Our Lives magazine highlights culmination of multi-year dance research project and Winterdances
Our Lives magazine published a story on the multi-year community-based creative research project led by the Department of Dance that culminated in the world premiere of CARE during Winterdances: Resilience. The article highlights choreographer, writer, director, and filmmaker David Roussève’s collaboration with Milwaukee’s LGBTQ+ organization Diverse & Resilient and local participants through the CARE: Illuminating Milwaukee’s Queer and Trans Communities Project, which engaged community members and UWM students in interviews, workshops, and choreography beginning in 2024, centering themes of resilience, care, and joy within Milwaukee’s queer and trans communities.
Assistant Professor Alex Wier and Associate Professor Jennifer Clippert (BFA 1999, Music Performance) are performers on “Voiceless Mass,” an album that made it onto Bandcamp’s Best of 2025 list in the Best of Contemporary Classical Music category. Released in April 2025 by New World Records, the album can be traced to a collaboration that began with a site-specific commission and subsequent world premiere of the Voiceless Mass in 2021.
That premiere went on to play a pivotal role in Chacon’s 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Music, with video from the Present Music performance submitted as part of his winning entry. Following the Pulitzer recognition, Present Music recorded Voiceless Mass along with two additional Chacon works, resulting in the album earning national attention. The Bandcamp feature highlights the recording’s striking instrumental textures, including a distinctive glass cadenza performed by Wier.
Alum named ArtRoot’s writer-in-residence for beginning of 2026
Jay Mollerskov (MM 2006, Music Composition & Theory) has been named ArtRoot’s writer-in-residence for the first half of 2026. While studying at the Peck School of the Arts, Mollerskov was influenced by former music department faculty Hal Rammel, Steve Nelson-Raney, and the late Dr. Yehuda Yannay.
In ArtRoot’s January 10 announcement, Mollerskov reflects on his background as a musician, his creative interests across multiple art forms, and what he hopes to explore during the residency. He also describes how his perspective shifted after watching Don’t Look Back, a documentary following Bob Dylan.
“I came away from the documentary with a personal realization,” Mollerskov explained. “While I had spent decades as a musician with a hand in many/most of the other arts, I couldn’t name almost any poets newer than Kerouac or Ginsberg (from whom we are a half-century removed) aside from a few local friends! This was something I needed to remedy!”
That realization prompted Mollerskov to more deeply engage with contemporary poetry and return to writing, a focus that will inform his work as ArtRoot’s writer-in-residence.
Children’s book illustrator refines their craft at UWM
As a kid growing up in southern California, Pavonis Giron dreamed of being an illustrator for the likes of Pixar and Nickelodeon. “I was trying to put together the skills I needed to work at those studios one day… drawing characters, doing background color studies, working on draftsmanship,” Giron said.
Yet it wasn’t long before the allure of Hollywood wore off and Giron found a calling in children’s book publishing. Those efforts bloomed into a three-book deal in the children’s category. Giron’s debut, “A Rainbow in Brown,” was published in 2024.
Journey to the page
“Reading has always been a favorite pastime, and illustration even more so,” said Giron, who uses they/them pronouns. “My dad was involved in the fine art scene around Pasadena, and that exposed me to the gallery work of an enormous variety of other artists.”
During the pandemic and just prior to enrolling in UW-Milwaukee in 2021, Giron said, they had more creative time on their hands. “I was able to pin down some ideas, which resulted in one fairly well-realized manuscript and a second rough outline for another concept, both with accompanying sample illustrations,” they said.
They sent these concepts to several agents, while taking part in events on social media that helped link authors with agencies and publishers. It was one of these events that brought them into contact with their agent, Jessica Saint Jean. “We hit it off… she brought my work to a number of editors,” Giron said.
One of Giron’s concepts hit home with Holt Macmillan. It was “A Rainbow in Brown,” a story about appreciating the color brown in all its forms. The book was published in 2024.
“I’ve had people reach out to tell me how meaningful it is,” says Giron. “There really is nothing better than hearing that this has made a positive impact for someone.”
