Dance department well represented in Shepherd Express feature
InSite: Cycles was a recent collaborative work from Milwaukeeâs contemporary dance community that featured four performances across two days at Davidson Park. A recent feature from Shepherd Express highlighted two members of PSOAâs Department of Dance who were involved in the show.
InSite was led by artistic director Dan Schuchart, a graduate of PSOA and current faculty member. Schuchart was the lead choreographer for the opening dance and finale of InSite.
In the ensemble of dancers was current MFA candidate Elisabeth Roskopf, who used research from this show as her thesis.
âI immediately felt that this dance could be part of my personal journey, not just for my thesis but for my life research,â Roskopf said in the Shepherd Express piece.
Read more about Schuchart, Roskopf, and InSite on
Theater alumâs recent work featured on TMJ4
TMJ4 recently published a feature about the life and career of Dimonte Henning, who studied Theatre at the Peck School of the Arts. In recent years, Henning has been on television, including NBCâs âChicago P.D.,â and has made a name for himself in the Milwaukee theater community, recently directing a production of âClydeâsâ that opens at Milwaukeeâs Broadway Theatre Center next month.
Throughout his career, Henning has strived to be an advocate for diversity in the arts, hoping marginalized community members can get more work.
âI just want to reach my full potential while also connecting Black and Brown artists,â said Henning to TMJ4.
To read Henningâs full feature, visit .
Art alum begins residency in park on Madisonâs east side
Jennifer Bastian (MFA 2008, Art) was recently named a 2024-26 Thurber Park artist-in-residence. Bastian will participate in a two-year-long studio residency in Madisonâs east side.
This program utilizes an underused park storage shed to provide artists with rent-free studio space. Bastian is only the third artist to participate in this program and plans to use the space to hold weekly open studio sessions, occasional Grief Circle workshops, and develop her personal art practice.
Guitar lecturer makes historic trip to El Salvador
Elina Chekan (Lecturer, Classical Guitar; Director, Suzuki Guitar) recently traveled to El Salvador, where she met the Vice President FĂŠlix Ulloa and performed at the National Theatre.
Chekanâs visit received media coverage as she performed at the grave site of Paraguayan guitarist and composer AgustĂn PĂo Barrios Ferreira, known worldwide as Nitsuga MangorĂŠ. She was joined by his grandson HĂŠctor LeguizamĂłn who had never visited the site of his late grandfather.
Elsewhere on her trip, Chekan conducted a masterclass at Universidad Dr. JosĂŠ MatĂas Delgado and visited a local museum, where she saw Ferreiraâs last guitar.
For more about Chekanâs trip, read an article from .
Associate professor of film receives biennial creative research award
Mike Gibisser (Associate Professor,ĚýFVANG; Director,ĚýFilm Graduate Program; Co-Chair,ĚýTech & Facilities Committee)has been recognized for his recent creative work by receiving the 51ÁÔĆć Office of Research/Outstanding Creative Research Achievement Award.
The recognition follows Gibisserâs most recent film âA Common Sequence,â which debuted at Sundance in 2023 before having a successful run of festival screenings. The experimental documentary essay explores the question of where lines are drawn between the natural and non-natural.
âThe film really becomes a question of how the line between what is considered natural and non-natural has been shifted throughout history to allow certain groups to exercise power,â said Gibisser.
The Creative Research Award is given biennially and recognizes 51ÁÔĆć faculty for significant creative contributions to their field over the past three years.
A still from A Common Sequence
Gibisser described âA Common Sequenceâ as a labor of creative research, as he and his collaborator Mary Helena Clark let the content of the film be driven by what they learned throughout the filmmaking process.
âThis film is research-based and makes attempts, at least, at scholarship,â said Gibisser. âIt feels important to me to highlight that intellectual, scholarly work can exist in artistic and creative forms.â
Peck School faculty and staff are consistently recognized at the annual awards, and this year Gibisser is the sole recipient from PSOA. He calls the honor “humbling” as he gets to serve as a reminder of how much talent exists in the arts at 51ÁÔĆć.
