Art alum’s life and jewelry featured in MKE Lifestyle
Basha Harris (BFA 2016, Art) was recently in an MKE Lifestyle feature that discussed her jewelry work showcased in the John Michael Kohler Art Center’s museum shop in Sheboygan.
The feature details Harris’ work and life that led her to Milwaukee, including a stint where she worked out of New York City.
“I worked at a jewelry studio that introduced me to the jewelry district there, and showed me all these pockets of industry knowledge about gem jewelers, stonecutters, casters, things that made me feel like making jewelry full time is possible,” says Harris in the MKE Lifestyle article. “I worked for an illustrator who wanted to make and sell jewelry inspired by her illustrations. She needed lots of help with construction, so I was doing all that for her.”
To read more about Basha Harris’ work, visit MKE Lifestyle.
How the Experimental Tuesdays lineup stays fresh after 20 years
As the Spring semester rolls on at PSOA, so does the latest run of Experimental Tuesdays, a free weekly screening series that showcases artist-made films and videos.
Founded by the late Carl Bogner, Experimental Tuesdays has been hosted by the Department of Film, Video, Animation, and New Genres in collaboration with UWM Union Cinema for more than 20 years, running throughout both the Fall and Spring semesters.
Experimental Tuesdays is programmed by a committee made up of FVANG faculty members with participation from adjunct faculty and academic staff. Ben Balcom (Assistant Professor, FVANG) is at the helm. Balcom believes the series is a strong reflection of the films that are most often analyzed by FVANG students.
“The history of our department is very intimately entwined with the history of experimental film,” said Balcom, adding that the program strives to “challenge the conventions of mainstream commercial narrative cinema.”
When it comes to curating the lineup for Experimental Tuesdays, the program mixes contemporary work alongside repertory work.
“What we’re attempting to do is bring a handful of artists that represent a provisional portrait of the landscape of contemporary film,” said Balcom. “It’s really about what we as a committee feel like is possible… It’s sort of unpredictable.”
Ben Balcom | Photo by Cameron Wise (BFA Film)
Each Experimental Tuesdays’ lineup includes work from the Cinema Arts Archive, UWM’s 400+ film catalog made up of predominantly artist-made experimental films on 16mm.
Many of the chosen films are more historical. However, Balcom notes that the films screened are carefully selected to ensure that students develop an understanding of both past and modern films.
“We show a balanced selection of contemporary work and historical works from our UWM Cinema Arts Archive as a way to offer context for the more contemporary and emerging artists that we’re showing,” said Balcom.
The wide selection of films screened at Experimental Tuesdays allows students to express a range of thoughts about the work being shown.
An example of this that stood out to Balcom was screening the film Ten Skies by James Benning, a 100-minute movie made up of 10 uninterrupted shots of the sky at different locations and times. While Balcom describes this movie as “infamously difficult,” he observed students taking a lot out of the viewing experience.
“What was most rewarding is hearing how many students spoke to their feelings for the film changing while it unfolded and how many felt that they understood something new and unique about the power of cinema after seeing something as novel as that,” said Balcom.
Experimental Tuesdays also features several guest speakers each semester, with this semester including renowned film directors Peter Rose and Alee Peoples, animator James Mercer, and many others.
Milwaukee’s renowned film community is heavily built on creating independent work that allows filmmakers to flex their talents and creativity. Because of this, Experimental Tuesdays serves as a reflection of what is possible for UWM film students as artists beyond the industry, with the series seeking to expand filmmakers’ horizons.
“What I hope students experience is that Experimental Tuesdays is known by people all across the city,” said Balcom. “I would say this is one of the pillars of the Milwaukee film community.”
Film alum’s directorial debut now available to stream
Noah Meister’s (BFA 2021, Film) directorial debut, “All That Glitters,” is now able to stream, as featured in an article from The Verona Press.
“All That Glitters” is described as a 75-minute crime drama that follows a high school student “going through the motions” of life that leads him to a substance-fueled world.
The article discusses Meister’s inspiration from acclaimed director Sam Raimi when making his first feature film.
“I always found his story really inspiring, because his first movie was made on this shoestring budget with a bunch of friends,” Meister explained in his Verona Press feature.
