Select Page

MIAD alumni, faculty selected for gener8tor x Sherman Phoenix 2023 Spring Cohort

The Sherman Phoenix Foundation in Milwaukee, in partnership with startup accelerator gener8tor, has announced the members of the 2023 Spring Cohort of artists. Selected from a pool of 300 applicants, five of the 15 Milwaukee creatives awarded the grant are affiliated with MIAD.

Alumni Sara Carter ’20 (New Studio Practice: Fine Arts), Anika Kowalik ’17 (Printmaking) and Eduardo Zavala ’22 (NSP: Fine Arts), as well as Adjunct Professor Ck Ledesma and current student Hannah Samoy ’24 are participating in this year’s accelerator program. Each artist receives a $10,000 grant and participates in a 7-week individualized mentorship program to strengthen their artistic business.

The gener8tor x Sherman Phoenix accelerator focuses on supporting creatives who have been traditionally underfunded, like BIPOC and LGBTQ+ creatives, female or female-identifying people, people with disabilities, neurodiverse people and veterans. The program will culminate in an exhibition on Saturday, June 3, 2023 featuring the work of all 15 artists.

“I’m excited to work with and support such a talented group of Milwaukee artists,” said Darius Smith, director of gener8tor Art x Sherman Phoenix in a press release. “By helping these artists gain business skills, we can help them be more successful both financially and creatively.”

Helping artists succeed is not the only goal of the gener8tor x Sherman Phoenix program. Continuing in its mission to uplift and serve the whole Milwaukee community, Sherman Phoenix and gener8tor will provide community education, from professional development workshops and artist talks to Master Classes exploring the contemporary art market. Programs will be hosted at the Sherman Phoenix Marketplace.

Read more and view a full list of all 15 artists participating in the 2023 Spring Cohort.

News

“Women’s Rights are Human Rights” features student posters

As part of “Women’s Rights are Human Rights: International Posters on Gender-Based Inequality, Violence and Discrimination,” students at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) were invited to submit their own posters reflecting their interpretation of the exhibition.

MIAD student finds strength, community in activism

Despite frigid temperatures on January 19, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design senior Lizzie Wahlen (Communication Design) joined in Milwaukee’s “The People’s Rights and Progressive Policies March,” which she co-organized with a friend.

MIAD Animation professor’s short film to premiere at SXSW

This March, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) Professor Lou Morton’s short film “MINE!” makes its world premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival. Last March, Morton’s animated music video “Born Days: How to Disappear” received a Juror Award at the 62nd Ann Arbor Film Festival, where it had its world premiere.

Keith Negley: Award-winning illustrator and writer

When award-winning illustrator and author Keith Negley ’00 isn’t completing projects like his most recent book of “forgotten trailblazers,” he’s creating portraits of celebrities like Taylor Swift, Emma Stone and Chelsea Clinton, and doing editorial illustrations on topics like neurodivergence, organ transplants and the opioid crisis.

Two MIAD alumni named Mary L. Nohl Fellows for 2025

Two alumni from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) have received Emerging Artist fellowships from the 2025 Mary L. Nohl Fund for its 2025 cycle: Margaret Griffin ’23 (Fine Art + New Studio Practice) and Open Kitchen, co-founded by Rudy Medina ’12 (Integrated Studio Arts).