âThereâs so much brilliant creative work being done from the faculty and graduate students in my department, the Peck school, and our undergrads,â said Gibisser.
As an educator and filmmaker, Gibisser ensures that he helps students grow as young filmmakers. However, the exchange between Gibisser and his students is not one-sided, as he believes that they allow him to develop and improve his craft.
âEvery time I enter into a discussion with students, theyâre bringing ideas that I couldnât have thought of myself,â said Gibisser. âItâs a privilege to continue to explore and study in a classroom with curious individuals. Itâs a continuous practice and I love working with my students in order to continue to learn.â
Gibisser recognizes that the relationship he shapes in the classroom sets his students up for what they will witness should they enter the professional film world.
âOne of the most exciting things about filmmaking is the joy of bringing together a set of collaborators that summon aspects to the film that you would never have been able to achieve yourself,â said Gibisser.
Gibisser accepted his award at a ceremony held on Oct. 9, 2024. To read the full list of recipients, visit 51ÁÔĆć Report.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
Faculty, students and local band come together to bring Bright Star production to life
Peck School of the Arts fall theater season begins this Wednesday with the opening of âBright Star,â a tale of love and redemption from the minds of Edie Brickell and Steve Martin.
The production is directed by Raeleen McMillion (Teaching Faculty II, Voice, Speech, and Dialects) who has many strong connections to the show.
Life in Appalachia
âBright Starâ is set in mid-20th century North Carolina through the Appalachian mountains, not too far from where McMillion was raised. Born into a family of strong storytellers, music lovers, and Steve Martin fans, McMillion still travels through the Appalachian mountains to stay connected with her roots.
Raeleen McMillion
Given her understanding of life in Appalachia, McMillion had colleagues suggest she direct âBright Star,â a role she stepped into graciously.
âAppalachia is such a near and dear place to me and a beautiful part of this country,â said McMillion. âIâm so glad that [the theater department] thought this play was a good fit⌠Iâm already a bit sad it will be over in a few weeks.â
An important aspect of âBright Starâ is its Tony-nominated bluegrass-centric score. For PSOAâs production, local Milwaukee duo Frogwater were brought in to play music on stage. They are joined by 51ÁÔĆć student Mariah Kiefer, a talented fingerstyle guitar player who also happens to be a huge fan of Frogwater.
âThey are very dear friends, but I also have a very deep respect for them,â said McMillion, who has collaborated with the duo in the past. âBluegrass and folk music feels simple but those melodies set with strategic harmony played by the right musicians is truly excellent.â
McMillionâs diverse array of knowledge related to all things âBright Starâ is not lost on the cast, who have been gracious to be under her guidance.
âIt made me more excited to do the piece knowing that [Raeleen] is so passionate about the work weâre doing,â said Sanaa Harper (Sophomore, Theatre Production BFA). âIt just makes us want to do better and make sure we get the point across.â
The real stars
Throughout the production, McMillion never lost appreciation for the real stars: her students.
âItâs so hard to even express the love I have for these students,â said McMillion. âThey have worked so hard and itâs started from day one.â
Derrick Sandders during rehearsal | Photo by Cameron Wise (BFA Film)
On the first day of rehearsals, McMillion decided against a typical table read. Instead, she asked the cast to bring instruments and host a jam session. Students then brought guitars, ukuleles, a cajĂłn, an autoharp, and more embracing everyone’s shared love of music.
âIt was pretty amazing hearing all the different musical elements,â said Derrick Sandders (Sophomore, Musical Theatre BFA). âIt was like we were in our own little world there⌠I feel like it built the foundation for our bond.â
For students like Sandders, this is their first theater production with 51ÁÔĆć. For others, it is the beginning of their senior season. The wide range of ages and experience going into this show allows upperclassmen, such as Olivia Coleman (Junior, Musical Theatre BFA), to step into leadership roles.
