Student & Alumni Stories
- Artist and alum Brennen Steines explores time, material and the natural worldBrennen Steines (BFA 2018, Painting & Drawing) spent his early life hunting for rocks and exploring the terrain in northern Illinois. He carried that childhood interest in the natural world into adulthood, creating work focused on physical materials and the alchemical properties of painting. On October 7, the Yale graduate and prolific artist will reflect on his creative path during the Artists Now! Guest Lecture series.
Faculty Stories
In The News
In Brief
- Alum displays artwork at UWM’s Student UnionAlum Jennifer Bastian is the first artist featured at UWM’s Student Union Gallery for the 2026–27 school year.
- Alum is August artist-in-residence for Cedarburg Cultural CenterAlum Paula Hare (BFA 1981, Art Education) has been named the Cedarburg Cultural Center artist-in-residence for August.
- UWM alum appears on WUWM 89.7’s Lake Effect to discuss new documentaryUWM alum David Busse (BFA 2011, Film) appeared on WUWM’s Lake Effect’s Chirp Chat to discuss his new film “Beyond Our Senses: Bank Swallows,” a documentary about how the bluffs of Lake Michigan have been …
- Alum to open dance studio, honoring legacy of previous studio in the same locationAlum Kristina Saldarelli (MFA 2023, Dance) is planning to open Saldarelli Arts Dance where Movement & Sound Dance was located. Saldarelli was a faculty member at the Buffalo Grove-based studio for seven years and will …
- PSOA alum and faculty member to participate in 2026 North of the 45th art exhibitionAlum Joy DeNicola (BFA 1987, Fiber-Arts) and faculty member Shane Walsh are set to participate in the 2026 “North of the 45th" art exhibition, a juried showcase featuring work from artists across Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota.
- Alum presents experimental film at European Media Arts FestivalMagdalena Bermudez (MFA 2023, Cinematic Arts) is set to screen her 16mm film Hiding Places at the European Media Arts Festival in Osnabrück, Germany, on April 25. In her experimental narrative, female artists from New York and Philadelphia recount their experiences creating the patterns used in …
- UWM alum one of first 10 selections announced for the 2026 Milwaukee Film FestivalA documentary by PSOA alum Sky Hopinka (MFA 2016, Performing Arts) has been selected as one of the first 10 selections for this year’s Milwaukee Film Festival. Hopinka’s film, Powwow People, explores the traditions and culture of the powwow.
- Alum takes home big win at Door County Film FestivalAlum Kiersten Hoff (BFA 2024, Film) won Best Student Film at the Door County Film Festival last Thursday. Hoff presented their senior thesis film, Mindframe, competing against films from across the Midwest. This success follows a series of wins at …
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