Theater lecturer to direct several productions in 2024-25 season 

Marcella Kearns (Lecturer, Acting) is preparing for a busy remainder of the 2024-25 theater season with three different productions both in and out of Wisconsin.  From Dec. 6 until Dec. 15, Kearns will direct a production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest …

Film faculty receives honorable mention for voter advocacy film 

Sean Kafer (Teaching Faculty II, Film, Video, Animation, and New Genres) recently received an honorary mention in the Spark the Vote Challenge by the Why Do You Vote? Social Action Campaign. This mention recognized “Don’t Tell Me Your Vote Doesn’t Matter,” …

Viola professor Claudia Lasareff-Mironoff plays Carnegie Hall

Claudia Lasareff-Mironoff (Adjunct Professor, Viola) performed at Carnegie Hall in New York as principal viola of the Chicago Philharmonic. The October 24th concert featured New York premieres of two works written for the Chicago Philharmonic by American composers Nicholas Hubbell …

Professor Emerita receives Vision Award at Denver Film Festival

Cecelia Condit (Professor Emerita, Film) was recently awarded the Stan Brakhage Vision Award at the 47th Denver Film Festival. This award followed her recent solo show at the Ewing Gallery of Art+Architecture at the University of Tennessee. Condit was the director …

Art alum begins residency in park on Madison’s east side

Jennifer Bastian (MFA 2008, Art) was recently named a 2024-26 Thurber Park artist-in-residence. Bastian will participate in a two-year-long studio residency in Madison’s east side. This program utilizes an underused park storage shed to provide artists with rent-free studio space. …

Guitar lecturer makes historic trip to El Salvador

Elina Chekan (Lecturer, Classical Guitar; Director, Suzuki Guitar) recently traveled to El Salvador where she met the Vice President Félix Ulloa and performed at the National Theatre. Chekan’s visit received media coverage as she performed at the grave site of …

Associate Professor Alvaro Saar Rios takes plays global

Alvaro Saar Rios (Associate Professor, Playwriting; Area Head, Theatre Practices) will see multiple productions of his scripts taking place this month.  His play Alien Menudo was selected for the 6th annual “La Vida Es Cortos Festival” in Rios’ hometown of …

Art & Design student earns international sculpture award

MFA student Mich Dillon has been named a recipient of the International Sculpture Center 2024 Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award for the piece Supporting Dreams, 2023. The award recognizes young sculptors as well as their faculty sponsors and institutions. According to Glenn Williams (Associate Professor and Area Head, Sculpture), who served as Dillon’s faculty sponsor, Dillon was one of thirteen recipients out of nearly 200 nominees across 98 schools.

Recent Art & Design alum opens solo exhibition in Walker’s Point

Emmanuel Guerra (MFA 2024, Art) recently opened his Featured Member Exhibition at Walker’s Point Center for the Arts. Guerra’s exhibition is described as “a culmination of our dreams, longings memories, and shared experiences.” Like all their art, this exhibition is driven by a desire to honor Guerra’s family and ancestors. The exhibition opened on July 19 and runs through September 28.

UWM ranks in list of top 30 film schools by MovieMaker magazine

MovieMaker magazine has named UW-Milwaukee a top destination to study film in its list of “30 Best Films Schools in U.S. and Canada in 2024.” The publication made note of the Department of Film, Video, Animation & New Genres as a place where students gain a “comprehensive study in all aspects of film and media production, from ideation and pre-production to production and post.” This is the second consecutive year that UWM has ranked among MovieMaker’s list.

Frank Hoeffler named Artist of the Year 2024 by ArtTour International

Frank Hoeffler (BA 2004, Art) was recognized as one of ArtTour International’s Top 60 International Master Artists. An untitled abstract piece by Hoeffler is featured on the cover of the publication. Hoeffler’s versatile style, ranging from realism to abstraction, has been showcased in numerous national and international juried shows, and has graced the NASDAQ billboard in Times Square. This is the third consecutive year Hoeffler has been recognized by ArtTour International.

Alum and Chancellor’s Graduate Student Award recipient opens solo exhibition

Milwaukee artist and PSOA alum Adam Stoner (MFA 2019, Art) recently opened his month-long solo exhibition at Grove Gallery in Milwaukee. Running through July 27, this collection of new and recent works from Stoner draws on the forms of Romanesque cathedrals and mythical iconography. The works explore pilgrimage paths, dreamlike architecture, roman cityscapes, and more.