âLast year, when I was a sophomore, it meant a lot to have juniors and seniors talk to me and try to tell me how their experience went,â said Coleman. âI try to do the same for sophomores this year and work to make it a safe environment for them.â
Josh Thone (left) and Olivia Coleman (right) during rehearsal | Photo by Cameron Wise (BFA Film)
What to expect
Following months of preparations, the cast and crew of âBright Starâ are excited for five unforgettable performances.
âI hope that the time, love, and care weâve put into this piece is really evident,â said Maya Schmitz (Senior, Musical Theatre BFA). âI hope everyone can see the love weâve got for each other and the sense of community and family weâve built.â
This uplifting yet heart-rending story provides a one-of-a-kind theater experience that audiences will not want to miss.
âI hope that the audience can walk away going âI laughed, I cried, and Iâm humming the tunes,ââ said McMillion. âThe conversations on the way home will be about how these young artists are going to be the people they want to see on stages down the road.â
âBright Starâ opens on Oct. 9, 2024, and runs through Oct. 13, 2024, at the Mainstage Theatre. For more information and tickets, visit the PSOA events calendar.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
Associate Professor Alvaro Saar Rios takes plays global
Alvaro Saar Rios (Associate Professor, Playwriting; Area Head, Theatre Practices)will see multiple productions of his scripts taking place this month.Ěý
His play Alien Menudo was selected for the 6th annual âLa Vida Es Cortos Festivalâ in Riosâ hometown of Houston, Texas. The 10-minute piece imagines a world where a grandmother attempts to make Mexican food that is out of this world. The festival takes place Oct. 4 â 6.
The following week, two of Riosâ short plays will be read in Kaiserslautern and Baumholder, Germany as a part of a Hispanic Heritage celebration in Germany. This reading will include Alien Menudo and La Lioronaâs Sidekick, which depicts destructive entities and a lucha libre wrestler competing to become sidekick to a legendary spirit.
To read more about Riosâ work, check out his previous feature here on the PSOA faculty stories page.
Dance facultyâs latest work featured on Milwaukee Record
Dawn Springer (Teaching Faculty I, Dance)was recently featured in Milwaukee Record regarding Springerâs upcoming ballet Sylph.
The feature covers Springerâs more than four-year journey that led to Sylph while highlighting Springerâs idea of presenting this piece âin-the-roundâ, allowing the audience to surround the dancers from 360 degrees. Springerâs ability to adapt and transform the setting her dancers work in is just one way that she can accentuate the strengths of her dancers.
âPart of my process is to open up a non-hierarchical way of being in a dance studio,â Springer says in the Milwaukee Record feature. âDepending on your training, thatâs not necessarily easy or automatic. The process has to embody what youâre trying to say.â
Sylph premiers at 51ÁÔĆćâs Jan Serr Studio on Oct. 11 & 12. To read Springerâs feature piece, visit .
Students travel abroad to immerse themselves in British life and theaterĚý
Over the summer, a group of theater students spent two weeks traveling the United Kingdom including London, Sussex, York, and Stratford. Throughout this trip, they attended formal and self-guided tours, visited museums, and explored the culture of English life.
The centerpiece of the trip was the lineup of nine theater productions, which allowed students to reflect on the socio-political impact of theater, differing aesthetic viewpoints, and more. Along the way, students documented what they saw and how they felt to remember how their creative engagement abroad not only supported their studies but helped them grow as artists and people.
See the trip through their eyes by clicking into the gallery.
