryonic brain and spinal cord, could shed light on developmental brain diseases.

  3. Bridge in a box: Unlocking origami’s power to produce load-bearing structures

    For the first time, load-bearing structures like bridges and shelters can be made with origami modules — versatile components that can fold compactly and adapt into different shapes. It’s an advance that could enable communities to quickly rebuild facilities and systems damaged or destroyed during natural disasters, or allow for construction in places that were previously considered impractical, including outer space.

  4. Thirteen days in 1970: The BAM strike

    In February 1970, U-M students operating as the Black Action Movement called a strike on classes. They interrupted lectures, banged garbage-can lids in classroom buildings, and hassled fellow students attending class. Their demand to President Robben Fleming: Increase Black enrollment from 3.4 percent to 10 percent.

  5. Michigan Minds Podcast: Purpose and mattering, featuring John Piette, professor at the U-M School of Public Health

    Purpose and mattering. They’re essential to happiness and healthiness, researchers say. But those feelings can be hard to attain, especially for individuals who may be more prone to feeling purposeless. Professor John Piette, director of the U-M Center for Managing Chronic Disease, discusses V-SPEAK, his latest project with U.S. veterans.

  6. Community force: How a holistic program is changing Detroit one toddler at a time

    Brilliant Detroit creates community hubs by transforming houses in need of repair into welcoming sites that deliver early childhood education and family support. More than 19,000 children in 18 area neighborhoods have benefited to date.

The Art Show

Founded in 1990 with a single theatre workshop, the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) is a program of U-M’s Residential College. Courses serve as gateways for undergraduate participation in prison arts workshops and provide academic training in issues surrounding incarceration and practical skills in the arts. The program’s Annual Exhibition of Artists in Michigan Prisons (“the art show”) is one of the largest exhibits of artwork by incarcerated artists in the world. The annual exhibition, free to the public, is presented with support from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council. It runs through April 2 at the Duderstadt Gallery. (Click on the images to enlarge. Images are courtesy of PCAP.) Learn more about PCAP.

  • “Bubblegum.” Artist: Jill Day

    PCAP exhibits bring the artwork of incarcerated artists into the public realm in order to humanize people in prison, break stereotypes, and create dialogue about mass incarceration. (View complete image.)

    Girl in bangs blows giant pink bubble until only her eyes are visible. Chartreuse background.
  • Two Fine Gentlemen. Artist: Mark Sanchez

    The 2024 exhibition features 750 works of art by 490 artists in two and three dimensions, including portraits, tattoo imagery, landscapes, fantasy, and wildlife, as well as images about incarceration and entirely new visions.

    Two dogs dressed like merry old gentlemen wearing top hats, monocles, etc.
  • Luxury Groove Bar. Artist: ꓘBurns

    “Every time I see art from this year’s exhibition, I see something new and inspiring,” says Nora Krinitsky, the Prison Creative Arts Project Project director. “Some artists use materials in ways I’ve never seen before and others are making art under some of the most difficult circumstances I can imagine.”

    Dancers enjoy funky honky tonk.
  • Days Gone. Artist: Aaron Rose

    This year’s exhibition stands out due to the increased participation of students throughout the art selection process. PCAP offered a new curation mini-course that required students to immerse themselves in the most critical aspect of the annual exhibition process: engaging with the artists directly and making informed selections of artworks for display at the annual exhibit.

    Barren landscape with a single tree
  • When Hope and Promise Fades. Artist: Christopher Levitt

    PCAP’s curatorial team staff and many students who participated in the art selection process this past fall dedicated two full days to a thematic analysis of the 750 art pieces they chose for the exhibition. (See original image.)

    Despondent man in profile hangs head
  • Be Strong. Be Safe. Be Well. Artist: Albert Krakosky III

    “Through engaging in reflective art-making and writing, the students explored and encountered both their own humanity and that of the artists,” says Emily Chase, PCAP arts programming coordinator.

    Inmate's view of dorm living.
  • Dreaming of a Way Out/Wishful Thinking. Artist: Radus

    “I marveled at the use of humor and fun that we saw across facilities this year overall,” said programming coordinator Chase. “Satire can be a way of getting through rough, hopeless, or painfully absurd moments. But it can also communicate complex ideas or states of being in a way that is both accessible and clever.” This year, organizers are emphasizing storytelling and artists’ voices in the gallery in an audio tour.

    Pastel watercolor of alien abduction as unicorn watches
  • King’s Gambit. Artist: Marte’nez Sr.

    The free exhibition runs through April 2 at the Duderstadt Gallery, 2281 Bonisteel Blvd., on U-M’s North Campus in Ann Arbor. Gallery hours are Noon-6 p.m. Sunday and Monday; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

    Older gentleman behind bars plays chess with child. Reddish brown