{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"MSU Today with Russ White","title":"Renovated MSU Museum part of a “vital social infrastructure on campus”","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":508,"description":"Devon Akmon is the director of the renovated and revitalized MSU Museum.Conversation Highlights:(0:20) – What’s been happening at the renovation and revitalization of the venerable MSU Museum?(1:03) – Was the remodeling something you knew was necessary when you became director in 2021?(1:49) – You found a way to stay open during the renovation.(2:52) – What are you excited about in the renovated MSU Museum?(4:06) – What are some current or future exhibits you’d like to highlight?(5:38) – What are the MSU Museum’s priorities in the Uncommon Will Far Better World campaign?(6:34) – What do you want us to know about the revitalized MSU Museum?(7:14) – What are challenges and opportunities ahead for the MSU Museum and the entire arts industry?Listen to “MSU Today with Russ White” on the radio and through Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your shows. Conversation Transcript:Russ White (00:00):Well, it's great to welcome Devon Akmon back to MSU Today. Devon is the director of the Michigan State University Museum. Devon, welcome back. Thanks for having me on the show. So Devon, the museum has been closed for a while. I'm not sure if you're saying refurbished, modernized. What are you saying has happened to the museum?Devon Akmon (00:21):Certainly a lot has been happening. I would like to call it a renovation.Speaker 1 (00:24):Renovation, I like it.Speaker 2 (00:26):The museum has never been in a building that was purposely built for museums. So where we are today on the Circle was previously the library. So we've been in, the museum has been in that building for about 75 years. And this is the first infrastructural upgrade to the building, meaning heating, cooling, windows, all the things that make a museum flourish and make us excellent at stewardship of the collection.Speaker 1 (00:52):And Devon, did you kind of know when you took over in 2021, we need to renovate? Or was that part of even why you took the job knowing we would renovate? Speaker 2...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/avlYo1jXv0acLZxbQFrkYqjxF0RRjWECeJppWZUMiM0/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzY5MzQvMTU3ODY4/NTYzMy1hcnR3b3Jr/LmpwZw.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}