Last updated on January 5th, 2025
The Dennos Museum Center in Traverse City is noted for its extensive collection of contemporary Inuit art. But that’s just half of what’s on offer at this unpretentious museum at Northwestern Michigan College.
A very energetic drum dancer by Uriash Puqiqnaq.
Surprisingly, this relatively small museum is the best place in the USA to see large, on-going exhibitions of Inuit art from Arctic Canada. With an extensive collection and dedicated gallery space, there is always a lot of interesting work on display.
But the Dennos exhibits more than Inuit art. While widely recognized for its Inuit collection, the museum also holds other significant collections. These include 20th century art in all media by Michigan artists, indigenous artists from around the Great Lakes area, and a variety of artists from across the country and far beyond.
Whatever your artistic leanings, you’re certain to find something that interests you at the Dennos.
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Discover a wide variety of contemporary art at the Dennos
The Dennos Museum focuses on contemporary art. You won’t find Old Masters or French Impressionists on exhibit here. Nor are there more than a handful of archaeological items in the collection. Instead, you will find prints, paintings, photographs, textiles, and lots of sculptural objects in every material imaginable. Almost all of which was created within the past 100 years.
Outdoor sculpture
Even if you don’t think of yourself as an art person, stop by and take a walk around the museum’s pleasant, forested grounds.
“However” by Clement Meadmore outside the Dennos.
The museum is pretty much surrounded by large abstract sculptures and interactive installations.
A sculpture by Joseph Wesner inspired by the mythological story of Laocoon, a Trojan priest of Apollo.
Part of a logarithmic spiral path by David Barr that circles through the grounds of the Dennos Museum Center at Northwestern Michigan College in Traverse City, Michigan.
And, if you’d like to explore farther, you’ll find outdoor sculpture throughout the college campus.
But it really is worth stepping inside the museum itself.
Contemporary art inside the Dennos Museum
Although best-known for its impressive Inuit collection, Inuit art makes up only about half of the collection. The Dennos also has significant collections of works by Michigan artists, 19th and 20th century American and European graphic art, and 20th century Great Lakes Indian and Canadian Indian art. (I’ve never seen much of it, but the museum apparently has a fine collection of classic Canadian Woodlands prints,)
“Yellow Rollover” by David Bar and a variety other art on display at the Dennos in 2018.
Temporary exhibits
Temporary exhibits change regularly and may feature items from the museum’s collections or art that will only be at the museum for a short time. It could be almost anything.
This summer’s temporary exhibits all featured paintings or prints. Here are a couple of examples from two of those exhibits.
The Michigan Water Color Society’s Annual Exhibition at the Dennos in 2024.
A portion of Louise Jones’ 2024 “State Flowers of the United States” installation with acrylic paintings of flowers representing Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, West, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
But you never know what you’ll find in these galleries. When I visited in 2018, the Dennos was exhibiting art necklaces by Canadian jeweler Donald Stuart.
A 2018 exhibit featured 40 art necklaces honoring outstanding Canadian women, including this beauty recognizing Kwanlin Dün First Nation Elder Judy Gingell.
Galleries that showcase the museum’s collection cover a wide range of art
The Dennos has several large galleries devoted to items from the museum’s permanent collection. Roughly half of the permanent galleries display items from the Inuit collection. (More on that below.) The rest display a mix of work by local artists, as well as artists from across the nation and far beyond.
These galleries tend to feature more sculpture and other three-dimensional objects, although the Inuit galleries also show a lot of prints.
A moody piece called “Burial Ground” by Michigan artist William Allen always makes me stop and think.
While you’ll find display cases with smaller works in glass, ceramics, and more, I’m always struck by the number of very large items in the museum’s collection.
My portrait of the larger-than-life “Cello Woman” by Michigan artist Dewey Blocksma.
“Flock” by Pamela DeTuncq depicts teenagers in almost identical outfits standing together, but communicating with others via their cellphones.
One end of the gallery has a pleasant lounge area. Here you can take a break and admire art in the exhibit area and in the yard beyond the windows.
You can sit and contemplate the art in comfort in one of the new galleries at the Dennos.
The Inuit art galleries
Contemporary Inuit art has existed for about 75 years. Of course, the Arctic’s Indigenous people have always created art for religious purposes, to decorate clothing and tools, and (later) to trade with whalers and Arctic explorers. But printmaking, decorative sculpture, and art as a business only goes back to about 1950.
With almost 2,000 pieces of Inuit and Inupiat art, the Dennos has one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of contemporary Inuit art in the United States. It’s a collection that includes a lot of prints and sculptures, as well as a few textiles. Most pieces were created by the Indigenous people of the Canadian Arctic, although some artists are from Greenland and Alaska.
