The Arts Research: Incubation & Acceleration program has awarded grants to six projects ranging from a sculpture garden examining the history of rock music in Detroit to an effort making artistic performances more sustainable.

“ARIA grants allow faculty from across the university to expand the landscape of what is possible at the intersection of art and research,” said Geoffrey Thün, associate vice president for research – social sciences, humanities and the arts.

This round of ARIA awards also includes an ARIA award — a new feature of the ARIA program that pairs faculty research efforts in the arts with other campus initiatives and infrastructures. This ARIA award is in partnership with the School for Environment and Sustainability and will support “Sustainable Stages,” an effort by the School of Music, Theatre & Dance and the Detroit Opera to make productions more sustainable, both onstage and off. 

This collaborative and community-facing project is also supported by funding from the Vice Provost’s Office of Sustainability and Climate Action.

“The capacity of U-M faculty from all three campuses to create high-impact projects that combine interdisciplinary research with creative practice is inspiring,” said Mark Clague, executive director of U-M’s Arts Initiative. “It’s also a vital effort to leverage creativity to  address real challenges in our world today, from environmental sustainability to productive conversations around difficult topics.”

Since its launch in 2023, the ARIA program has awarded six rounds of grants, totalling more than $1.5 million, to develop arts research and creative practice. The grants have supported 41 innovative projects led by faculty in 11 schools and colleges across the Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses.

“The growth and evolution of the ARIA program has been amazing to witness,” said Clare Croft, director of arts research and creative practice. “We’re looking forward to watching all of these projects develop, both the art that they will create and their impact on the communities with which they partner.”

The selected ARIA projects are:

Rock City

Principal investigator: Ash Arder, assistant professor of art, UM-Flint

Goal: A sculptural installation by current Whitney Biennial-featured artist Ash Arder will consider “rock” as both a geologic substance and cultural expression. The exhibit, which will also host performances and workshops, will be on display at Detroit’s Belle Isle from April to August 2027 through a collaboration with Michigan Central Art and the Belle Isle Conservancy.

The Perseverance Project

Principal investigator: David Jackson, professor of music, SMTD

Goal: Commissioning three composers to create new works for classical trombone and piano based on Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise.”

Oh Canadiana

Principal investigator: Andy Milne, associate professor of music, SMTD

Goal: A mixed-genre musical work commissioned by the Toronto Symphony for a premiere at the Luminato Festival in June 2029, created through collaborations with at least 12 soloists and five regional orchestras across Canada. 

The Act

Principal investigator: Umayyah Cable, assistant professor of film, television and media & American culture, LSA

Goal: An experimental documentary film focusing on the effects of Orientalism on queer Arab Americans through a focus on family narratives.  

Contested

Principal investigator: Antonio Cuyler, professor of theatre and drama, SMTD

Goal: An experiment in participatory opera creation that will workshop an in-progress opera about Confederate monuments with communities across five states in the American South ahead of a 2028 premiere performance.

Sustainable Stages

Principal investigators: Shelie Miller, Jonathan W. Bulkley Collegiate Professor of Sustainable Systems and professor of environment, SEAS; professor of civil and environmental engineering, College of Engineering; and Sarah Oliver, associate professor of theatre & drama, SMTD

Goal: A collaborative effort bringing the Center for Sustainable Systems, housed within SEAS, into partnership with the Detroit Opera and SMTD’s University Productions to develop guidance for producing environmentally sustainable large-scale performances.