"Water Futures" exhibit explores global water inequities and sustainability
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.”
The Gordon L. Grosscup Museum of Anthropology’s new exhibition, “Water Futures in Michigan, Kenya and Oaxaca,” presents water’s meaning, beauty and complexity as it relates to human beings around the globe.
Developed as an interdisciplinary collaboration between Wayne State, the University of California Berkeley and We The People Of Detroit, this exhibit uses a wide array of emotionally moving photographs, digitally generated artworks, historical and contemporary artifacts and data-driven maps to demonstrate the ways in which water both impacts and is impacted by humans across the planet, regardless of geography or background.
Despite the fact that water is needed by everyone, access to water and its benefits is not equal. Viewed as an essential part of building new communities and the wealth that they generate, water access is increasingly controlled by the rich and powerful, as political and corporate entities combine to grant access to their preferred recipients through projects like dams, even while removing or restricting access from others they deem less important. At the same time, industries like mining foul centuries-old waterways and destroy traditional lifestyles and livelihoods considered expendable because the groups concerned lack political and economic clout.
“We created this cross-cultural exhibit to advocate for addressing health and ecological challenges in achieving a sustainable water future for all,” said Patrick Owuor, WSU anthropology professor and co-organizer.
“Water Futures” uses a compelling installation and interactive elements to coax visitors to consider the essential role of water, giving voice and expression to those whose right to water access has been marginalized. Thoughtfully conceived and executed by a team of international scholars and artists active on every inhabited continent, the exhibition seeks to inspire both contemplation and action in relation to this essential element that makes up more than half of our very bodies.
Special event
The Grosscup invites the public to an evening dedicated to exploring The Future of Water at 6 p.m. on Feb. 28. Monica Lewis-Patrick of We The People of Detroit Community Research Collective and Professor Patrick Owuor will share reflections on their work on the importance of access to clean water around the world, from Detroit to Oaxaca to Kenya.
Water Futures in Michigan, Kenya and Oaxaca
📅 February 6 – October 17, 2025
📍 Gordon L. Grosscup Museum of Anthropology, Wayne State University
⏰ 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. M-Th, 5 –10 p.m. Fri.
Header artwork: Water Collecting in Trinidad by Anaya Crouch