To read more about the production and creation of “All That Glitters,” visit The Verona Press.
Sculpture alum involved in ‘greatest snow on earth’
Mike Martino (BFA 1977, Art: Sculpture) is involved in the 30th annual Winterfest, which features complex snow sculptures that serve as the festival’s centerpiece. These sculptures are being built in Lake Geneva.
Martino is competing on one of the Wisconsin teams that are sculpting a piece called “Inner Child.” According to a Journal Times article, the inspiration for “Inner Child” comes from Martino and his team’s early childhood experiences: “some are comforting; some are traumatic.”
Read more about Martino and the Winterfest competition on the Journal Times.
Students take fiber art’s resurgence into a fine art context in current exhibition
The Department of Art & Design is currently hosting Fiber//Form, a two-week-long exhibition of artwork that students have made in fiber courses at PSOA. Over thirty artists are represented in the show.
The unfamiliar art of fibers
Fiber art, such as knitting and crocheting, has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent years. However, many are unaware of how fiber art fits into the professional art world. Fiber//Form is a prime example of how PSOA students are elevating the discipline into a fine art context.
“I think fibers often get viewed mainly as a craft and less so as an artistic form,” said Bernadette Dawson, a junior. “You don’t see a lot of it in art museums and whatnot, so it may not be a discipline that you think about when coming into art school.”
Dawson primarily focuses on 3D art such as sculpting, woodworking, and welding, and was drawn to take Introduction to Fibers (ART 231) to gain even more experience in art that requires a physical, hands-on approach.
Two of Dawson’s pieces are displayed at Fiber//Form, including an intimate coiling project that represents Dawson’s life, focusing on her relationship with her daughter. She described how working with Professor Kyoung Ae Cho (Professor, Fibers) helped her create the project.
“Kyoung Ae helps you think holistically about your project in relationship to fibers,” said Dawson.“She does a really great job of getting you to think outside the box.”
Students showcasing work at Fiber//Form utilize fiber classes to integrate other aspects of their artistic approach into fiber art.
Jessica Isaacs’ piece “Inversions” studies color theory through two large fabric panels. Isaacs, a senior whose primary discipline is fibers, describes how the Peck School has been encouraging when it comes to mixing fiber art with other disciplines that she is interested in.
“If I’m taking classes outside of fibers, I’m always encouraged to mix my work in fibers with other forms of art,” said Isaacs. “I think there’s curiosity that people have about what you can actually do with fiber art.”
Isaacs came to PSOA not knowing that fiber art was something she could focus on as an major, deciding to do so because of her 20+ year passion for fiber art. This passion is partially influenced by Isaacs’ ability to stay busy and active through creating art.
“I think a lot of people use [fibers] to keep your hands busy while letting your mind be free to do other things,” said Isaacs.
This is the case for many students who pursue fibers at PSOA.
Ari St. Germaine, a senior, started crocheting two years ago. Her positive experience with the art form led her to pursue fiber art at the Peck School, due in part to its ability to relieve stress.
“I feel like it’s more meditative, which separates itself from other art programs,” said St. Germaine.
The community of fiber art
Fiber art’s niche at PSOA has led to a strong community of artists pursuing the discipline. Most fibers-based students use the fiber studio to access equipment. St. Germaine describes how positive this has been in allowing herself and others to intermingle.
“It helps build community,” said St. Germaine. “You get to see what other people are working on and ask them about their process.”
Esperanza Reyes, a junior, also felt inspired by interacting with students in the fibers studio.
“I was super intimidated by it,” said Reyes. “But being in the room was very inspirational… We were all very new to the material and all encouraged each other to make something outside of our comfort zone.”
Reyes went into the Introduction to Fibers course with minimal experience in fiber art. However, Reyes believes that what makes fiber art special is how accessible it can be, whether or not someone considers themselves an artist.
“At the end of the day, you are making art,” said Reyes. “It doesn’t matter how many more skills you have than someone who’s doing something smaller or more decorative. It’s all still art.”
Fiber//Form is on view Wednesday-Saturday until February 14 in Kenilworth Square East. For more information, visit the PSOA Events Calendar.