Click the photo to view the entire gallery. | Photo by Lillian Hayward
Photo by Lillian Hayward | The highly decorated stage and set for the play âMuch Ado About Nothingâ at Shakespeareâs iconic Globe Theater in London. The set, designed by Grace Smart, was described by Hayward as âa lush and romantic setting of one of [her] favorite Shakespearean comedies.âPhoto by Mariah Kiefer | Another angle of The Globe Theater, which opens to the sky. Kiefer said that experiencing theater at the Globe demonstrated âthe importance and longevity of the art of theater.â Photo by Skylar Staebler | The marquee for re-imagined Greek tragedy âHadestown,â described by Staebler as âa lyrical passionate narrative of love and human connection.â The West End production of âHadestownâ that students saw features a diverse cast and incorporates theatre and musical history throughout.Photo by Skylar Staebler | Robert Indianaâs “LOVE (Red Blue Green)” is a sculpture in the York Sculpture Park that stands for inclusivity and positivity, sat at the start of the 500-acre, 90 sculpture park. Staebler says the grounds pushed her âto explore how art is ingrained within nature.â Photo by Hailey Wurz | Taken at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wurz said this building spoke to her and marked one of her spots on the trip. Speaking broadly of the England trip, Wurz said British culture helped her âgain a new perspective on life.âPhoto by Terris Robinson | The marquee of âStranger Things: The First Shadowâ at the Phoenix Theatre in Londonâs West End. Robinson described the show as a standout along the trip as he had become familiar with the show while researching it for a dramaturgy research project at PSOA.Photo by Alex Erickson | Cliffordâs Tower in York was one of Ericksonâs favorite stops along the England trip: âI loved how you could stumble upon old architecture such as this tower in the middle of the city.âPhoto by James Vining | Taken of Vining and classmates on a boat tour of River Thames in London. With amazing views and history throughout, it was a spectacular part of a journey that Vining said âhelped [him] grow as both an artist and as a human being.âPhoto by Tyler Stauffacher | Taken during an evening spent in York crossing over a bridge. Stauffacher described how the clouds reflection off the water and the peacefulness of York were ânotably beautifulâ to him.Photo by James Vining | Taken in the sculpture section of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, which is free to the public. Vining noted how the âhistory and art in this building were amazing to behold.â
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
Accomplished professor shares power of community activism and collaboration in Continuum exhibitionĚý
Over 35 years of artistic expertise, expression, and activism from Raoul Deal (Teaching Faculty Emeritus, Community Arts)is currently displayed in his expansive exhibition âContinuum 24: Where Everything Begins.âĚýĚý
The exhibition is a career retrospective featuring artwork from his time spent in Mexico and South America to the culture shock of moving his family to Milwaukee, and everywhere in between.
âWhere Everything Beginsâ is divided into five parts that represent different periods of Dealâs life, each section exploring different themes including art and healing, looking inward, and community arts activism.
Left to right: Nayfa Naji, Jeff Zimpel, Eriks Johnson, Raoul Deal, Emmanuel Guerra, Jovanny Hernandez, Isabel Castro, Madeline Martin, Nadia Al-Khun | Photo by Cameron Wise (BFA Film)
Several PSOA alums have their work featured in âWhere Everything Begins.â Those alumni are:
Nadia Al-Khun (BA 2022, ), Isabel Castro (BS 2022, Honors), Jovanny Hernandez Caballero (BFA 2023, Photography & Imaging), Natalie Derr (BFA 2021, Art), Emmanuel Guerra (MFA 2024, Art), Molly Hassler (BFA 2018, Art), Eriks Johnson (MFA 2004, Art), MutĂłpe J. Johnson (MFA 2014, Art), Chantala Kommanivanh (MA 2012; MFA 2013, Art), Teddy Lepley III (MFA 2023, Art), Madeline Martin (MFA 2019; Arts Integration and Learning Certificate, 2022), Nayfa Naji (BA 2021, Art),Celeste Contreras Skierski (MFA 2022, Art), Gabrielle Tesfaye (BFA 2018, Inter-Arts), and Jeff Zimpel (MFA 2021, Art).Ěý
âI was especially honored to include the work of a handful of my former students, who selected beautiful pieces that encompass a variety of different media,â said Deal. âThey are powerful statements of community, identity, spirit, and creative self-expression.â&˛Ô˛ú˛őąč;
In addition to being the founding coordinator of the Peck Schoolâs Community Arts BA Program, Deal was a long time collaborator with the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and was Artist-in-Residence for the Cultures and Communities Program for over 20 years. In all capacities, his pedagogy was guided by his own experiences living and working in different communities. He regularly invited students to engage as service learners with individuals and organizations around the city.
