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. Bastian is only the third artist to participate in this program and plans to use the space to hold weekly open studio sessions, occasional Grief Circle workshops, and develop her personal art practice.
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 Paraguayan guitarist and composer Agustín Pío Barrios Ferreira, known worldwide as Nitsuga Mangoré. She was joined by his grandson Héctor Leguizamón who had never visited the site of his late grandfather.
Elsewhere on her trip, Chekan conducted a masterclass at Universidad Dr. José Matías Delgado and visited a local museum, where she saw Ferreira’s last guitar.
For more about Chekan’s trip, read an article from Diario El Salvador.
Mike Gibisser (Associate Professor, FVANG; Director, Film Graduate Program; Co-Chair, Tech & Facilities Committee) has been recognized for his recent creative work by receiving the UWM Office of Research/Outstanding Creative Research Achievement Award.
The recognition follows Gibisser’s most recent film “A Common Sequence,” which debuted at Sundance in 2023 before having a successful run of festival screenings. The experimental documentary essay explores the question of where lines are drawn between the natural and non-natural.
“The film really becomes a question of how the line between what is considered natural and non-natural has been shifted throughout history to allow certain groups to exercise power,” said Gibisser.
The Creative Research Award is given biennially and recognizes UWM faculty for significant creative contributions to their field over the past three years.
Gibisser described “A Common Sequence” as a labor of creative research, as he and his collaborator Mary Helena Clark let the content of the film be driven by what they learned throughout the filmmaking process.
“This film is research-based and makes attempts, at least, at scholarship,” said Gibisser. “It feels important to me to highlight that intellectual, scholarly work can exist in artistic and creative forms.”
Peck School faculty and staff are consistently recognized at the annual awards, and this year Gibisser is the sole recipient from PSOA. He calls the honor “humbling” as he gets to serve as a reminder of how much talent exists in the arts at UWM.
“There’s so much brilliant creative work being done from the faculty and graduate students in my department, the Peck school, and our undergrads,” said Gibisser.
As an educator and filmmaker, Gibisser ensures that he helps students grow as young filmmakers. However, the exchange between Gibisser and his students is not one-sided, as he believes that they allow him to develop and improve his craft.
“Every time I enter into a discussion with students, they’re bringing ideas that I couldn’t have thought of myself,” said Gibisser. “It’s a privilege to continue to explore and study in a classroom with curious individuals. It’s a continuous practice and I love working with my students in order to continue to learn.”
Gibisser recognizes that the relationship he shapes in the classroom sets his students up for what they will witness should they enter the professional film world.
“One of the most exciting things about filmmaking is the joy of bringing together a set of collaborators that summon aspects to the film that you would never have been able to achieve yourself,” said Gibisser.
Gibisser accepted his award at a ceremony held on Oct. 9, 2024. To read the full list of recipients, visit UWM Report.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
Peck School of the Arts fall theater season begins this Wednesday with the opening of “Bright Star,” a tale of love and redemption from the minds of Edie Brickell and Steve Martin.
The production is directed by Raeleen McMillion (Teaching Faculty II, Voice, Speech, and Dialects) who has many strong connections to the show.
“Bright Star” is set in mid-20th century North Carolina through the Appalachian mountains, not too far from where McMillion was raised. Born into a family of strong storytellers, music lovers, and Steve Martin fans, McMillion still travels through the Appalachian mountains to stay connected with her roots.
Given her understanding of life in Appalachia, McMillion had colleagues suggest she direct “Bright Star,” a role she stepped into graciously.
“Appalachia is such a near and dear place to me and a beautiful part of this country,” said McMillion. “I’m so glad that [the theater department] thought this play was a good fit… I’m already a bit sad it will be over in a few weeks.”
An important aspect of “Bright Star” is its Tony-nominated bluegrass-centric score. For PSOA’s production, local Milwaukee duo Frogwater were brought in to play music on stage. They are joined by UWM student Mariah Kiefer, a talented fingerstyle guitar player who also happens to be a huge fan of Frogwater.
