Katie Avila Loughmiller

Education

• MFA, Art & Public Practice, Otis College of Art & Design
• BA, Individualized Major: Cultural & Gender Studies Through the Arts Gallatin School of Individualized Study, New York University

Biography

Katie Avila Loughmiller is an interdisciplinary social practice artist, writer, educator, curator and activist. Avila Loughmiller has been recognized for her work by Milwaukee Repertory Theatre's SHEro Award (2020), the City of Milwaukee's Vel R. Phillips Trailblazer Award (2021) and Milwaukee Magazine's Unity Award (2022).

In 2017, she co-founded Luna Creative Collaborations, originally a Latine visual artist collective that evolved into a for-profit business in 2019. Luna’s mission is to support artists of color by diversifying who gets creative job opportunities and ensuring equitable pay. As Creative Director, Avila Loughmiller has led the creation of three public street murals, three indoor murals, numerous large-scale installations as well as community workshops throughout Milwaukee.

She is also a dedicated theatre practitioner, she has taught in the theatre department at the Peck School of the Arts at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee since 2019 and and has directed three stage productions including,  This is Modern Art by Idris Goodwin and Kevin Coval, Pipeline by Dominique Morisseau’s and In Darkness Audio Flowers Bloom by Alvaro Saar Rios. Avila Loughmiller consults with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre on partnerships, engagement, and impact where she has organized community panels with over 30 community leaders.

Her individual artistic practice has taken her across the country, including residencies at the Santa Fe Art Institute, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Vermont Studio Center, and Wildacres Residency Program. She also worked on the documentary Out of the Picture as Coordinating Producer and Assistant Editor; the film premiered at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and has had 30 screenings in the U.S. and abroad.

Avila Loughmiller currently serves as Community Partnerships Consultant at the Milwaukee Public Museum, building on her role as WaterMarks Project Manager for Programming and Engagement—a collaborative initiative with UWM, City as Living Laboratory, and community partners.

She holds a B.A. from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University and an M.F.A. from Otis College of Art and Design. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Milwaukee Parks Foundation and is the Chair of the Event Committee.