ANN ARBOR – On a typical fall day, art and architecture students are seen socializing and studying in the University of Michigan’s Art and Architecture Building courtyard. The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way we gather, so students and staff at the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning found a creative way to transform the popular space. (E.Bronson/Michigan Photography)The students and faculty designed the tables with support from Taubman College’s Digital Fabrication Lab and woodshop. Some classes are taught using the tables, which also offer an informal gathering space for groups wanting to socially distance. The outcome is informal, economical and droll.”Students and faculty at Taubman College and the Stamps School can book the tables through Oct. 29.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - University of Michigan professor Rebekah Modrak uses art to examine the rights of communities and workers. Having grown up in a pro-union house and hearing stories of pushing against the exploitation of power, Modrak's art plays with the narratives surrounding commerce, consumerism and the rights of workers. For "Rethink Shinola," Modrak used a timed animation online, including drawing animated colonial hats onto Shinola company executives, as well as reenactments. Her work is on display at the Stamps Gallery until Nov. 10 as part of the "Border Control: Traversing Horizons in Media Practice" exhibition. The University of Michigan Stamps Gallery is at 201 S. Division Street.