Commence: A Stamps Graduating Students Exhibition

The Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design is launching a new exhibition initiative to celebrate and highlight the exciting work of graduating undergraduate students from the Stamps School. Entitled Commence, the exhibition will take place in the school’s premier art exhibition space — Stamps Gallery in downtown Ann Arbor. All students who are graduating from the Stamps School’s BFA and BA programs in Fall of 2023, Winter 2024, or Spring/​Summer 2024 are invited to participate by contributing one artwork. The exhibition promises to offer a vibrant snapshot of the wide-ranging and diverse artwork being produced by Stamps graduates. Commence marks the final culmination of their undergraduate studies at the Stamps School and the University of Michigan. 

The goal of Commence is to provide all graduating majors at Stamps with a meaningful opportunity to exhibit their work that will be viewed by the public in Ann Arbor, Southeast Michigan, and beyond. 

Who is eligible? 

• All undergraduate majors from the Stamps School who graduate in December 2023, May 2024, or August 2024 are eligible to participate.

• Students who are interested in participating will be asked to fill out a form to ​“opt-in”.

• Each student who opts to participate in Commence will be invited to present one artwork.

How are the artworks selected?

• Although not a graduation requirement, students who opt-in to participate in Commence will select one artwork they would like to present and ensure that the artwork meets the guidelines and space limitations. 

• These works can be earlier or existing work that the student created during the span of their BFA/BA period at Stamps. Consider one artwork that represents you and your practice. Perhaps it was something that was formative, challenging, or memorable. 

• The artwork could also be a new piece that was completed outside Stamps that you have not had an opportunity to exhibit. The final decision lies with each participating student-artist/designer.

• Given the ambitious scope of the exhibition, which aims to exhibit all the works that are submitted, it is extremely important that the artwork meets the dimension guidelines (see below). 

• Students will be responsible for dropping off and picking up their artwork from Stamps Gallery, where the exhibition will take place. The dates and times will be specified in January 2024. 

• Artworks should be submitted and ready to be installed. If there are specific hardware, fixtures, frames, etc. that the work needs, please include them with the work.

What kinds of artwork can be submitted, are there any parameters for the dimensions of the work? 

Artworks will be accepted in all media. To ensure that we can accommodate all the artwork, we are requesting that students submit artwork that is no larger than the dimensions outlined below:

• 2D Artwork (drawing, painting, printmaking, etc.): no larger than 24”h X 32”w or 32”w X 24”h

• 3D Artwork: No larger than 16 cubic feet (eg. 2’ x 2’ x 4’or 4’ x 4’ x 1’ etc.)

• 4D Artwork: Time-based work must be submitted as a YouTube/​Vimeo link. Video and moving image work will be compiled in a reel and exhibited in a screening room in the Gallery.

How to Apply

All interested students must fill out the exhibition submission form no later than February 5, 2024 to declare whether they opt in and are interested in participating in the exhibition.

Start Your Application

Please stay tuned for more information about the exhibition and its logistics in January 2024.