“They are very dear friends, but I also have a very deep respect for them,” said McMillion, who has collaborated with the duo in the past. “Bluegrass and folk music feels simple but those melodies set with strategic harmony played by the right musicians is truly excellent.”
McMillion’s diverse array of knowledge related to all things “Bright Star” is not lost on the cast, who have been gracious to be under her guidance.
“It made me more excited to do the piece knowing that [Raeleen] is so passionate about the work we’re doing,” said Sanaa Harper (Sophomore, Theatre Production BFA). “It just makes us want to do better and make sure we get the point across.”
Throughout the production, McMillion never lost appreciation for the real stars: her students.
“It’s so hard to even express the love I have for these students,” said McMillion. “They have worked so hard and it’s started from day one.”
On the first day of rehearsals, McMillion decided against a typical table read. Instead, she asked the cast to bring instruments and host a jam session. Students then brought guitars, ukuleles, a cajón, an autoharp, and more embracing everyone’s shared love of music.
“It was pretty amazing hearing all the different musical elements,” said Derrick Sandders (Sophomore, Musical Theatre BFA). “It was like we were in our own little world there… I feel like it built the foundation for our bond.”
For students like Sandders, this is their first theater production with UWM. For others, it is the beginning of their senior season. The wide range of ages and experience going into this show allows upperclassmen, such as Olivia Coleman (Junior, Musical Theatre BFA), to step into leadership roles.
“Last year, when I was a sophomore, it meant a lot to have juniors and seniors talk to me and try to tell me how their experience went,” said Coleman. “I try to do the same for sophomores this year and work to make it a safe environment for them.”
Following months of preparations, the cast and crew of “Bright Star” are excited for five unforgettable performances.
“I hope that the time, love, and care we’ve put into this piece is really evident,” said Maya Schmitz (Senior, Musical Theatre BFA). “I hope everyone can see the love we’ve got for each other and the sense of community and family we’ve built.”
This uplifting yet heart-rending story provides a one-of-a-kind theater experience that audiences will not want to miss.
“I hope that the audience can walk away going ‘I laughed, I cried, and I’m humming the tunes,’” said McMillion. “The conversations on the way home will be about how these young artists are going to be the people they want to see on stages down the road.”
“Bright Star” opens on Oct. 9, 2024, and runs through Oct. 13, 2024, at the Mainstage Theatre. For more information and tickets, visit the PSOA events calendar.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
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 Houston, Texas. The 10-minute piece imagines a world where a grandmother attempts to make Mexican food that is out of this world. The festival takes place Oct. 4 – 6.
The following week, two of Rios’ short plays will be read in Kaiserslautern and Baumholder, Germany as a part of a Hispanic Heritage celebration in Germany. This reading will include Alien Menudo and La Liorona’s Sidekick, which depicts destructive entities and a lucha libre wrestler competing to become sidekick to a legendary spirit.
To read more about Rios’ work, check out his previous feature here on the PSOA faculty stories page.
Dawn Springer (Teaching Faculty I, Dance) was recently featured in Milwaukee Record regarding Springer’s upcoming ballet Sylph.
The feature covers Springer’s more than four-year journey that led to Sylph while highlighting Springer’s idea of presenting this piece “in-the-round”, allowing the audience to surround the dancers from 360 degrees. Springer’s ability to adapt and transform the setting her dancers work in is just one way that she can accentuate the strengths of her dancers.
“Part of my process is to open up a non-hierarchical way of being in a dance studio,” Springer says in the Milwaukee Record feature. “Depending on your training, that’s not necessarily easy or automatic. The process has to embody what you’re trying to say.”
Sylph premiers at UWM’s Jan Serr Studio on Oct. 11 & 12. To read Springer’s feature piece, visit Milwaukee Record.
Over the summer, a group of theater students spent two weeks traveling the United Kingdom including London, Sussex, York, and Stratford. Throughout this trip, they attended formal and self-guided tours, visited museums, and explored the culture of English life.
