OSSUARY exhibition features 160 Wisconsin artists, 340+ works involving bones

“Double mouth pieces 23 and 24” by Yevgeniya Kaganovich

MILWAUKEE (January 2, 2020) … Originally inspired by curator Laurie Beth Clark’s research at repositories of bones in countries where mass violence has occurred, “OSSUARY: A Project by Laurie Beth Clark” features more than 300 artists and more than 340 total works comprised of or themed around bones. Nearly half of the artists are Wisconsin artists. The exhibition is on view in the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design’s (MIAD) Frederick Layton Gallery January 13 – March 7, 2020.

• January 17, 5 – 9 p.m. Opening Reception during Gallery Night in the Third Ward. Artists’ reception begins at 7 p.m.
• February 26, 7 – 8 p.m. Curator Talk – “OSSUARY: A Repository of Bones”

While the exhibition inspiration stems from traumas, the exhibit celebrates resilience and the ways artists create counter images that are hopeful or poignant rejoinders.

“The contributions are political statements and personal elegies, memorials to individuals or statements about mortality. They represent connections to ancestors and/or descendants. Some are serious, and some use bones in a completely playful manner,” according to Clark.

“Exoskeleton 6” by Jill Sebastian

Among the Wisconsin artists featured, include:

• Emily Belknap ’07, MIAD adjunct faculty
• Amy Cannestra ’06, MIAD alum
• Leslie Fedorchuk, MIAD professor
• Jon Horvath, MIAD professor
• David Najib Kasir ’01, MIAD alum
• Riley Rae Niemack ’16, MIAD alum
• Maggie Sasso, Textiles Lab Technician
• Jill Sebastian, MIAD professor emeritus
• Brian Schneider ’14, MIAD alum
• Jason Yi, MIAD professor
• Rina Yoon, MIAD professor

MIAD’s Galleries are free and open to the public Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. More information: miad.edu/galleries