Liberal Studies faculty Dr. Margaret J. Schmitz on art history
Dr. Margaret J. Schmitz, an Assistant Professor at MIAD who teaches primarily art history, published a new article titled “Indigenous Temporal Enmeshment in Akwesasne Notes” in Panorama, a digital art history journal. In addition to her scholarly writing, Dr. Schmitz is a passionate instructor who believes in the power of history to shape the future and in the responsibility that creatives hold to use that power.
Students enrolled in one of Dr. Schmitz’s classes can expect to weave their creative practices into their research projects and contextualize art history in their own work. “I am not interested in history because I’m in love with a past time. I’m interested in my discipline because I believe time isn’t linear in the way we’ve been commonly taught through colonizer knowledge systems,” says Dr. Schmitz. “Artists and designers are historical actors in and on the world. Therefore, designers and artists have the capacity to future or defuture, and to world or unworld. That is a big responsibility that our students must recognize.”
Dr. Schmitz’s newly-published article explores temporality and design history in Akwesasne Notes, a newspaper published by the Mohawk Nation. Her primary area of study and instruction is informed by two main methodologies: Marxist critical theory and decolonial theory. “Marxist theory, as a mode of interpreting visual culture through the lens of economy, has deeply impacted how I deconstruct and understand the power dynamics of a given period,” she explains. “It is actually one reason why I’ve adopted design history… as central to my research and teaching. Marxist theory demonstrates that since everything is touched by the economy, all media deserves to be subjected to deep critical analysis.”
Researching the article was a hands-on, thoughtful process for Dr. Schmitz based in archival analysis and important conversations: “…as a non-native working on this topic, I felt it was super important to talk with Native cultural knowledge keepers and understand their intentions when designing Notes’s posters,” she says. Much of this oral history is in danger of being lost, as many of the original editors and designers of the publication have passed away since the 1970s.
As an instructor, Dr. Schmitz appreciates MIAD’s “openness to new teaching strategies and subjects,” but also credits her students with allowing her to show up as a learner in class. Breaking down the rigid hierarchy of teacher vs. student by recognizing the validity of each student’s individual experience and knowledge is central to her teaching philosophy. She offers two pieces of advice to students: first, be patient. Creative “practice” is a practice, and conceptual frameworks most often come from varied experiences. Second, don’t be afraid to say yes to opportunities and to develop into an interdisciplinary and multi-hyphenate person. Dr. Schmitz herself has worked in fields from museum educator to art insurance investigator to collections manager, and has found opportunity and excitement in the variety.
Read other work by Dr. Schmitz and learn more about MIAD’s Liberal Studies Department!
News
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.
WI LGBT Chamber of Commerce names MIAD Nonprofit Business of the Year
The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce has named the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) Nonprofit Business of the Year as part of its 2024 Business Awards. The awards honor members for their contributions to build a more inclusive and diverse business community.
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.
Product Design students design custom tap handles
Juniors in a Product Design class at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) partnered with two local industry leaders to work on a unique product—they designed custom tap handles in collaboration with manufacturer Hankscraft AJS for Third Space Brewing’s iconic Happy Place brew.