Through a series of installations, programs and residencies, the non-traditional exhibition MKE<->LAX turns MIAD’s Frederick Layton Gallery into an incubator for cultural exchange from Gallery Night, October 19, through December 8.
The exhibition is embedded within an overarching, multiple-year initiative of the same name directed by Sara Daleiden that moves between two regions to question the influence of numerous factors on the production of the arts and cultural identity. Aiming to promote awareness and empathy both regionally and nationally, it features artists with Milwaukee roots who have spent time in Los Angeles through residency programs or relocation, many of whom are MIAD alumni.
“Just as the exhibition questions the influence of location, size, market, cultural vales and other factors that typically isolate ideas regionally, it also offers opportunities to discuss core questions raised by the MKE<->LAX initiative, such as the value of critiquing, networking, mentorship, residency, fundraising and professional practice,” explained Daleiden.
“Exhibition participants are interdisciplinary researchers who respond to fine art and commercial markets. Their areas include visual art, performance, film, music, architecture, animation, product design, communication design and critical writing.”
MKE<->LAX is organized in collaboration with artist as MIAD Director of Galleries Mark Lawson, artist as exhibition designer and alumnus Harvey Opgenorth, artist as project consultant Jessica Steeber, and artist as platforming protégé Ashley Janke. It is an iteration of the experimentation with gallery space begun by New Exchanges at MIAD early in 2012.
In addition to Opgenorth and Janke, exhibition participants include MIAD alumni Paul Druecke (also a MIAD instructor), Thomas Everts and Jenna Lee; MIAD instructors Nicholas Frank and Shana McCaw (with Brent Budsberg); and Nina Bednarski, Mark Escribano and Cat Pham.
Daleiden, a Waukesha native, is based in both Milwaukee and Los Angeles, and collaborates with organizations in the two regions. She is a board member of Friends of Blue Dress Park, and advisor for IN:SITE and a board member for the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network. In Los Angeles, she is affiliated with multiple projects including, Being Pedestrian, the Los Angeles Urban Rangers and MAK Center’s “How Many Billboards.”
Closing events will be Friday, December 7, from 6-9 p.m.
- 6-7 p.m. – Join MMXII’s third Induction Ceremony, followed by an informal discussion moderated by INOVA Director Sara Krajewski. MMXII is an ongoing effort to recognize the contributions of local personalities by casting their feet, hands and signature in cement medallions. Find out who joins MMXII’s first inductees: Milverine and Mom Corn. MMXII is a project by Paul Druecke with Brennan Goodwin, Brittany Kowalski, Marissa Waraksa and Oliver Sydello.
- 7:30-9 p.m. – Join the live studio audience for the pilot of CHIPS, featuring Peter Barrickman, Nicholas Frank, Sarah Luther and Allison Heape. CHIPS is a talk show of Milwaukee-related current events and projects founded by MIAD alumni Brad Fiore and Ashley Janke to highlight the city’s cultural creators.
Public programs associated with MKE<->LAX include:
- MIAD Parent/Partner Day, October 20, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Frederick Layton Gallery, free. Workshops and discussions with platforming organizations and exhibition participants, many of whom are MIAD alumni, faculty and staff.
- Fundraising I, Milwaukee Artist Resource Network (MARN) Workshop, November 1, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Frederick Layton Gallery, $20 member/$25 non-member. The funding of your creative endeavors has never been more challenging. As these sources become more scarce, creatives are often left struggling to make ends meet. There are still ways to get your projects off the ground. Fundraising I looks at everything from writing a compelling and workable budget to community partnership development, in-kind donations and strategic grant writing.
- Fundraising II, MARN Workshop, November 26, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Frederick Layton Gallery, $20 member/$25 non-member. Whether or not you participated in Fundraising I, bring in your draft proposal with budget to receive valuable feedback in this open format, group working session. A clear proposal with specific ideas of potential funding sources is an initial key to supporting your project and practice. Workshops are presented by Sara Daleiden, in collaboration with MARN and MIAD. To register, visit MARN’s website.
MKE<->LAX was highlighted in an art preview in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 30, 2012.
Daleiden directs the MKE<->LAX initiative under the auspices of s(o)ul, which focuses on cultural production and exchange through the creation of social interactions in developing landscapes. With bases in Los Angeles and Milwaukee, the agency offers support for empathetic, structural development of individual, organizational and community identity embracing various scales of experimentation, connection and production. It consults with non-profit and for-profit entities, as well as with cultural workers of many disciplines and levels.
Top image: MKE<->LAX logo, designed by Harvey Opgenorth
Second image: Sara Daleiden, photo taken by Mark Escribano
Third image: MKE<->LAX suitcase, photo taken by Harvey Opgenorth
Click here for more information on participating artists.
Click here for Sara Daleiden’s full bio.
Click here to register for Fundraising I and II, MARN Workshop
Click here to read about New Exchanges.