On to Milwaukee
Amid the publishing deal, Giron began contemplating finishing their bachelor’s degree. “When visiting a friend in Milwaukee, I got really excited by the scene here from the Milwaukee Art Museum to UW-Milwaukee’s Arts Center Gallery. It seemed like a city where contemporary art really flourished,” they said. Giron enrolled in UW-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts to study sculpture.
Giron’s well-rounded assortment of art classes widened their horizons to larger concepts in artmaking. In metalsmithing, for example, instructors like Glenn Williams and Erica A. Meier piqued their interest in how material lends meaning to one’s work. And in fibers classes, professor Kyoung Ae Cho taught them hands-on sewing skills and introduced them to the Midwest tradition of basket-making.
“It wasn’t only about learning; it was about getting room to fail… experiencing hang-ups as a group,” Giron said. “The frustrations felt by my peers and myself through the artistic process informed some of my storytelling in the books.”
What the future holds
Giron’s frustrations — and successes — influenced their second book, “Angel Draws a Dinosaur,” which comes out this summer. “The book is very informed by seeing myself and other artists around me having to problem-solve, especially in a school environment with deadlines,” they said. “Ultimately, it’s about having to think on your feet and ask for help.”
Giron continues to show work both regionally and nationally with a studio space at Var Gallery in the Walker’s Point neighborhood and will start grad school at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan this fall. Whether it’s in a book or gallery, Giron is even more steadfast in their pursuit to make audiences appreciate the colorful world we live in.
Music Composition and Technology alum debuts new musical
Kyle Thomas Hanneken (BFA 2018, Music Composition & Technology) has spent the past seven years developing Hellenika, a large-scale musical set in the Golden Age of ancient Greece that centers on the life and teachings of the philosopher Sokrates. Drawing on extensive historical research, the work explores questions of truth, justice, rhetoric, and the civic life of Athens itself.
In a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article by Jim Higgins, Hanneken describes how his fascination with Sokrates began shortly after graduating from UW–Milwaukee and how his training in music composition, theory, and performance shaped the ambitious scope of the project. Hellenika will be presented in public readings January 30–31 at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, offering audiences an early look at the work as it continues its path toward a full production.
UWM alum’s project empowers teens to confront gun violence through theatre
UWM alum Michael Cotey (BFA Theatre, 2008) is the founder of ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence, a nationwide initiative that invites teen writers to create ten-minute plays confronting the issue of gun violence. Cotey conceived the project after the 2018 Parkland shooting and further developed it following the 2019 mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton.
Every other year, a selection committee chooses several of these submitted plays for a nationwide reading, giving youth a platform to express their perspectives and spark critical community conversations. In 2025, readings took place in 31 states and 70 communities all on the same day.
A Marquette Wire article by Kaylynn Wright highlights Cotey’s motivation to center youth voices, noting that many young people today experience the threat of gun violence far differently than older generations.
“Their reality being young people did not match my reality,” Cotey said. “I maybe had an active shooter drill at some point, but the threat of being shot in school was not ubiquitous with me growing up as a teenager, as a kid.”
Film MFA alum receives 2026 Creative Capital Award
Gillian Waldo (MFA 2024, Cinematic Arts) has been named a recipient of a 2026 Creative Capital Award.
Creative Capital, the nonprofit organization dedicated to championing artistic freedom of expression by supporting individual artists across the United States, announced that it will award $2.9 million in grants to 109 artists residing in all 50 states and territories. Creative Capital Awards support the creation of risk-taking, groundbreaking new works by providing the awarded artist up to $50,000 in unrestricted project funding, plus professional development services and community-building opportunities.
The artists receiving the 2026 Creative Capital Award and the inaugural 2026 State of the Art Prize were selected from a pool of 4,546 applications from all 50 states and regions in the United States via a democratic, national open call.
Recent Peck School of the Arts theatre graduate Ethan Hightire (BFA 2025, Acting) is stepping into the Milwaukee professional theater scene with roles in two major productions this season.