Two large Inuit galleries always display a large selection of pieces from the museum collection. Major changes to these galleries are few and far between, although they are occasionally supplemented with smaller temporary exhibits focused on a particular theme, artist, or community. But there is so much on exhibit here that I guarantee you can visit repeatedly and still discover great work you didn’t notice on previous visits!
A sculpture of an inukshuk with birds and caribou by Pavinak Petaulassie displayed in one of the Inuit galleries at the Dennos.
Portion of a carving of a boat filled with people by Greenlandic artist Jonasie Faber.
For decades Inuit art tended to look to the past, retelling ancient myths and portraying of a way of life that was quickly becoming a thing of that past that only existed in memories and ancient myths.
A colorful appliquéd and embroidered textile by Elizabeth Angrnaqquaq.
That makes it possible to learn a bit about Inuit life past and present while wondering the galleries and enjoying some wonderful art.
Although traditional scenes and wildlife are still popular, artists are creating more work that reflects their daily lives. You’ll find a few of these pieces on display as well, I just couldn’t get decent pictures of them.
And you’ll also find plenty of whimsy, as the Inuit do have a good sense of humor.
“Mosquitoes Attacking Dog” by Pitseolak Ashoona.
Why Inuit art?
The Dennos Museum Center was established in 1991 by Northwestern Michigan College to exhibit its growing collection of Inuit art. Today the Dennos has one of the largest Inuit collections in the USA.
That collection began in the 1960s when Inuit art was something new in the art market. College librarian Bernie Rink started buying Inuit sculptures and prints for a library exhibition and to resell as a way to raise funds to expand the library’s collection. (Despite having heard him speak at least once over the years, I have no idea how Rink discovered Inuit art or what specifically drew him to it. Inuit art definitely was not well-known in Michigan when he started buying and exhibiting it!)
As the library collection grew over the years, it became clear that a museum was needed to house it and other college art collections. When the Dennos Museum opened in 1991, it displayed one of the first Inuit art collections open to the public in the US. And the collection has continued to grow since that time through museum purchases and donations.
An interactive gallery for kids and adults
The permanent exhibition area also includes a selection of “hands-on” exhibits related to the arts and sciences.
Wall art and more in a hands-on, interactive exhibit area at the Dennos.
While designed specifically to engage children, adults will find plenty to love here too. And I know at least one adult who says his favorite part of the museum is one of these exhibits!
The Dennos Museum Shop
Like most museums, the Dennos has a Museum Shop.
Paintings by Louise Jones make it easy to spot the Museum Shop!
The shop has a selection of Inuit sculpture, books, cards (many with Inuit designs), children’s items, and a very nice selection of affordable art by both regional and national artists. The Dennos Museum Shop is a great stop If you are in the area and looking for gift ideas. They have a really nice selection of items that would make great gifts – for others or for yourself.
Unfortunately, the Dennos Museum online shop is not very user-friendly. It’s easy to find Inuit art and paper products, as well as children’s and crafting items. But the search categories seem to leave out a lot of items and some items seem to be missing completely. (This is especially true for decorative and gift items.) For example, the lovely (and very affordable) porcelain flowers I admired in the shop don’t seem to be available online.
Plan your trip to the Dennos
Getting to Traverse City
Traverse City is located along Grand Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan. That’s in northwest Michigan – but NOT too far up north! Depending on where you are coming from you can take a scenic drive or fly there. The bus is also a reasonable option coming from Grand Rapids or Chicago.
Explore Traverse City Map © Traverse City Tourism
Fly to Traverse City
You can fly right into Traverse City. At least during peak seasons, you’ll find a lot of flight options.
As of summer 2024, the Traverse City Cherry Capital Airport is served by 20 non-stop flights via Allegiant, American, Avelo, Delta, Sun Country, and United. They offer direct service from Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis−Saint Paul, Denver, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington DC (Dulles and Reagan), Newark, New Haven, Philadelphia, New York (LaGuardia), Boston, Phoenix-Mesa, Punta Gorda, St. Pete-Clearwater, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando.
And, of course, many more connecting flights are available from across the country.
Drive to Traverse City
Grand Rapids, Michigan is about a 2-hour drive from Traverse City. The quickest route runs almost straight north. The most scenic route runs farther to the west along the Lake Michigan shore. However, it adds about two hours to your travel time. (This is a great route if you want to spend a night or two along the way.)
Detroit is about a 4-hour drive from Traverse City. You’ll be on Interstate highways most of the way.
Chicago is at least a 5-hour drive from Traverse City. While no one likes Chicago traffic, once you get out of Gary and start heading north the drive starts to become scenic and much more enjoyable. If you have time, take the longer route along the lakeshore north of Grand Rapids for the best scenery.
Coming from the west, you have three choices:
- Go around the bottom of Lake Michigan through Chicago and up to Traverse City.