The centerpiece of the trip was the lineup of nine theater productions, which allowed students to reflect on the socio-political impact of theater, differing aesthetic viewpoints, and more. Along the way, students documented what they saw and how they felt to remember how their creative engagement abroad not only supported their studies but helped them grow as artists and people.
See the trip through their eyes by clicking into the gallery.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
Over 35 years of artistic expertise, expression, and activism from Raoul Deal (Teaching Faculty Emeritus, Community Arts) is currently displayed in his expansive exhibition “Continuum 24: Where Everything Begins.”
The exhibition is a career retrospective featuring artwork from his time spent in Mexico and South America to the culture shock of moving his family to Milwaukee, and everywhere in between.
“Where Everything Begins” is divided into five parts that represent different periods of Deal’s life, each section exploring different themes including art and healing, looking inward, and community arts activism.
Several PSOA alums have their work featured in “Where Everything Begins.” Those alumni are:
Nadia Al-Khun (BA 2022, Community Arts), Isabel Castro (BS 2022, Honors), Jovanny Hernandez Caballero (BFA 2023, Photography & Imaging), Natalie Derr (BFA 2021, Art), Emmanuel Guerra (MFA 2024, Art), Molly Hassler (BFA 2018, Art), Eriks Johnson (MFA 2004, Art), Mutópe J. Johnson (MFA 2014, Art), Chantala Kommanivanh (MA 2012; MFA 2013, Art), Teddy Lepley III (MFA 2023, Art), Madeline Martin (MFA 2019; Arts Integration and Learning Certificate, 2022), Nayfa Naji (BA 2021, Art), Celeste Contreras Skierski (MFA 2022, Art), Gabrielle Tesfaye (BFA 2018, Inter-Arts), and Jeff Zimpel (MFA 2021, Art).
“I was especially honored to include the work of a handful of my former students, who selected beautiful pieces that encompass a variety of different media,” said Deal. “They are powerful statements of community, identity, spirit, and creative self-expression.”
In addition to being the founding coordinator of the Peck School’s Community Arts BA Program, Deal was a long time collaborator with the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and was Artist-in-Residence for the Cultures and Communities Program for over 20 years. In all capacities, his pedagogy was guided by his own experiences living and working in different communities. He regularly invited students to engage as service learners with individuals and organizations around the city.
The power of collaboration is at the center of “Where Everything Begins.”
Born in the Midwest to a bicultural family, Deal attended first grade in Costa Rica, first learning to read and write in Spanish. Early on in his life, Deal traveled between Mexico and the United States, and after earning a BFA in Painting from the University of Illinois Champaign Urbana, he spent a year traveling abroad throughout South America.
Upon meeting his wife and collaborator Dinorah Márquez Abadiano (MM 2001, Music), he moved to Mexico and planted roots in Veracruz, where they had their daughter, Minneapolis-based artist and writer Gabriella Deal-Márquez.
“In the ten years we spent as a family in Mexico, Raoul began to implement spontaneous strategies to support his creativity,” Deal-Márquez reflected in the forward of the exhibition catalog.
During this time, Deal made art centered on Mexican popular culture that explored his growing interest in cultural activism, including themes of sexism, toxic masculinity, and colonialism.
The family moved to America, where Deal worked in the Milwaukee Public School system with children of immigrant families, predominantly from Mexico and Central America.
“I saw how the ‘American dream’ was in full view, but very much out of their reach,” said Deal. “I saw how consumerism propagated unhealthy cultural values among these young students. I saw their fury against an unfair social condition.”
Through this experience, Deal saw the power art had in giving underrepresented youth communities the ability to find their voice and assert their stories.
In the forward, she describes her father as “often lost in thought, taking in his surroundings,” someone who “sees wonder everywhere.”
“What Raoul has learned in community and of himself,” Deal-Márquez says, “has prepared him to further deepen this artmaking process, expand his craft, and to depart once again from where everything begins.”
“Continuum 24: Where Everything Begins” is open in Kenilworth Square East Gallery until Saturday, September 28. For times and more information, visit the PSOA events calendar.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
René Izquierdo (Professor, Classical Guitar; Area Head, Guitar) recently performed for WUWM as a part of their Live at Lake Effect web series.
