

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!
jerry's map
May 30 — September 17, 2023
Jerry’s Map is comprised of over 4000 individual eight by ten inch panels. Its execution, in acrylic, marker, colored pencil, ink, collage, and inkjet print on heavy paper, is dictated by the interplay between an elaborate set of rules and randomly generated instructions.
MICHIGAN MUD PRESENTERS EXHIBITION
June 16 — September 30, 2023
The Dennos Museum Center is pleased to host the2023 Michigan Mud Presenters Exhibition this year in partnership with Northwestern Michigan College and the Michigan Ceramic Art Association.
Stephen duren: a Life of Painting
September 15, 2023 — January 7, 2024
This exhibit brings together works by artist Stephen Duren that cover his sixty-year career and bring greater definition to his artistic contributions.
passages: the art of ron gianola
September 15, 2023 — January 7, 2024
Gianola’s paintings are the result of a fifty-plus year long experience with the Art Spirit, pursuing the possibilities of a personal transformative vision, engaging emotion, expression, and the poetry of visual music.
A SEPARATE SHINING: SELECTIONS FROM THE TUSEN TAKK FOUNDATION COLLECTION
September 15, 2023 — January 7, 2024
Taking its title from the poem Joy by Hilda Conklin, A Separate Shining explores the dualities present in the works in the Tusen Takk Foundation collection.
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
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: