Wayne State University
Warrior strong
Login
Search
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Museum of Anthropology

Exhibits

The museum setting provides a dynamic learning environment where both students and the public may explore topics of interest at their own pace. The Gordon L. Grosscup Museum of Anthropology offers both changing and permanent exhibits. The permanent displays are joint student and faculty productions that offer insight into the kinds of questions that are explored by the different sub-fields of anthropology. The material culture of both modern and ancient societies is used to illustrate different aspects of human evolution, world religion, artistic expression, technology and gender.

The program of changing exhibits highlights current research in anthropology and links it to important social and cultural issues. These exhibits demonstrate the value of an anthropological perspective in addressing issues of local and global concern and are designed to foster a deeper understanding of the social questions raised.

Water Futures in Michigan, Kenya and Oaxaca

Water — we’re always hearing that we should conserve it, but we turn on a tap and there it is. It’s something that literally falls from the sky. Here in Michigan, we’re surrounded by water. Yet, across the country, the state is known for its “water crisis.” This exhibit explores global water inequities and sustainability, presenting its meaning, beauty and complexity as it relates to human beings around the globe.

A collaboration between Wayne State, the University of California, Berkeley, and We the People of Detroit Community Research Collective, the "Water Futures Exhibit" highlights how geography, climate, policy, infrastructure and systemic inequities have historically shaped access to clean water. With mounting challenges from climate change, development, mining and rising treatment costs, the exhibit explores global struggles for water security.

Water Futures Exhibit – Grosscup Museum of Anthropology

Water Futures in Michigan, Kenya, Oaxaca

Featuring case studies from Michigan, Kenya’s Makueni region and Oaxaca, Mexico, the exhibit also showcases Indigenous approaches to valuing water, offering alternative perspectives on hydrosocial relationships.

Schedule 🗓️

The museum will re-open in May.

The Gordon L. Grosscup Museum of Anthropology is pleased to host multiple exhibitions per year to engage our students and the public in the breadth of research within the field of anthropology.

Past exhibits