Filmed at the Lake Effect Surf Shop in Shorewood, Wis., Izquierdo played a handful of classical pieces from Eduardo Martín and Antonio (Ñico) Rojas. Both composers and Izquierdo are acclaimed Cuban guitarists.
Izquierdo also gave a written interview with WUWM in which he discussed his shared loves: performing and teaching, with the latter being his true calling.
“I love teaching, my calling is teaching, but if I stop performing then I cannot demand of [my students] the same way as I would demand of myself,” said Izquierdo.
To watch Izquierdo’s performance and read the full story, visit WUWM.
Dr. Debra Hardy (Assistant Professor, Art Education) spent her summer in Chicago advancing her research project “Illuminating the Expanse of Bronzeville’s Black Artist-Educator Networks, 1930’s-1960’s.”
This opportunity was a result of Hardy receiving a research fellowship with the Black Metropolis Research Consortium, which helped her dive into the history of Chicago’s art community.
“Chicago has a deep and rich and beautiful history,” said Hardy. “There have been a lot of individuals, particularly Black folks, who knew that preservation of that history was really important to their legacy.”
Hardy began her project in 2014 while she was pursuing her master’s degree at the University of Texas at Austin. Initially, her research was focused on the South Side Community Art Center in Chicago.
“I fell in love with the history and how this place was put together,” said Hardy. “What I found from that was a lot of stories, a lot of narratives, and a lot of people. It was the people that I was really interested in.”
One of the main people that Hardy took an interest in was Dr. Maragaret Burroughs, who was a multi-faceted artist, writer, educator, and more. Hardy focused much of her dissertation on Burroughs and her work as a teacher.
To support her research, Hardy visited four different archives throughout Chicago: the Art Institute of Chicago, the Vivian G. Harsh Collection, the South Side Community Center, and the DuSable Black History Museum. Hardy’s research revealed how these archives have similarities that showcase the interconnectivity of Chicago’s art community.
“Outside of the art world, a lot of people who see artists think that they’re just a lone genius,” said Hardy. “That’s not really accurate. Instead, what I found was that these networks and communities were important ways to sustain artists.”
The project has allowed Hardy to reflect on her approach to art education, especially regarding the values she wishes to instill in her UWM students.
“Working in art education, it’s always been this hybrid position where you’re an artist and you’re an educator,” said Hardy. “But realizing that those are not the only two facets of yourself. There are so many other pieces to you, to your students, and to everybody… We are multi-hyphenate.”
Hardy’s research project will continue with hopes of working with the community of archivists she interacted with in Chicago.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
Michelle Grabner (BFA 1984; MA 1987) was recently featured on Milwaukee PBS in a segment called “The Arts Page,” where Grabner discussed her participation in Actual Fractals Act II, a new exhibition by Sculpture Milwaukee.
Grabner’s work in Actual Fractals Act II features three large-scale bookends which are featured at different locations throughout Milwaukee. These pieces are meant to welcome viewers into the ideas of contemporary art while still being accessible to the common pedestrian.
“To be able to understand bookends not just as supporting the imaginative large-scale book, but what else can they support?” said Grabner during her segment. “Hopefully, if there is repeated viewing, [people] start to see it differently.”
Executive Director of Milwaukee Sculpture John Riepenhoff (BFA 2004) also appeared in the segment to discuss Grabner’s work, including her first engagement with Sculpture Milwaukee, Untitled, which is now in Milwaukee’s Third Ward.
“The Arts Page” is a weekly series showcasing the latest in local arts and cultures through interviews, performances, and more. You can watch Grabner’s segment on YouTube.
Reporting by Jason McCullum ’25
A solo exhibition by J. Celeste Contreras Skierski (MFA 2022, Art: Print & Book Arts; Lecturer, Art & Design) is currently on view at Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, a culmination of her six-month residency at the cultural landmark in Milwaukee.