In a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel feature by Jim Higgins, Hightire reflects on his path to the stage and his performances with Renaissance Theaterworks and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre.
Hightire appears in Renaissance Theaterworks’ production of Hansol Jung’s Cardboard Piano, where he plays two characters whose stories span the play’s two acts. This spring, he will also perform as Joseph Asagai in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s production of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun.
Hightire describes Cardboard Piano as an opportunity to challenge himself and audiences alike. “Theatre can be a mirror to examine yourself, including uncomfortable truths,” he said.
The article also highlights the mentorship Hightire received while studying at UW-Milwaukee, including guidance from Sheri Williams Pannell, associate professor of theatre, and Raeleen McMillion, teaching faculty in voice, speech, and dialects. Pannell praised Hightire’s curiosity and dedication to the craft, qualities she says will serve him throughout his career.
Vocal Performance alum Brian Manternach publishes first book
Vocal Performance alum Brian Manternach (MM 1999, Music) celebrates the publication of his first book, “Voices of Influence: The Journey of a Teacher and Student in the Voice Studio,” with Bloomsbury Publishing.
The novel is a memoir about Manternach’s relationship with his professor, Robert J Harrison, while studying under him at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he earned his Doctor of Music degree in Voice Performance and Literature. Manternach is currently an associate professor at the University of Utah Department of Theatre and research associate at the Utah Center for Vocology.
The Guardian calls documentary by Jesse McLean luminous and immaculate
Jesse McLean, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Film, Video, Animation & New Genres, was recently featured in The Guardian for her experimental documentary Light Needs, which examines relationships between humans and their houseplants.
In a review by Leslie Felperin, The Guardian praises McLean’s precise and thoughtful approach, describing aspects of the film as “luminous” and “immaculate.” Felperin highlights McLean’s ability to weave sound and image into what she calls an “audiovisual collage of perspectives on plant-people relations,” noting the film’s gentle balance of “wonder and wit.” The review emphasizes how Light Needs gives equal consideration to human participants and plant life, allowing multiple viewpoints to coexist without hierarchy. To read the full review by Felperin, visit The Guardian.
Light Needs was also reviewed by Gazettely, which notes the film’s contemplative pacing and sustained attention to stillness and everyday domestic spaces. The review by Naser Nahandian highlights McLean’s use of careful observation to reframe human–plant relationships, calling the film “visually arresting” and “a poetic reminder of our interdependence with the natural world.” To read the full review by Nahandian, visit Gazettely.
Light Needs is available to stream on the True Story platform, where you can watch the trailer with no login required.
Great Lakes Listening Series issues call for submissions
Peck School of the Arts Department of Film, Video, Animation & New Genres is a partner on a new experimental film series called “The Great Lakes Listening Series,” which will be held at UWM’s Union Cinema. The showcase is co-sponsored by the Midwest Society for Acoustic Ecology and centers on acoustic sound as a method for storytelling.
To learn more about the event and call for submissions, visit Experimental Cinema.
Theatre lecturer featured on Arts Educators Save the World podcast
Jeffery Mosser and his mentee, Mizha Lee Overn, were featured on Arts Educators Save the World, a podcast that highlights the experiences and achievements behind art educators and their mentees.
On the podcast, Mosser and Overn discuss the mentorship process, the business side of the theatre industry, and Overn’s path from student to headlining shows in Chicago.
Multiple theatre students and alumni nominated for 2025 BroadwayWorld Awards
BroadwayWorld announced its nominations for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Milwaukee, WI Awards. The roster includes several theatre students and alumni.
Seniors Josh Thone and Serena Vasquez received nominations for Best Performer in a Musical for their roles in the H.M.S. Pinafore, produced by UWM in cooperation with Milwaukee Opera Theatre.
Ashley Oviedo (BFA 2020, Theatre), whose performance in Next Act Theater’s production of Sanctuary City was positively reviewed by BroadwayWorld earlier this year, received a Best Performer in a Play nomination for the same role.
