New exhibits and events make February the ideal time to visit the Michigan State University Museum.  Visitors of all ages will learn, discover and experience the wonders of the natural world and world cultures.

Here's a look at what's new at the MSU Museum, the state's natural history and culture museum:

Special exhibition
Weavings of War: Fabrics of Memory
through June 30 - Main Gallery

Weavings of War: Fabrics of Memory represents an eloquent and powerful testimony of the impacts of modern warfare in our world and the resilience of folk arts in contemporary life. The exhibit showcases textiles made in a variety of techniques and for different purposes by artists—mostly women—who have incorporated pictorial imagery in their work to communicate their personal and collective experiences with war.

"These textiles arise from disparate cultural groups and reflect conflicts situated in areas of the world thousands of miles apart, occurring in different periods and motivated by different reasons," noted Marsha MacDowell, curator of folk arts and professor of art and art history at Michigan State University. "At the same time, they embody reflections on social upheaval and displacement."

Many of the artists still live in countries marked by recent conflict; some are refugees who have resettled in the United States. Examples of work are drawn from residents in and refugees from Afghanistan, Chile, Laos, Lebanon, Peru, South Africa and Thailand.

Special Exhibition
Siyazama: Traditional Arts, Education, and AIDS in South Africa
through June 30 - Heritage Gallery

Throughout the world art has long been used as a tool for cultural, social and economic change. In South Africa many educators and activists used performing and visual arts in the successful anti-apartheid movement. Now arts are being used there to inform and inspire citizens about the AIDS epidemic.

Fighting AIDS within South Africa presents many challenges. Even though the post-apartheid government has mandated changes, many communities continue to experience high rates of poverty and racial discrimination. Perhaps more importantly, strongly maintained traditional practices and beliefs, especially related to gender roles, inhibit conventional approaches to AIDS education.

The exhibit spotlights one arts-based intervention, the Siyazama (Zulu for "we are trying") Project, that uses traditional and contemporary artistic expression to document the realities of HIV/AIDS and to open lines of communication about the virus.

The Museum Store also will feature selected objects and publications in conjunction with these exhibits. Major funding for these projects has been provided by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Coby Foundation, Andrew J. Mellon Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, and Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

Public Program
Darwin Discovery Day
Sunday, Feb. 12

February 12 marks the birthday of noted naturalist Charles Darwin, and the MSU Museum will present a special family-friendly program, Darwin Discovery Day, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. On tap are tours of the museum's Hall of Evolution, as well as special collections of mammal, bird and fossil specimens; a beetle display from MSU's Entomology Department; and a plant display from the university's horticultural gardens.

Visitors are also invited to bring in fossils, stones, teeth, shells and other natural curiosities for specialists from the MSU Museum and College of Natural Science to identify.  (The museum cannot provide estimates of the commercial value of any specimens, nor offer expertise on any human-made artifacts.) Darwin Discovery Day is presented free of charge, and refreshments will be served in the lobby.

Charles Darwin's 200th birthday will be Feb. 12, 2009, which is also the 150th anniversary of the publication of his famous book, On the Origin of Species. Leading up to these milestones, science institutions worldwide have created special programs around Darwin's birthday that help promote an appreciation for the benefits of scientific knowledge acquired through human curiosity and ingenuity.

The MSU Museum is Michigan's natural history and culture museum and the state's first affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. The museum features three floors of special collections and changing exhibits and is open seven days a week free of charge (donations are welcome). The museum is located on West Circle Drive next to Beaumont Tower and is accessible to persons with disabilities. Limited visitor parking is available in front of the building every day; most designated university faculty and staff parking areas are open to the public free of charge on weekends. Museum hours are Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1-5 p.m.  For more information, call 517-355-2370 or visit museum.msu.edu .

MSU Museum's Chocolate Party Benefit Hits the Sweet Spot in Greater Lansing

Get ready to paint the town brown on Sunday, Feb. 26, for the 17th Annual Michigan State University Museum Chocolate Party Benefit, presented by the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, Harrison Road, East Lansing. In this popular community event, chocolate lovers indulge for a great cause—all to benefit the care and preservation of the MSU Museum's natural history and cultural collections.

The MSU Museum Chocolate Party Benefit is set for 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Kellogg Center, and features samples to savor from the area's finest "chocolatiers." Area chefs compete to create inspired, edible masterpieces featuring the key ingredient—chocolate—and visitors can indulge in all the taste-tempting chocolate creations—cakes, tortes, cheesecake, candy and fudge, fondued fruit, even chocolate bread.

Local participating chocolatiers include:  Bake N' Cakes, Caruso Candy Inc., Cookies by Design, Fabiano's Homemade Candies, Golden Rose Restaurant, How Sweet It Is, International Bread Shop, the Peanut Gallery, Puffin's Pastry Shop/MSU Bakery and Wright Endings.

Tickets are $30 for the general public and $25 for MSU Museum members. A special Premier Chocolatier ticket for $75 offers an advance preview, museum membership and a behind-the-scenes tour of collections. For more information, call 517-355-2370 or visit museum.msu.edu .

		Lora Helou is communications director at the MSU Museum and its Great Lakes Folk Festival.