Ten Distinct Galleries. One Amazing Experience.
Temporary Exhibitions
The Dennos Museum Center regularly presents new temporary exhibitions every 2-4 months, seeking to engage, entertain, and enlighten our campus and community audiences. No two visits are ever the same!
Doug Cannell: Selections from Backstories
October 21, 2025 - April 3, 2026
What happens when a sculpture refuses to tell you what it is? Selections from Backstories is an introduction to Doug Cannell’s hybrid works that merge sculpture, installation, and storytelling into layered experiences.
Impressions of an Era: Prints from the Denison Museum CollectioN
November 20, 2025 — May 31, 2026
This selection of prints, created between 1970 and 1990 by nationally and internationally recognized contemporary artists, reflects two transformative decades in contemporary printmaking. Drawn from a larger selection of works transferred to the Dennos Museum Center from the Denison Museum in Granville, Ohio, these prints highlight the range and experimentation that defined late twentieth-century printmaking.
TWELVE-BY-TWELVE
January 23 — April 1, 2026
When pondering the theme for this exhibition, students and faculty at Interlochen Arts Academy wanted to start everyone on equal footing. They established a simple rubric: every participant would create something—anything—as long as it fit within an imaginary twelve-inch cube.
NEW PERSPECTIVES: RECENT ACQUISITIONS FROM THE DENNOS PERMANENT ART COLLECTION
January 23 — May 31, 2026
In honor of the Dennos’s 35th anniversary, a selection of recent acquisitions—many of which have never been on public display—will open in the MacFarlane Gallery.
TRILOBITE TREASURES
January 23 — May 31, 2026
This exhibit presents these fine Paleozoic creatures in a way that tells a story of the prehistoric life in the ancient seas. The collection, assembled over 35 years, provides a unique snapshot of life in the ancient seas from 250 to 500 million years ago.
Permanent Exhibitions
In addition to temporary galleries, the Dennos Museum Center curates six distinct permanent collection galleries with something for everyone to enjoy. From modern and contemporary Inuit art to the popular hands-on discovery gallery for children, bring your friends and family or enjoy a quiet moment in the galleries.
BARBARA AND DUDLEY SMITH WING FOR INUIT ART & POWER FAMILY INUIT GALLERY
Since 1991, the Dennos Museum Center's core collection of Inuit art has been on permanent exhibit. The Power Family Inuit Gallery, named in 1995 for their generous support of Inuit art and the Dennos Museum Center's collection, has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors to view, explore, and discuss contemporary Inuit art. With the opening of the Barbara & Dudley Smith Wing for Inuit Art in 2018, this unique collection of over 1,600 objects has additional capacity for exhibition, education, and programs.
DIANA AND RICHARD MILOCK WING
EUGENE A. JENNEMAN GALLERY
JANIS FAMILY PROMENADE
Thanks to a generous lead gift from Diana and Richard Milock, the Dennos Museum Center dedicated an additional 10,000 square feet of semi-permanent exhibition space in spring 2018. These galleries see selected rotations several times a year, drawn from a permanent collection of over 1,500 artworks by regional, national, and international artists.
THOMAS A. RUTKOWSKI DISCOVERY GALLERY
The Dennos Museum Center's 2,000 square foot Thomas A. Rutkowski Discovery Gallery offers over a dozen "hands-on" interactives related to the arts and sciences for children and adults. From a laser harp and a sound wall to a giant lightbright board, the gallery offers something for kids of all ages. The recent re-installation of the Gallery in 2018 focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM).
AUDIO DESCRIPTIONS
Dinosaur by William Allen
Friends of the Triassic by Brianne Farley
ZIMMERMAN SCULPTURE COURT
A beautiful sunken courtyard space centrally located in the museum, the Zimmerman sculpture court hosts art installations, highlights from the permanent collection, and event rentals and receptions.
Outdoor Sculpture Collection
Spread throughout the campuses of Northwestern Michigan College, the Dennos Museum Center's outdoor sculpture collection provides visitors with an opportunity to slow down, reflect, and enjoy 14 outdoor sculptures in beautiful Traverse City.
Traverse City Art Banner Project
The Traverse City Art Banner Project was the brainchild of former NMC Art Department Chair Paul Welch. These reproduction banners feature artwork by regional artists, former NMC art students, and the Dennos Museum Center permanent collections.
The project was supported by private donors who provide funding for printing and installation. Services provided by Britten Studios.
View Traverse City Art Banner Project locations in a larger map.
Support provided by:
