Select Page

Villa Terrace Art Museum hosts MIAD alumni in gallery opening

A patterned banner with text hanging on a white wall

“Black American Flag” by Nick Drain, exhibition view, Villa Terrace Art Museum

Two MIAD New Studio Practice: Fine Arts alumni, Nick Drain ’20 and Z Moralez ’21, will be featured in the Villa Terrace Art Museum’s new exhibition “Grounded,” alongside Sydnie Jimenez, a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. “Grounded” is a contemporary sculpture exhibition that explores “narratives of identity and relationships with space and socio-political systems” and spotlights young, rising artists. 

“In their work, Sydnie, Nick and Z are seamlessly combining multiple modes of making to challenge the status quo and cement their narratives in history,” says Phoenix Brown, Senior Curator of “Grounded.” Brown guided the exhibition as a way to connect contemporary sculpture to the architecture and physical experience of Villa Terrace, which features Italian Renaissance design and overlooks Lake Michigan. “Many of the featured pieces in “Grounded” point back to the materiality of the Villa,” Brown continues. 

Drain credits his New Studio Practice: Fine Arts professors with breaking down “the boundaries between the school environment and the greater art world outside of it. That was instrumental in helping me understand what kinds of things were possible.” He also speaks to the importance of building community at MIAD, saying “All of the moments I’ve cherished most, the opportunities for growth, and the achievements I’ve been most proud of have been the result of someone I considered a peer, and more likely, a friend.”

Square of light illuminating an ornate plaster ceiling with red wisps

“Aplastar” by Z Moralez, exhibition view, Villa Terrace Art Museum

Villa Terrace invites visitors to “observe how artists think critically of who they surround themselves with, their resistance to socio-political systems, and how they portray personal experiences” at the gallery opening on October 27 at 6 p.m., which is free, open to the public and will feature live music, light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Stop by the Charles Allis Museum at 8 p.m. for a “semi-official afterparty” to celebrate the last night of the Autumn at the Allis musical series, as well as the opening of the new Connecting Galleries. Admission to the Villa Terrace Museum is also free on the first Wednesday of the month. Find more information on the Villa Terrace website.

Learn more about the New Studio Practice: Fine Arts major!

News

gener8tor Art x Sherman Phoenix announces 2024 Fall Cohort

Of the seven Milwaukee artists selected for the gener8tor Art x Sherman Phoenix 2024 Fall Cohort, three are part of the community at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD). Assistant Professor Morgan Bouldes, current senior Nomka Enkhee ’25 and Photography & Digital Media Lab Technician Grant Gill ’13 (Photography) were selected as part of the grant and mentorship program.

Painting is alive at the Painting is Dead Gallery

It’s over 20 years and 30 miles from a figure drawing class at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design to the new Painting is Dead Gallery in Fredonia, Wis., owned by Katie Musolff ’04 (Painting) and Andy Fletcher, who first met in the class.

MIAD alum publishes picture book for neurodiverse children

MIAD alum Morgan Tillisch ’24 (Illustration) wrote and illustrated a book to help neurodiverse kids feel comfortable sharing. With the help of her professors and the Lubar Innovation Center, Tillisch recently published “I Can Share My Toys” through Barnes & Noble.

Innovation Center designs branded wall for M3 Insurance

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design student Sarah Madden ’24 and Candice Roth, director of workplace experience & corporate administration at M3 Insurance, agree that collaboration was key to the success of M3’s branded wall project with MIAD’s Lubar Innovation Center. The finished graphic mural was placed in M3 Insurance’s new headquarters in downtown Milwaukee.