Bernadette Dawson, Untitled, 2024
Hand dyed cotton, wood, plastic straw, threadJessica Isaacs, “Inversion,” 2024,
Hand dyed and screen-printed cotton, dye, pigmentBernadette Dawson, “Specimen of Word Exercises,” 2024, Cotton yarn, coiling cord, wood, glass, metalEsperanza Reyes,
“Temperature,” 2024,
Cotton yarn, coiling cordAri St. Germaine, “Molly,” 2024, Screen printed and dyed cotton, ceramic, thread
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
American Theatre magazine features Alvaro Saar Rios and his latest play
Alvaro Saar Rios (Associate Professor, Playwriting; Area Head, Theatre Practices) is premiering his latest play, “Quetzali and the Comic Book Queen vs. the Alebrije of Darkness: Live in the School Cafeteria” at Kentucky’s Lexington Children’s Theatre. American Theatre magazine profiled the work.
According to the American Theatre article, “Quetzali” is part of the national TYA BIPOC Superhero Project, a Theatre for Young Audiences/USA effort aiming to connect BIPOC playwrights with TYA theatres. The national initiative matched 20 playwrights of color with 24 U.S. theatres to commission plays featuring superheroes of color.
Rios’s latest work follows a teenager who notices a Quetzal feather emerging from her arm, leading her to discover secrets and fight evil. This play draws on cultural influences from Greek mythology, according to Rios.
Read the full article by Jerald Raymond Pierce on American Theatre.
UWM alums to premiere documentary at SXSW festival
UWM alums TW Hansen (BFA 2003, Film) and Christopher Thompson (BFA 2006, Film) are part of the team behind Now! More! Yes!, a documentary that follows local legend TW Hansen. The film is set to premiereat the South by Southwest Film Festival this coming March.
In a Milwaukee Record article written by Matt Wild, Now! More! Yes!, Wild describes the film’s subject, Hansen, who is well known in the Milwaukee area for the many hats he wears, including used car salesman, director, filmmaker, musician, and landlord. The zany comedy was shot over the course of three years by director Max Hey and is a love letter to Milwaukee and Milwaukeeans.
“The story is about a legally blind used car salesman who drunkenly purchases an ambulance online with his boss’s credit card,” said Hey.
Current and former theatre faculty recognized at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre reception
Raeleen McMillion (Teaching Faculty II, Voice, Speech, and Dialects), former theatre faculty Jenny Wanasek, and former voice faculty Michelle Lopez-Rios were recognized at a recent Milwaukee Chamber Theatre reception. The trio are previous recipients of the Ruth Schudson Leading Lady Award.
They attended the reception to honor N’Jameh Camara, the 2025 recipient of the award. This Milwaukee Chamber Award is given yearly to an exemplary individual who has made significant contributions to Milwaukee’s theater community.
Film alum featured in Milwaukee Magazine
Ty Williams (BFA 2020, Film) was recently featured in a Milwaukee Magazine article highlighting his work curating the 2025 Milwaukee Film Black Lens series.
Williams has worked with Oriental Theatre and Milwaukee Film since 2019, stepping into the role as a curator for the ongoing Black History Month run of screenings.
“I’ve been thinking mostly about films that would accompany a wide range of audiences and provide an experience where nobody would feel like they’d look at the list and not find at least one film to attend,” Williams said in a Milwaukee Magazine article. “I wanted this to be for somebody and also for everybody, so that way our community can come together and celebrate Black History Month and not feel they’re excluded in any way.”
Guest choreographer Jackie Lopez brings Hip Hop history and women’s empowerment to Winterdances 2025
Winterdances: Perfectly Wild opens on Thursday, January 30, and features the work of PSOA Dance faculty members with a special piece from Los Angeles-based guest choreographer Jackie Lopez.
Lopez has been a practitioner of Street Dance and Hip Hop for the last 25 years and is currently a lecturer at UCLA’s Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, where she is building and teaching Street Dance and Hip Hop curriculum. During the fall semester, Lopez visited UWM to work with PSOA dance students and choreograph her Winterdances piece, “Her-Story Her-Spirit.”
