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
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.
Julia Keefe and the Indigenous Big Band: Resilience and Brilliance in Indigenous Jazz | Watch Now
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.
Rick Lowe: In Spite Of | Watch Now
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.
Basil Twist: The Alchemy of Puppetry | Watch Now
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.
vanessa german: Creative Consciousness & Spiritual Practice | Watch Now
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.
Shaka Senghor: How To Be Free | Watch Now
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.
Sheida Soleimani: What a Revolutionary Must Know | Watch Now
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 10 at 8 p.m. | Ismail Einashe: Migrations As Imagination
Ismail Einashe is an award-winning British-Somali journalist, author and 2025 – 2026 Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow, whose work on migration and refugee issues has appeared in numerous publications. In his deeply personal ‘Migrations As Imagination’ he explores how art can reclaim the humanity of migrants and their stories, too often lost in the headlines of global displacement.
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.
