University of Michigan

Advancing Arts, Culture and Community

Inspired to support work and “Play”

This piece, from a series titled “Red: Aggression, Passion and Fire,” by alumna Ilene Steglitz, appeared in her Spring 2011 exhibition “Red” at the Morristown, NJ-based Simon Gallery.

Artist Ilene Steglitz (ABED ’64, CERTT EDUC ’64) took her first art class only after graduating from college. Marc Steglitz (BBA ’64) is chief operating officer for the Guggenheim Museum. Neither attended the School of Art & Design, yet as lifelong art lovers and collectors as well as proud Michigan graduates, the New York City couple has chosen to support creative output at the School. For the last four years they’ve helped fund “Play,” a collaborative project between the School and Michigan Public Media that showcases the creative work and process of the Art & Design community. The award-winning series features videos, profiles, and stories that can be viewed on cable TV (The Michigan Channel) and the playgallery.org website.

A documentary featuring a U-M alumna as she paints a mural in downtown Ann Arbor, a sculptor explaining what drives her to spend a year creating temporary installations, a faculty member exploring the interchanges between private-public realms using photography — all are examples of what’s on “Play,” which has won four state Emmys in three years.

The Steglitzes, charter members of the Dean’s Advisory Council at Art & Design, have also made a bequest and supported scholarships at the School. They were drawn to “Play” because it was “something tangible,” Ilene Steglitz said. She added that, “It seemed to us that to use new media, communication and art together, in a new public way, would be a wonderful experience for the students. We are very pleased to have watched the growth and evolution of ‘Play’ under the guidance of Katherine Weider.”

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