The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series at the University of Michigan
The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series brings respected leaders and innovators from a broad spectrum of creative fields to the historic Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. Events take place Thursdays at 5:30 PM unless otherwise noted, and are free, non-ticketed, and open to the public.
In partnership with Detroit PPBS and PBS Books, each week’s events will be released online the following Friday at 8pm on this page, and on the Penny Stamps Series Facebook page for on-demand viewing. Some programs may not be available online, depending on artist requests.
Winter 2026 Season
Friday, January 30 at 8 p.m. | Deepa Butoliya: Design Beyond the Center: Stories of Jugaad, Resilience, and Collective Knowledge
Deepa Butoliya is a designer, researcher, and educator whose work explores global practices of resourcefulness—especially the concept of Jugaad—to reframe innovation through improvisation, resilience, and care across cultures.
Friday, February 6 at 8 p.m. | Julia Keefe and the Indigenous Big Band: Resilience and Brilliance in Indigenous Jazz
Led by vocalist Julia Keefe, the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band honors and reimagines Indigenous jazz traditions through new and historic works, reclaiming a long-overlooked legacy while uplifting the next generation of Indigenous jazz musicians.
Friday, February 13 at 8 p.m. | Rick Lowe: In Spite Of
Rick Lowe is an American artist and MacArthur Fellow whose socially engaged practice combines painting and community-based projects—most notably Project Row Houses—to advance equity, justice, and sustainable change, with recent work leading to an upcoming 2026 exhibition at UMMA.
Friday, February 20 at 8 p.m. | Basil Twist: The Alchemy of Puppetry
Basil Twist is a visionary, award-winning puppeteer whose genre-defying, music-driven work spans theater, opera, dance, and Broadway, redefining contemporary puppetry through internationally acclaimed productions and collaborations.
Friday, February 27 at 8 p.m. | vanessa german: Creative Consciousness & Spiritual Practice
vanessa german is a leading citizen artist whose sculptural and ritual-based practice draws on African diasporic traditions, found materials, and spiritual intention to create healing “power figures” that unite activism, love, and expanded consciousness, earning widespread national recognition.
Friday, March 20 at 8 p.m. | Shaka Senghor: How To Be Free
Shaka Senghor is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and inspirational speaker who draws on his journey from 19 years of incarceration to global influence to teach resilience, personal freedom, and practical tools for lasting transformation.
Friday, March 28 at 8 p.m. | Sheida Soleimani: What a Revolutionary Must Know
Sheida Soleimani is an Iranian-American artist, educator, and activist whose multidisciplinary work uses staged imagery to confront the intertwined histories of violence, power, and political accountability linking Iran, the U.S., and the Greater Middle East, with work held and recognized internationally.
Friday, April 4 at 8 p.m. | Shana Moulton: Whispering Pines
Shana Moulton is a video and performance artist whose feminist, surreal Whispering Pines series uses humor and an alter ego to explore self-help culture, consumerism, and the search for meaning in contemporary life through intimate, everyday rituals shown internationally.
Friday, April, 17 at 8 p.m. | Lisa Haawalt: Creating in the Age of Everything
Lisa Hanawalt is a celebrated artist and writer whose distinctive, emotionally honest style spans animation, comics, and illustration, best known for her work on BoJack Horseman, Tuca & Bertie, and Long Story Short, as well as widely published books and artwork featured in major publications.
Friday, April 24 at 8 p.m. | Jonathan Adler: Finding Your Voice
Designer Jonathan Adler blends high and low cultural influences into a globally recognized brand defined by modern American glamour, humor, and craftsmanship, and in his talk shares how he built that distinctive voice—and how emerging designers can find their own—across a career spanning retail, television, and major industry honors.