During her residency, Skierski carved and stamped a rubber stamp daily, called a “reflection,” which she then used to create the pieces now on display in “We Are Reflections.”
The residency came at a time when Skierski was experiencing personal chaos in her living situation. She needed a more isolated art studio, and as Villa Artist-in-Residence, she was afforded that opportunity.
“I was totally addicted to the view,” said Skierski. “So, I used that. I used Villa Terrace as a place of refuge, a solace place… I needed a clean, clear, quiet place and that’s what this was.”
Throughout her twenty-four weeks, Skierski was not given a specific task other than to create art that inspired her.
“The goal here was to use the space and see what you make,” said Skierski. “I could just create. There was no goal of selling.”
On top of personal challenges, she found herself taken aback by the war and turmoil of today’s socio-political landscape, wondering how she could create artwork during this time. “We Are Reflections” became an exercise in resilience and perseverance.
“I know the power and the reason for art,” she said. “We carry a message in our work… It’s this freedom to express instead of being depressed. Even in the middle of depression, celebrating a little bit that we can overcome things.”
Located on Lincoln Memorial Drive and facing out to Lake Michigan, Villa Terrace is a communal space for Milwaukee artists and residents to appreciate art and nature with one another. It separates itself by being a museum, rather than a gallery, so there is no pressure on the artist to monetize their work.
Skierski grew up coming to Villa Terrace and has always viewed it as a source of inspiration. Coming out of her residency, she felt a renewed energy about creating art, which she hopes to instill in her students. She is a lecturer at UWM.
“I want to bring students here,” said Skierski. “I want them to look around and read and find out who these awesome artists are, where they came from, why are they even in Milwaukee… it’s all connected to history.”
“We Are Reflections” is on view at Villa Terrace through December 15, 2024. To read more and purchase tickets, visit the Villa Terrace website.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
The UWM Union Art Gallery presents a new exhibition entitled “Working for the Water, Working for Each Other: Work by Melanie Ariens.” Melanie Ariens (BFA 1992, Art: Painting & Drawing and Printmaking & Book Arts) is a multi-media artist and water activist.
Ariens’ work focuses on the Great Lakes and freshwater issues. She uses art as a tool to create awareness and capture peoples’ hearts around water issues. Often, she will use simple metaphors to frame how we perceive the state of the lakes. She creates water shrines and fetish pieces, serving to inspire stewardship for our shared waters, gently urging us all to celebrate and care for them as we are the stewards of one of the World’s greatest freshwater resources.
Because of her belief that our dependence on clean, safe water unites us, and that everyone needs access to it to thrive, she works as the Creative Arts Manager for Milwaukee Water Commons. MWC is a social and environmental justice organization that uses the arts as a way to capture hearts around water issues, seeking fresh ways to connect and create community. They work to ensure that communities that are most affected by climate change and aging infrastructure are prioritized, have a say and benefit from work done in the community.
In addition to the work presented here, Melanie has worked on many public art projects for the Urban Ecology Center, the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage district and the Watermarks project.
“Working for the Water, Working for Each Other” will be on view through September 27, 2024.
Two films about the Great Lakes will be screened in the UWM Union Cinema, on the 2nd level of the UWM Student Union, in conjunction with the exhibition. Both films are free and open to the public.
On Wednesday, September 18 at 6 p.m., the Union Cinema will screen “Bad River,” a film which chronicles the Wisconsin-based Bad River band and their ongoing fight for sovereignty and the protection of Lake Superior from an aging 70-year-old pipeline. The film is cosponsored by Sociocultural Programming and the Electa Quinny Institute for American Indian Education at UWM. It will be followed by a discussion with Melanie Ariens and other water activists.
On Wednesday, October 9 at 6 p.m., the Union Cinema will show “The Worth of Water: A Great Lakes Story,” a feature-length documentary that follows the co-creators of Walk to Sustain Our Great Lakes, Julia Robson and Alyssa Armbruster, as they embark on their 343-mile walk from the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee to Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The film is cosponsored by the Conservation Club at UWM and will be followed by a post-film discussion.