“All of them really spoke to me”
Lopez choreographed a Street Dance-style piece while engaging with PSOA students during a week of intensive masterclasses. Despite Street Dance’s popularity on social media and in the mainstream, there are still many who do not understand the genre in-depth, something that Lopez tries to work on with her students.
“[Street Dance] is still very new,” said Lopez. “As popular as it is, people do not get the sense of foundation and technique and the historical context that comes with it.”
In collaborating with Milwaukee students, Lopez found that a House Dance piece was the one that “captivated [students] the most.”
Throughout her time at PSOA, Lopez was able to form lasting bonds and connections with students.
Dance students worked with Lopez (not pictured) in Fall 2024 when she visited UWM to choreograph her Winterdances piece, “Her-Story Her-Spirit.”
“I think I was able to gain really genuine relationships and connections during the week,” said Lopez. “The hardest part is that it’s just a week… This cast in particular is really special to me. All of them really spoke to me.”
On the final day of Lopez’s week at PSOA, Daniel Burkholder (Chair, Department of Dance), alongside faculty and community members, watched the final rehearsal. The opportunity to perform the material for a live audience proved powerful and essential to the success of Lopez and her dancers, according to Lopez.
“I knew whatever we put together worked with the reaction of the audience,” said Lopez. “Something clicks when there’s an audience watching you and the girls really went into character with intention… I remember getting chills. I was so proud of them.”
“We were able to grow together”
Lopez credited her work with students as being an important and emotionally charged experience. This same sentiment was reciprocated by her students.
Phairra Jones
Phairra Jones (Dance BA, Junior) is a Hip Hop-based dancer who responded well to Lopez’s style of choreography. Jones described how Hip Hop can be represented poorly in modern times, feeling that Lopez was instrumental in bringing the communal foundation of the style to PSOA students.
“Since the early 1970s, Hip Hop has been an outlet for a lot of oppressed people to release their emotions,” said Jones. “[Lopez] really brought the historical type of Hip Hop to UWM. It focuses on the community part of Hip Hop, which is my favorite part.”
According to Jones, Lopez was honest about her life as a Latina mother, using her life experience to teach the meaning of Hip Hop.
“She teaches through her story of being oppressed,” said Jones. “She tells her story as she teaches Hip Hop… It’s such an inspiring way to teach. Jackie makes you want to work harder because she worked so hard to get to where she is now, and she still loves it.”
Abigail Knueppel
Many other students, such as Abigail Knueppel (Dance BFA, Junior), did not come from a Hip Hop background but found Lopez’s history, work, and motivating attitude instrumental in pushing themselves further as dancers.
“It really brought us all closer with that extra motivation to be a unifying group of women,” said Knueppel. “Not a lot of us had traditional Hip Hop backgrounds… We were able to grow together.”
Like most of Lopez’s all-female cast, Knueppel responded to the themes of women empowerment that are apparent in her choreography. Knueppel noted how the effort students put into Lopez’s piece serves as a parallel to what the dance is conveying.
“I’m really proud of how all of us have worked together,” said Knueppel. “It’s truly a testament to women’s empowerment and the power in working together to get to a specific objective.”
For some students, working with Lopez was their final chance to interact with a guest choreographer while at UWM, including Charlotte Reynolds (Dance BFA, Senior).
Charlotte Reynolds
Reynolds described how working with Lopez was fulfilling, serving as a reminder that dancers, like all artists, should strive to be multifaceted in their work.
“This was my first experience with a Hip Hop choreographer who choreographed a piece meant for the stage,” said Reynolds. “It was really great and a big reminder to everyone in the program that to be professional you need to be versatile… She was so knowledgeable and so inspiring throughout the whole process.”
As Reynolds and other senior dancers finish their undergraduate education and head into the professional world or graduate studies, Lopez offered to be a resource and contact to keep in mind for the years ahead.
“Working with guest artists is great networking and experience working in a different style,” said Reynolds. “I’ve been blessed to be in lots of guest artist pieces and every time it just opens up a new opportunity.”