Three alumni received multiple nominations: Bekah Rose (BFA 2017, Theatre) for Best Performer in a Musical and Best Performer in a Play, Andrea Buller (BFA 2021, Theatre) for Best Performer in a Play and Best Supporting Actor in a Play, and Dimonte Henning for Best Director of a Play and Best Performer in a Play.
Additional alumni who received nominations include Chloe Attalla (BFA 2021, Theatre) for Best Supporting Actor in a Play; Hope Reister (BFA 2021, Theatre) for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical, and Colin Gawronski for Best Lighting Design.
To cast your vote for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Milwaukee, WI Awards, visit BroadwayWorld.
Portia Cobb deepens artistic practice and international collaborations during sabbatical in Brazil
Professor Portia Cobb launched her fall sabbatical with a month-long residency in Bahia, Brazil. The experience expanded her research, deepened her multidisciplinary practice, and strengthened her ties to a growing network of international artists and scholars.
Cobb was invited to Balaio Fantasma, an artists’ residency hosted by Professor Paola Barreto from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). During her stay, she led workshops and collaborations with arts and humanities students, local artists, and community members.
She also immersed herself in Bahia’s cultural landscape, visiting museums, artist studios, and community events that informed and broadened her creative lens.
“My return to Brazil has been in development since 2023, based on connections I established with Paola Barreto, who teaches arts and media at the university. We continue to work collaboratively,” Cobb stated. “The residency was a great immersive experience, and having a month-long stay made all the difference.”
A featured performance artist and filmmaker at the Cachoeira Documentary Film Festival, Cobb premiered Performing Grace, an in-situ mixed-media performance staged in the historic railroad depot in Cachoeira’s town center.
The occasion was an opportunity to both share her work and explore new dimensions of what she refers to as “expanded cinema,” or cinema shaped through live performance.
“The most impactful part was the collaborative process and the reimagining of my work my for an unfamiliar audience in an unfamiliar space,” Cobb said. “I’ve taught film and video for 33 years, but I have had few opportunities to actualize it and actualize it as an extension of my cinematic practice.”
Cobb’s research also centers on identity, notions of home, and the critical examinations of forced forgetting. During her time in Bahia, Cobb felt a profound connection to aspects of cultural preservation, ancestral reverence, and continuums of these in artistic visual and performance practice.
“These images and experiences have a special appeal to tourists from across the globe and specifically to people descended from Africans trafficked across the Atlantic to the Americas,” Cobb explained. “Many from the Black diaspora are profoundly impacted when they meet these aspects of Bahian culture. It becomes an unexpected homecoming, a reflection of the familiar celebrated and preserved in the present.”
Bringing global connections to UWM
Cobb’s sabbatical also supports her longstanding commitment to global learning through Radical Cinema, a course she teaches on international cinematic movements and their social, political, and cultural contexts.
Her work in Brazil complements the study abroad program she helped spearhead, BLM: A Global Comparative Study, which has taken students to the U.K. and was proposed for Brazil but didn’t get enough enrollment.
“We’re always trying to get our students to see themselves in the mirror of other cultural landscapes,” Cobb stated. “I bring it into my classroom through the films I show and the discussion we have.”
This year’s iteration of the program, led by Assistant Professor Marquise Mays, will take interdisciplinary students from film & animation, global studies, and African and African diaspora studies to London to explore the Black British experience.
Cobb will join the program, continuing to expand the connections she has nurtured throughout her sabbatical and beyond.
Story by Payton Murphy ’27 (BFA Film)
Senior film student featured on Telemundo Wisconsin
Film BFA alum Julian Maldonado was featured on the CBS affiliate station Telemundo Wisconsin. Maldonado was invited to talk about his short documentary, “Maderas y Memorias,” which tells the story of his great grandfather, a renowned wood carver from Puerto Rico.
“He was my great grandpa from Puerto Rico that I never know,” said Maldonado, “He was kind of alluded in my head, the type of person I always wanted to get to know but can never know because he was gone.”
Maldonado created the film for his senior project while a Film BFA student.
