Riley Parrish with her work “Deterioration”

UM student artist Riley Parrish, who attended the Art in the Legislature Reception on Wednesday, October 23, 2019 in the Mackinac Room, Anderson House Office Building, took a photo beside her artwork “Deterioration”. She was also congratulated by State Senator Peter J. Lucido, 8th District, as he paused to admire her artwork which is displayed near his office in the Binsfeld Senate Office Building. Riley writes of her artwork:

“This 18 x 24 inch linoleum block print is a self-portrait of intentional disfigurement. I wanted to illustrate the struggles of my relationship with my body. The media constantly tells us that there is only one way to be beautiful. Although many companies in the beauty and fashion industries have begun to be more inclusive of all shapes and sizes, I still have a hard time loving my body. Through this piece, I explored my feelings more deeply about this subject to better understand what holds me back from loving who I am.”

Riley Parrish’s artwork is displayed on the 3rd floor of the Senate Binsfeld Building. All are welcome to visit the House and Senate office buildings to see all of the 2019-20 artists’ work through September 2020.

The Art in the Legislature Program displays and celebrates the work of amazing student artists from Michigan’s 15 public universities each year, and their work will adorn the walls of the Anderson House Office Building, or the Binsfeld Senate Building, for one year. UM proudly has seven 2019-2020 student artists:

Vanessa with Flowers
Elizabeth Hungerman

The Red Coat (Version II)
Olivia Arau-McSweeney

Feeling in the Dark
Eliana Harrison

Sounds Like a Personal Problem
Aditi Kannan

Sunset Over Burton
The late Atharva Kharkar

Deterioration
Riley Parrish

Bounding Hope
Karson Schenk

It has been a fabulous 50th year of our intern program!

Please check out the news below on ways you can be engaged with PSIP!

Attend the Welcome Reception

Attend this annual event held in early June in DC! Welcome the new student intern cohort, meet scholarship recipients, and connect with other U-M alumni and friends.

Become an Alumni Mentor

Serve as a summer mentor to PSIP students while they are interning in DC. Share professional advice, offer a tour of your workplace, and share your tips about living in the city over coffee or a meal.

Email Lynn Halton ([email protected]) to be added to the mentor interest list for Summer 2020

Contribute to the Endowed PSIP Scholarship

As part of its 50th year celebration, alumni and staff created the PSIP Endowed Scholarship to enable future students a transformative PSIP experience in DC.

Our new 1st Gen Group offers students who are first-generation college students extra support and resources.

Donate by contacting Lynn Halton ([email protected]) or Kyle Nowels ([email protected]) or online at www.giving.umich.edu/give/700531

Serve as a Speaker

PSIP students love hearing from alumni! Offer to speak on a panel in DC or Ann Arbor (if you are planning a trip back to campus).

Share Internship Openings

Inform PSIP staff about summer internship opportunities in your DC offices, so you can showcase the caliber of U-M students to your organization.

Send to Lynn Halton ([email protected])

Participate in Informational Interviews

Sign up for the University Career Alumni Network (UCAN) to share insights about your field, career path, education and advice for new professionals. Students initiate the interaction for a phone or skype call. Time commitment is minimal.

Go to: http://myumi.ch/qg2oA

Join us on Social Media

Link up with PSIP alumni and learn about our students’ achievements at:
Instagram: @psip_umich
Facebook: Public Service Intern Program
Twitter: @psip_umich

Alumni Spotlight: fill out this form if you are interested in being featured on the PSIP Instagram page.

Again, we thank you for your support of PSIP and look forward to your continued involvement.
Go Blue!

Lynn Halton, PSIP Supervisor

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.”