When UM student artist Gillian Yerrington’s work was brought to Lansing in the summer of 2018, she did not realize the extent to which her artwork would capture the attention of the House of Representatives administrators who decide the placement of student art each year. Pictured below are photos of Gillian’s work “Finding Peace” which the House of Representatives has now purchased so that it will reside permanently in the lobby of the Anderson House Office Building for all to see as they enter the foyer. Finding Peace is a work of the heart for Gillian who described it as follows:

“I made the piece following the death of my step-father, who owned a recycling center, and gave it to my mom. He was a carpenter and we had the piece framed in one of his center’s frames. It has a lot of meaning to our family, as the title conveys. Also, as my step-father believed, every day we throw wrappers into the garbage and forget how much waste piles up. This work is supposed to be an ironic display of nature through the lens of our trash.”

UM Lansing Service Center Director, Dr. Veronica Wilkerson Johnson, who has facilitated this work with UM student artists over the years, noted that “when it was time for artworks to be returned to the 2018 artists, the House decided Gillian’s work should remain for our leaders and citizens to enjoy for years to come! The University of Michigan is proud of Gillian Yerrington and all of our artists. Also, another UM student, Paul DiStefano, whose artwork “Whirling Dynamics” was purchased by the House in 2013, is an additional UM work permanently adorning the first floor of the Anderson House Office Building. Paul’s work is another source of pride for the University of Michigan, and the UM Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design.”