WAM Collective is focusing on mindfulness this year. The museum's current and upcoming exhibitions and programs inspire critical thinking and cultivate a slow pace. We are joining the effort to promote a more inclusive campus climate that values the contemplation and discussion of mental health, equity, and diversity.

I've recently become interested in the slow movement and over the summer I spent hours cooking delicious healthy ethical meals, took aimless lunchtime walks and attempted to carve a wooden spoon. Returning to campus has meant navigating the speed-walkers on the mall and smells of processed salad dressing in the hallways. On Thursday, I tried to keep up.

In partnership with the fine folks over at The Whole Music Club we welcomed over 1000 students to our fall kick off party on Friday Sept. 5. It was a night filled with art, music, food and dancing: Bohemian Press held it down and screen-printed over 400 t-shirts with their original designs, Radio K blasted jams on the plaza and Coco Wagner shared the beautiful art of Henna.

Bridges are everyday fixtures that help people make connections. Big Bridges, on view now through December 6th in the Target Studio for Creative Collaboration, seeks to do the same thing. The exhibit is a platform for collaborative interaction between artists, poets, filmmakers, architects, engineers, museum gallery visitors and web surfers.

If you've stopped by in the last couple of weeks, you may have seen a curious wooden construction on our front plaza. It's our Pop-Up Park, the Sweet Spot! We built the park on April 20th and have hosted some great programming events since then. The day we set up the park, the weather was not so...sweet. We had to deal with a lot of wind, rain, cold, and a lot of things not going to plan. Despite all this, we got it done! Celebration was had with with delicious Pizza Luce!