- Cross Lake Michigan on the Badger Ferry from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, (east of Appleton) to Ludington, Michigan. The drive along the shore north from Ludington is very scenic. (It makes a great road trip.) While taking a car on the Badger is not cheap or fast, it does avoid driving through Chicago.
- Go north around Lake Michigan through the Upper Peninsula (the UP) and then down to Traverse City. The route through the UP is scenic, although generally not as scenic as coming up along Lake Michigan’s eastern shore. If you have a couple extra days, take a road trip north along the Lake Superior shore. The scenery up on the is part of the UP is outstanding and you can explore Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
Travel via transit, including tours
Traverse City is pretty spread out, but you can get around without a car. However, you can’t explore the surrounding area (which is full of beaches, wineries, historic sites, and gorgeous scenery) without a car or a tour.
But if you prefer to leave the driving to others, you can make that work.
If you don’t want to fly into Traverse City:
- From Grand Rapids you can catch either a Greyhound or Amtrak Thruway bus that will get you to Traverse City in 4-5 hours.
- From Chicago, Greyhound is your best option, with an 8½ hour travel-time that’s about half of Amtrack’s connecting bus service.
Once you get to Traverse City, you’ll have plenty of options to get around the city itself without a car.
However, if you want to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes or visit wineries, you’ll either need to rent a bike (the Traverse City area is very bike-friendly) or book a tour. And there are lots of tours available.
Getting around in Traverse City
Traffic in the heart of Traverse City can be frustrating – especially right now, when the main route between downtown and the beaches is closed for construction! So, depending on where you stay, you might find it convenient to use the inexpensive BATA (Bay Area Transportation Authority) buses.
There are Uber and Lyft drivers in Traverse City, but not enough. Don’t count on that as an option for anything critical.
The Traverse City tourism website has links to shuttle services and tours of all types. If you want to avoid driving, but want to get beyond the city itself, you can always book a tour or rent a bike. And you’ll have lots of options.
The Traverse City area also has a fairly well-developed trail system and bike rentals are readily available. The city claims to be bike friendly, with bike lanes, bike racks, and more. TART multi-use trails run through the city, but I don’t have a sense of how easy it is to get around the city by bike if your destination isn’t along one of the trails.
Get Your Guide and Viator (both of which give you money back if you are a Rakuten member) have tours for anything you might be interested in doing in the Traverse City area.
(While it’s better to support small businesses by booking directly with the tour provider, GetYourGuide and Viator make a lot of sense if you need a hotel pickup or other services. And they make it easy to find out what options are available!)
At the Dennos
The Dennos Museum Center is located right at the base of the Mission Peninsula on the campus of Northwestern Michigan College. It’s right off the bend in Highway 31 – you’ll see woodland, the museum, and some of the sculpture right off the road to the north.
Welcome to the Dennos!
The Dennos is also a stop on the BATA bus line.
Parking
Free parking is available in the Cherry parking lot while you are at the Dennos. This lot is right at the museum entrance and has a gate, which will automatically lift when you enter. However, you need a code to exit. Don’t forget to get the code from the front desk before you leave the museum!
There is also designated parking for people with disabilities in front of the museum. And you’ll find free two-hour parking along Front Street.
Museum hours and fees
The Dennos is closed on Mondays. Otherwise, it is open daily from 11-4 daily. (Except for a few holidays and when the weather is bad.)
Admission in 2024 was $10 for adults and $5 for school-age children and youth. However, if you have a membership at a museum that participates in the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association, the Reciprocal Organization of Associated Museums (ROAM), or the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) passport program, you may be eligible to visit the Dennos for free. (It depends on your membership level and the location of your home museum.)
Special exhibits and events may have an additional fee.
Check the Dennos Museum Center’s website for the most current hours and fees.
Lodging in Traverse City
There are lots of lodging options in Traverse City, but it might not seem that way during the summer or fall leaf season or when the cherry blossoms are in bloom! The city really does fill with tourists during peak periods. That means you should book as far ahead as you can for those times. But stay flexible if possible: A dreary weather forecast can lead to last minute cancelations and reasonably good deals.
I don’t have specific hotels to recommend for Traverse City. There are so many options and the last few times I visited we stayed outside of town in Airbnbs. Airbnb can be a great choice, but make sure you check the total cost and rules very carefully before booking!
Both Expedia and Booking.com will give you cash back through Rakuten, so they are always a good place to start your search.
For more information
The Traverse City Tourism website is one of the most useful destination websites I’ve found. The navigation isn’t always intuitive, but if you keep looking your likely to find information and links that answer all of your questions about visiting Traverse City and the surrounding area.
The Dennos Museum Center is located on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg – the Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi peoples. Today they are represented by the nations of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.
