Student artwork brings new life to the Student Center

A new wall of artwork in the lower level of Wayne State University's Student Center is turning a campus space into a rotating gallery - giving students an opportunity to showcase, sell and celebrate their creative work.

Launched in 2025 during Wayne State's Fall Opening event, The Wall Student Gallery kicked off the 10-year anniversary of the Student Center renovation by transforming shared campus space into a platform for student creativity.

"We wanted students to walk into the Student Center and immediately see themselves reflected in the space," said Heather Marks, associate director of marketing. "This is one of the first places students visit when they come to campus. It made sense to use that visibility to highlight their work."

Marks said the concept was inspired in part by conversations at a national conference focused on student unions and student engagement, where attendees discussed ways to elevate student creativity in shared spaces on college campuses. From there, the Student Center and Campus Reservations team began imagining how blank walls could become platforms for student expression and how a central campus building could transform into a rotating gallery each semester.

Sophie Nyquist, a graphic design and University Honors student with an illustration minor in the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts and the Irvin D. Reed Honors College.

This semester, the student exhibition features 15 works of art on display, with more pieces rotating throughout the academic year. Many of the works are also available for purchase, offering students exposure and potential income. All artists who submit work must be registered as Wayne State students during the time of the exhibition, regardless of their major.

The Student Center has already purchased artwork from the first exhibition and plans to continue acquiring pieces from future shows to build a growing collection of student art throughout the building.

For some student artists, the gallery offers both visibility and meaning.

Eric Agyemang-Dua, a doctoral student in counseling psychology in the College of Education.

"My piece, "Beautiful Dreamer," explores identity and self-worth," said Eric Agyemang-Dua, a doctoral student in counseling psychology in the College of Education. "Displaying it in the Student Center gives students a moment to pause and consider their own sense of identity as they move through campus."

Other student artists are using the gallery to reflect on personal growth and transition.

"My work explores how flowers change as they move through different stages," said Lauren McCann, a graphic design student in the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts. "Whether they're blooming or wilting, each phase has its own beauty, and the Student Center felt like the right place to share that idea."

Lauren McCann, a graphic design student in the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts.

Marks and her team plan to continue to fill the Student Center with student work.

"It's about supporting our artists and investing back into our students," she said. "We want creativity to feel like a visible, valued part of campus life."

The next call for art, themed "Summer in Michigan," will open in late March after spring break. Students interested in submitting their work can find more information at studentcenter.wayne.edu/art/gallery.

By Darlene A. White