Winterdances: Perfectly Wild opens January 30 and runs through Feb 2 on the Mainstage Theatre. Tickets and more information can be found on the PSOA Events Calendar.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
Accomplished professor’s PSOA exhibit featured on PBS
Raoul Deal’s (Teaching Faculty Emeritus, Community Arts) recent exhibition “Continuum 24: Where Everything Begins” was featured on an episode of the Milwaukee PBS program, Adelante. “Continuum” ran throughout September 2024 and was a career retrospective featuring artwork from Deal’s time spent in Mexico and South America to the culture shock of moving his family to Milwaukee, and everywhere in between.
To watch Deal’s feature on Adelante, visit Milwaukee PBS.
Janelle VanderKelen (MA 2014, MFA 2016) recently received a Creative Capital Award in the 2025 Film/Moving Image category. Former FVANG faculty member Lori Felker also received an award in the same category.
The Creative Capital Awards recognized 49 projects from 55 artists nationwide focused on a wide variety of art disciplines.
Laura Lofton (BFA 2000, Art Education) was recently awarded the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) Outstanding Educators Award for her work at MPS’s Escuela Vieau, a bilingual school for K3 – 8th grade.
In a Milwaukee Public Schools article, Lofton describes how she became an art teacher because of how important art was to her as a child.
“I looked forward to art class every week. It’s easy, if you feel like you’re good at something,” Lofton said. “I try to make my kids all feel like they’re good at it.”
In addition to teaching art, Lofton leads Escuela Vieau’s Girls on the Run chapter and coaches robotics.
Film alum receives Creative Capital Award for experimental documentary
Janelle VanderKelen (MA 2014, MFA 2016) recently received a Creative Capital Award in the 2025 Film/Moving Image category. VanderKelen received the award for her project “The Golden Thread,” a 16mm feature that highlights how unseen fungi help mitigate climate change, according to ArtsKnoxville.
The Creative Capital Award gives VanderKelen a grant to help her continue working on this experimental documentary. The Creative Capital announcement noted that this piece, which will be filmed in Germany, will discuss plant collaboration and human agriculture, among other environmental topics.
The Creative Capital Awards recognized 49 projects from 55 artists nationwide focused on a wide variety of art disciplines.
To read more about VanderKelen’s work, visit ArtsKnoxville.
Team of alumni and students launch online job networking app for artists
Recent PSOA graduates, one current student, and other colleagues in the Milwaukee area are making it easier for artists to find opportunities with their startup called ArtsConnect.
This project began in December 2022 on the UWM campus, when then-student Lilith Lenz (BA 2023, Music) noticed that her fellow music students wanted another resource to help find work in the arts.
Lenz, who is now ArtsConnect CEO, noticed that there are a variety of job opportunities available for arts students; what was lacking was a way to find them tailored to creatives.
“I know the struggles to find a job and feel confused about what to do,” said Lenz. “Often times Wisconsin students may think ‘Do I have to move to New York or LA to find work?’ But there are options out there. Knowing the options is really our core value.”
Lenz approached current UWM student Noah Welsh during a Community of Creative Arts meeting with the idea for a site that provided mentorship and connections for young artists. Welsh would become ArtsConnect’s Chief Creative Officer.
A mockup of the ArtsConnect app | Submitted graphic
Now, ArtsConnect is a resource for students that strives to inspire and empower creative minds by helping them build a network and find work opportunities in the arts. Lenz and Welsh now work alongside marketing director Richard Minten (BFA 2024, Film), Chief Financial Officer Alex Cox, and Chief Technology Officer Mitchell Allen.
“Our mission is really to give young creative talent the opportunity to grow and network,” said Lenz. “We want to give artists the opportunity to find jobs but also to showcase their talents.”
As a new startup, Lenz and the company are still seeking ways to expand ArtsConnect. Their most recent creative endeavor is the launch of their Pilot Program, which gives users first access to ArtsConnect functionality, including job opportunities, internships, and creative projects.
The mission of ArtsConnect is not currently driven by profiting off students eager to find jobs.
“The future of ArtsConnect is not just to make a lot of money,” said Lenz. “The future is to create a thriving environment for creative minds. We want students to not be scared of finding a job.”
