International Studies & Programs

MSU butterfly garden promotes healing and hope

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Published: Wednesday, 15 Mar 2023 Author: Brigita Felkers

This article originally appeared in MSUToday on March 15, 2023.

The butterfly gardens are art exhibits designed, created and installed by Zahrah Resh, AgeAlive’s artist-in-residence. Resh’s first garden was installed at the Spectrum Health Cancer Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, inspired by her own cancer survival story. 

Photo of an older woman wearing a green and white Spartans hoodie tends to a multicolored, multilevel paper butterfly art sculpture.
Artist-in-resident Zahrah Resh adds the finishing touches to the butterfly garden installation in the International Center's lobby. Photograph by Dane Robison. (Source: MSUToday)

“The project brings people together,” said Resh, who’s based in Lansing. “It gives people a sense of belonging and a sense of pride and accomplishment because they contributed to a community project for everyone to see and enjoy.”

Read the full MSUToday article.