About the Union Art Gallery | The Union Art Gallery, located within the Student Union at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2200 E Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53211, seeks to bring outstanding contemporary art to the UWM campus community, reflect the diversity of the university and greater Milwaukee communities, connect the university and the public through relevant art and cultural programs, and support student, emerging, and established artists by providing opportunities for the creation and exhibition of cutting-edge visual art. The gallery is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 12-5 and from 12-7 on Thursdays. For more information, visit the Union Art Gallery webpage.
Melissa Anderson (Lecturer, Dance) has earned the Artistic Achievement Award from the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters, joining a prestigious group of dance educators.
Anderson received the award during CNADM’s Summer Workshop. During the presentation, a quartet of Danceworks MKE dancers performed a piece dedicated to Anderson and choreographed by Christal Wagner (Lecturer, Dance; Outreach Coordinator, Dance). The piece featured quotes from Anderson’s peers and a snippet from one of Anderson’s signature solos.
“This beautiful moment of dancers that I’ve known and watched grow are performing to me,” said Anderson. “It was beautiful, and it was the best surprise I could have ever had. It was the most meaningful thing I have ever been through. To have my peers and the people that know me best give me this gift, it was amazing.”
Anderson said that while she loved her time achieving her dream of being a ballerina, the connection between her and her students has proven more important.
“You think being an artist, you want the applause and the accolades,” said Anderson. “But when I’m in the audience screaming for those performers, that’s the pinnacle… Those students are the fuller joy.”
Anderson’s long and successful career as a dancer took her around the world including Reykjavik, Iceland, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Orlando, Florida.
Along the way, Anderson trained under a member of Ballet Russes, a 1920s group of Russian immigrants who would eventually bring ballet to the United States.
“[My students] are part of the Ballet Russes lineage,” said Anderson. “Ballet is passed down from these great people into the teachers of today. I think that’s beautiful and amazing.”
Throughout Anderson’s teaching career, she has taken a pedagogical approach to ballet that breaks the strict, harsh standards students such as herself experienced, instead seeking to find joy and happiness in dance.
“I would have dance students come up to me and say, ‘I hate ballet,'” said Anderson. “I’m always pleased when they return to me and share ‘Now, I don’t hate ballet as much.’ It is my mission to make ballet accessible to all dancers and non-dancers. Maybe even make it fun.”
Story by Jason McCullum ’25
The first week of the fall semester ended on a celebratory note at the Peck School of the Arts as new students got acquainted with campus and their peers through department gatherings and the annual PSOA Fall Student Welcome.
The culminating event serves as an opportunity for new and returning students to network with arts organizations from across the city. More than thirty organizations filled the Arts Center patio to join in the celebration.
These organizations highlight to students why Milwaukee is an ideal place for artists and creative entrepreneurs to study and pursue their goals.
“We are all about harnessing creativity right here in our city,” said Rachel Vander Weit, Development Director of Milwaukee Film. “Milwaukee is such a creative, DIY community… People here have a great impact on the world because we have great and easy resources with an accessible city.”
In addition to celebrating the start of a new year, organizations were eager to make connections with students for internships, creative collaborations, employment opportunities and more.
“Getting your feet wet early on sets you up for success when you graduate,” said Kris Grassi, Development Officer for Membership at Milwaukee Art Museum. “It gives you the tools you need to thrive in an art setting… We love engaging with students, and we want them to know that Milwaukee has great resources for them.”
Many organizations were represented by PSOA alumni who were excited to return to campus and talk to students about the experiences they’ve had since graduating.
“I graduated in December 2022 with a Voice BA,” said Cora Trexell, who now works with Milwaukee Ballet as an administrative assistant for business operations and advancement. “In my last semester, I took a Performing Arts Management class, which helped me with my musical theater and dance career. PSOA set me up to be successful for a career in the performing arts.”
Faculty, staff and arts ambassadors from all areas of the Peck School joined the festivities, serving up free food and getting to know the new incoming class. In all, about 300 students took part in the celebration.
Story by Jason McCullum ’25