The Peck School of the Arts Department of Theatre is putting the finishing touches on their next production Once Upon A Mattress, a comedic and musical retelling of “The Princess and the Pea.” Through creative collaboration and dramaturgical research, students are achieving great heights as they fully immerse themselves in their roles. Here’s what several actors shared about their process.
The 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival is underway, and Peck School of the Arts has a lot to be proud of. Nineteen alumni and a current MFA candidate will have their work screened across 15 unique works, including shorts, features, and music videos. The PSOA community of artists is excited to highlight the incredible work screening at this year’s festival. Check out the impressive list of films and filmmakers with strong ties to PSOA.
Nine Peck School of the Arts students, recent alumni, and a faculty member are currently displaying their work in the Cross Connections 2024 International Exhibition and Competition of Visual Communication Design and Emerging Media Design. This juried exhibition is a global event that showcases top talent from higher education institutions worldwide, including the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. The artworks represent a wide variety of visual art forms that transcend borders, cultures, and disciplines.
More than 10 film students screened their work at Nō Studios’ inaugural Filmmaker Showcase in Spring 2024, highlighting the wide breadth of work being produced in Milwaukee. Across five nights, the showcase featured a range of genres including horror, experimental, documentary, music video, anime, and more. Unsurprisingly, some of the best and most memorable shorts came from PSOA students.
In early 2022, Peck School of the Arts students Ethan Hightire and Nahjee Robinson sat in Milwaukee’s Next Act Theater, immersed in Dominque Morisseau’s critical-acclaimed play Pipeline. Both were astonished by what they saw. Hightire recognized that the character Omari was the role he was born to play. Hightire and Robinson immediately went to Katie Avila Loughmiller (Lecturer, Theatre) insisting that Pipeline was a show she had to see. Their intention? Advocate for an eventual UWM production of the piece.
Renowned vocalist Melissa Foster visited the Peck School of the Arts for a two-day residency last month as part of a growing effort to diversify the vocal stylings and teachings at PSOA. Foster’s expertise ranges across genres that vocal students do not always get to work with. During the two-day residency, she led workshops and taught lectures on Motown, disco, rap, musical theatre, and more, to expose students to contemporary commercial music.
Musical theatre major Aidan Black’s interest in American Sign Language was sparked in high school. So when he was choosing a language credit at UWM, he signed up for an ASL course in UWM’s School of Education. Now ASL is an …
For the past five years, UWM students studying jewelry and metalsmithing have gained career-defining experience thanks to a multifaceted partnership between Kesslers Diamonds and the Peck School of the Arts. Kesslers provides expensive materials and equipment, three scholarships each year, and exclusive availability to internships with the Wisconsin-based and employee-owned company. At a time when goldsmiths are difficult to come by, Kesslers benefits from an expanding pool of talent already familiar with their business practices.
After a few media interviews, Davien Holton is running out of adjectives to describe his experience performing at the Super Bowl on Sunday. “It was crazy, amazing and exciting.” Holton, a junior Dance major, was one of the performers for …
This weekend, the Peck School of the Arts welcomes high school students across Wisconsin and Illinois for the annual Vocal Arts Festival. The event is a fan favorite among students and faculty alike, as Peck School hosts a festival that stands out among other choral events.
In fall the of 2023, UWM collaborated with Pilot Project Brewing and partners to release Panther Pale Ale, a new product available at UWM home games and in retailers throughout Milwaukee. A major factor that sets the beverage apart from other ales on the market today is the vivid art featured on every can. The striking design is by Gisselle Dominguez, a senior design and visual communication student from Waukesha.
Music Education student and saxophonist Adam LuMaye was recently awarded the Richard G. Gaarder Award at this year’s Wisconsin Music Educators Association conference. The achievement recognizes excellence in leadership, musicianship, and service to the music education community. Receiving the award helped Adam reflect on his legacy: “I want to leave a lasting effect on my students and the music community.”
Peck School of the Arts helps students explore a variety of arts-based subjects, including some that are somewhat obscure in the day-to-day world. Lillian Hayward, a theatre student, is exploring dramaturgy. Recently, Hayward explained dramaturgy and how this special type of theatrical research makes productions feel more realistic. Hayward served as dramaturg for the Department of Theatre’s productions of The Moors and Macbeth.
From current graduate students to esteemed alumni and faculty members, the Peck School of the Arts Department of Film, Video, Animation & New Genres was well represented on the international film festival circuit this Fall. We’re excited to showcase the achievements of some of our very own who are currently screening their works across the globe.
Peck School of the Arts graduate student and lecturer Elisabeth Roskopf was featured in a recent episode of No Studios’ mini-documentary series Creating Milwaukee. The series showcases artists and creatives throughout Milwaukee, celebrating their work and how it connects to their community.
