Ascent: A Launch Party to Benefit the MSU Museum

• • Celebrate the MSU Museum building renovation, launch a new off-site location at 311 Abbot, and cast a vision for the future of interdisciplinary university museums.
  • Dress to impress in artfully inspired cocktail attire and join us for an unforgettable night of delicious small bites prepared by renowned guest chefs including Michael Ransom, Joseph VanWagner, and Sarah Welch. In addition, the event will feature an open bar with signature cocktails, and a fresh set from iconic Detroit-based electronic music artist John Collins.
  • Guests will also get the first look at Monumentum, a light and sound installation by Berlin-based artist Abel Korinsky before it officially opens to the public! The work was developed as part of the inaugural MSUFCU Arts Power Up artists-in-residence collaboration between the MSU Museum and MSU’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, or FRIB.Thanks to the generous support of the MSU Federal Credit Union every dollar raised by this event will directly support the Museum’s renovation and re-opening.

More about the guest chefs

Chef Michael Ransom, originally from Traverse City and East Lansing, developed a passion for culinary arts while living in Detroit in 1999. He pursued a culinary arts degree in classic French cuisine from Kendall College and gained experience managing restaurants in San Francisco and Baltimore. Returning to Detroit in 2016, he opened “Ima,” a popular eatery known for Japanese-inspired dishes with Midwestern ingredients, bringing his 20 years of culinary experience back home.

Chef Joseph VanWagner is a graduate of Michigan State University’s School of Hospitality Business. He has years of culinary experience in both Detroit and Chicago, where he worked at some of the cities’ best restaurants. VanWagner’s experience has led him to build an aesthetic approach to progressive flavors, developing modern cuisine sourced with fresh, local ingredients. VanWagner recently served as Executive Sous Chef at Bacco Ristorante, Sous Chef at Chartreuse, and Executive Chef at Local Kitchen and Bar.

Chef Sarah Welch was raised between Jamaica and Michigan, immersed in culture and cooking. She pursued culinary studies at New York’s French Culinary Institute and gained experience working with recognized chefs and talented peers. In Detroit, her close connections with the local farming community inspire the dishes at Marrow’s restaurant.

More about John Collins

John “Jammin” Collins is a well-known figure in Detroit’s electronic music scene, recognized for his role as a tour guide at Submerge’s Exhibit 3000, the world’s only techno museum. For nearly four decades, he’s been a prominent DJ in Motor City clubs, including his time as a resident DJ at the legendary Cheeks. Collins is also a veteran of radio mix-shows, having hosted shows on WJLB FM 98, WDRQ FM 93.1, and Red Bull Radio, where he presented “Live From Detroit: John Collins Presents The Soul of Detroit.”