The power of collaboration is at the center of âWhere Everything Begins.â
Origins in Latin America
Born in the Midwest to a bicultural family, Deal attended first grade in Costa Rica, first learning to read and write in Spanish. Early on in his life, Deal traveled between Mexico and the United States, and after earning a BFA in Painting from the University of Illinois Champaign Urbana, he spent a year traveling abroad throughout South America.
Upon meeting his wife and collaborator Dinorah MĂĄrquez Abadiano (MM 2001, Music),he moved to Mexico and planted roots in Veracruz, where they had their daughter, Minneapolis-based artist and writer Gabriella Deal-MĂĄrquez.Ěý
âIn the ten years we spent as a family in Mexico, Raoul began to implement spontaneous strategies to support his creativity,â Deal-MĂĄrquez reflected in the forward of the exhibition catalog.
During this time, Deal made art centered on Mexican popular culture that explored his growing interest in cultural activism, including themes of sexism, toxic masculinity, and colonialism.
Photo by Cameron Wise (BFA Film)
Relocation to Milwaukee
The family moved to America, where Deal worked in the Milwaukee Public School system with children of immigrant families, predominantly from Mexico and Central America.
âI saw how the âAmerican dreamâ was in full view, but very much out of their reach,â said Deal. âI saw how consumerism propagated unhealthy cultural values among these young students. I saw their fury against an unfair social condition.â&˛Ô˛ú˛őąč;
Through this experience, Deal saw the power art had in giving underrepresented youth communities the ability to find their voice and assert their stories.
Photo by Cameron Wise (BFA Film)
In the forward, she describes her father as âoften lost in thought, taking in his surroundings,â someone who âsees wonder everywhere.â&˛Ô˛ú˛őąč;
âWhat Raoul has learned in community and of himself,â Deal-MĂĄrquez says, âhas prepared him to further deepen this artmaking process, expand his craft, and to depart once again from where everything begins.â&˛Ô˛ú˛őąč;
âContinuum 24: Where Everything Beginsâ is open in Kenilworth Square East Gallery until Saturday, September 28. For times and more information, visit the PSOA events calendar.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
Guitar area head featured on W51ÁÔĆć web series
RenĂŠ Izquierdo (Professor, Classical Guitar; Area Head, Guitar)recently performed for W51ÁÔĆć as a part of their Live at Lake Effect web series.ĚýĚý
Filmed at the Lake Effect Surf Shop in Shorewood, Wis., Izquierdo played a handful of classical pieces from Eduardo MartĂn and Antonio (Ăico) Rojas. Both composers and Izquierdo are acclaimed Cuban guitarists.
Izquierdo also gave a written interview with W51ÁÔĆć in which he discussed his shared loves: performing and teaching, with the latter being his true calling.
“I love teaching, my calling is teaching, but if I stop performing then I cannot demand of [my students] the same way as I would demand of myself,” said Izquierdo.
To watch Izquierdoâs performance and read the full story, visit .
Art & Design assistant professor explores Chicago art communityĚý
Dr. Debra Hardy (Assistant Professor, Art Education) spent her summer in Chicago advancing her research project “Illuminating the Expanse of Bronzevilleâs Black Artist-Educator Networks, 1930âs-1960âs.”
This opportunity was a result of Hardy receiving a research fellowship with the Black Metropolis Research Consortium, which helped her dive into the history of Chicagoâs art community.
âChicago has a deep and rich and beautiful history,â said Hardy. âThere have been a lot of individuals, particularly Black folks, who knew that preservation of that history was really important to their legacy.â&˛Ô˛ú˛őąč;
Hardy began her project in 2014 while she was pursuing her masterâs degree at the University of Texas at Austin. Initially, her research was focused on the South Side Community Art Center in Chicago.
âI fell in love with the history and how this place was put together,â said Hardy. âWhat I found from that was a lot of stories, a lot of narratives, and a lot of people. It was the people that I was really interested in.â&˛Ô˛ú˛őąč;
One of the main people that Hardy took an interest in was Dr. Maragaret Burroughs, who was a multi-faceted artist, writer, educator, and more. Hardy focused much of her dissertation on Burroughs and her work as a teacher.
To support her research, Hardy visited four different archives throughout Chicago: the Art Institute of Chicago, the Vivian G. Harsh Collection, the South Side Community Center, and the DuSable Black History Museum. Hardyâs research revealed how these archives have similarities that showcase the interconnectivity of Chicagoâs art community.
L to R, foreground: Margaret Brundage, Tom Conroy, Fern Gayden, Gwendolyn Brooks, Margaret Burroughs; standing: Marion Perkins, Vernon Jarrett, Robert Lucas | From the Marion Perkins Papers, Vivian G. Harsh Collection, Chicago Public Library
âOutside of the art world, a lot of people who see artists think that theyâre just a lone genius,â said Hardy. âThatâs not really accurate. Instead, what I found was that these networks and communities were important ways to sustain artists.â&˛Ô˛ú˛őąč;
The project has allowed Hardy to reflect on her approach to art education, especially regarding the values she wishes to instill in her 51ÁÔĆć students.
âWorking in art education, itâs always been this hybrid position where youâre an artist and youâre an educator,â said Hardy. âBut realizing that those are not the only two facets of yourself. There are so many other pieces to you, to your students, and to everybody⌠We are multi-hyphenate.â&˛Ô˛ú˛őąč;
Hardyâs research project will continue with hopes of working with the community of archivists she interacted with in Chicago.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
Art alum featured on segment with Milwaukee PBSĚý
Michelle Grabner (BFA 1984; MA 1987)was recently featured on Milwaukee PBS in a segment called âThe Arts Page,â where Grabner discussed her participation in Actual Fractals Act II, a new exhibition by Sculpture Milwaukee.Ěý
Grabnerâs work in Actual Fractals Act II features three large-scale bookends which are featured at different locations throughout Milwaukee. These pieces are meant to welcome viewers into the ideas of contemporary art while still being accessible to the common pedestrian.
âTo be able to understand bookends not just as supporting the imaginative large-scale book, but what else can they support?â said Grabner during her segment. âHopefully, if there is repeated viewing, [people] start to see it differently.â&˛Ô˛ú˛őąč;
Executive Director of Milwaukee Sculpture John Riepenhoff (BFA 2004) also appeared in the segment to discuss Grabnerâs work, including her first engagement with Sculpture Milwaukee, Untitled, which is now in Milwaukeeâs Third Ward.Ěý
âThe Arts Pageâ is a weekly series showcasing the latest in local arts and cultures through interviews, performances, and more. You can watch Grabnerâs segment on .
Reporting by Jason McCullum ’25
Art MFA alum explores resiliency during Villa Terrace residency
A solo exhibition by J. Celeste Contreras Skierski (MFA 2022, Art: Print & Book Arts; Lecturer, Art & Design) is currently on view at Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, a culmination of her six-month residency at the cultural landmark in Milwaukee.
During her residency, Skierski carved and stamped a rubber stamp daily, called a âreflection,â which she then used to create the pieces now on display in âWe Are Reflections.â
Rubber stamps, which J. Celeste Contreras Skierski produced daily during her residency, are arranged on a plinth in the center of her exhibition at Villa Terrace.
The residency came at a time when Skierski was experiencing personal chaos in her living situation. She needed a more isolated art studio, and as Villa Artist-in-Residence, she was afforded that opportunity.
âI was totally addicted to the view,â said Skierski. âSo, I used that. I used Villa Terrace as a place of refuge, a solace place⌠I needed a clean, clear, quiet place and thatâs what this was.â
Throughout her twenty-four weeks, Skierski was not given a specific task other than to create art that inspired her.
âThe goal here was to use the space and see what you make,â said Skierski. âI could just create. There was no goal of selling.â
On top of personal challenges, she found herself taken aback by the war and turmoil of todayâs socio-political landscape, wondering how she could create artwork during this time. âWe Are Reflectionsâ became an exercise in resilience and perseverance.
âI know the power and the reason for art,â she said. âWe carry a message in our work⌠Itâs this freedom to express instead of being depressed. Even in the middle of depression, celebrating a little bit that we can overcome things.â
Skierski used the stamps to create abstract images and portraits like this one, Carry Me Home (2024).
Located on Lincoln Memorial Drive and facing out to Lake Michigan, Villa Terrace is a communal space for Milwaukee artists and residents to appreciate art and nature with one another. It separates itself by being a museum, rather than a gallery, so there is no pressure on the artist to monetize their work.
Skierski grew up coming to Villa Terrace and has always viewed it as a source of inspiration. Coming out of her residency, she felt a renewed energy about creating art, which she hopes to instill in her students. She is a lecturer at 51ÁÔĆć.
âI want to bring students here,â said Skierski. âI want them to look around and read and find out who these awesome artists are, where they came from, why are they even in Milwaukee⌠itâs all connected to history.â
âWe Are Reflectionsâ is on view at Villa Terrace through December 15, 2024. To read more and purchase tickets, visit the .
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
Exhibition at Union Art Gallery highlights water issues through art by Art alum
The 51ÁÔĆć Union Art Gallery presents a new exhibition entitled âWorking for the Water, Working for Each Other: Work by Melanie Ariens.” Melanie Ariens (BFA 1992, Art: Painting & Drawing and Printmaking & Book Arts) is a multi-media artist and water activist.
Ariens’ work focuses on the Great Lakes and freshwater issues. She uses art as a tool to create awareness and capture peoplesâ hearts around water issues. Often, she will use simple metaphors to frame how we perceive the state of the lakes. She creates water shrines and fetish pieces, serving to inspire stewardship for our shared waters, gently urging us all to celebrate and care for them as we are the stewards of one of the Worldâs greatest freshwater resources.
Because of her belief that our dependence on clean, safe water unites us, and that everyone needs access to it to thrive, she works as the Creative Arts Manager for Milwaukee Water Commons. MWC is a social and environmental justice organization that uses the arts as a way to capture hearts around water issues, seeking fresh ways to connect and create community. They work to ensure that communities that are most affected by climate change and aging infrastructure are prioritized, have a say and benefit from work done in the community.
In addition to the work presented here, Melanie has worked on many public art projects for the Urban Ecology Center, the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage district and the Watermarks project.
âWorking for the Water, Working for Each Otherâ will be on view through September 27, 2024.
Two films about the Great Lakes will be screened in the 51ÁÔĆć Union Cinema, on the 2nd level of the 51ÁÔĆć Student Union, in conjunction with the exhibition. Both films are free and open to the public.
On Wednesday, September 18 at 6 p.m., the Union Cinema will screen âBad River,â a film which chronicles the Wisconsin-based Bad River band and their ongoing fight for sovereignty and the protection of Lake Superior from an aging 70-year-old pipeline. The film is cosponsored by Sociocultural Programming and the Electa Quinny Institute for American Indian Education at 51ÁÔĆć. It will be followed by a discussion with Melanie Ariens and other water activists.
On Wednesday, October 9 at 6 p.m., the Union Cinema will show âThe Worth of Water: A Great Lakes Story,â a feature-length documentary that follows the co-creators of Walk to Sustain Our Great Lakes, Julia Robson and Alyssa Armbruster, as they embark on their 343-mile walk from the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee to Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The film is cosponsored by the Conservation Club at 51ÁÔĆć and will be followed by a post-film discussion.
About the Union Art Gallery | The Union Art Gallery, located within the Student Union at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2200 E 51ÁÔĆć, Milwaukee, WI 53211, seeks to bring outstanding contemporary art to the 51ÁÔĆć campus community, reflect the diversity of the university and greater Milwaukee communities, connect the university and the public through relevant art and cultural programs, and support student, emerging, and established artists by providing opportunities for the creation and exhibition of cutting-edge visual art. The gallery is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12-5 and from 12-7 on Thursdays. For more information, visit the Union Art Gallery webpage.
