UWM alums Thom Romero (BFA 2011, Art) and Emmanuel Guerra (MFA 2024, Art) feature their work as part of the Whitewater Cultural Arts Center’s Latino Heritage Month Pop-Up event. The exhibition will honor the contributions of Latino artists to Wisconsin’s art community.
To read the full article, visit the Daily Jefferson County Union.
UWM’s Department of Theatre has partnered with the Milwaukee Opera Theatre to produce a newly adapted version of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta H.M.S Pinafore. The production will be co-directed by Milwaukee Opera Theatre artistic director Jill Anna Ponasik and UWM’s Jeffery Mosser (Lecturer, Theatre).
In a Shepherd Express article written by David Luhrssen, Ponasik reflects on the development of H.M.S Pinafore. This new adaptation is shaped by students, who not only perform but also contributed to edits, props, and costumes.
“Some of the language was contoured around the actors for their personalities and special skills,” Ponasik said. “The cast was handed script and score on day one of rehearsals, but there was room for the cast to do some editing. We’re making this production together… We’re letting them make it their 2025 H.M.S. Pinafore.”
To read the full article, visit the Shepherd Express.
Jennifer Bastian (MFA 2008, Art) will debut her new exhibition “Born on a Ripple” at Tooth + Nail Studios on October 7. “Born on a Ripple” is an exploration of the complexities of grief, especially through the lens of parenting and community.
In a Shepherd Express article written by Ben Slowey, Bastian describes her motivation behind the exhibition. Driven by her experience with chronic illness and the passing of her mother, Bastian uses textile works and mixed media to explore her grief.
“I was compelled to make this work in order to be who I am in other aspects of my life,” said Bastian. “I had to look at how much I was suppressing that I didn’t want to anymore.”
To read the full article, visit Shepherd Express.
Professor Kyoung Ae Cho (Professor & Area Head, Fibers) is featured in MADE: Contemporary Fiber Arts, an exhibition of recent works by emerging and established fiber artists. Curated by Hannah O’Hare Bennett, the exhibition embraces utilizing fiber art to honor diverse histories, cultures and practices.
From the Arts + Literature Laboratory: From birth to death, textiles are present in our daily lives. Through this presentation of textiles as fine art, the project elevates the appreciation of craft and the dedicated labor inherent in these creations, encouraging contemplation of the making process and a reconnection with handmade work. The exhibition invites viewers to reengage with the handmade, to reflect on sustainability, and to explore the generational knowledge embedded in fiber traditions. Through a full-building installation and a series of workshops and community programs, MADE fosters cultural appreciation, sparks dialogue on craft and sustainability, and deepens our understanding of textiles as both personal and collective expression.
MADE: Contemporary Fiber Arts is on view at Arts + Literature Laboratory in Madison through Nov 8, 2025. Receptions will be held on Sep 19 and Nov 7.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has been awarded a $100,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to continue its pioneering research into the benefits of creativity-based programming for autistic individuals.
This latest award supports the next phase of the Autism Brilliance Lab for Entrepreneurship, a cross-disciplinary initiative that explores how art and design can empower autistic individuals for workforce success while fostering more inclusive, neurodiverse-friendly work environments.
This marks the third NEA grant supporting ABLE, a collaboration among UWM’s Colleges of the Arts & Architecture, and Engineering & Applied Science, and the School of Nursing, in partnership with Milwaukee-based nonprofit Islands of Brilliance.
The lab’s work began with a $150,000 NEA grant in 2021 to fund a longitudinal study on the impact of a five-week creativity workshop. A second $150,000 renewal expanded the research to include one-day short courses. The current grant will fund a new fellowship program designed to provide transitional support for autistic people entering professional environments.
“This continued support from the NEA affirms the importance of inclusive, creativity-driven approaches to workforce development,” said Nathaniel Stern, ABLE executive director and UWM professor of art and design and mechanical engineering. “We’re proud to be at the forefront of research that not only empowers autistic individuals but also transforms workplace culture.”
The fellowship will offer six months of weekly, one-hour creative arts-based sessions held at partner libraries and art centers. Led by experienced autistic and neurodiverse artists and educators, these sessions will focus on special interest-driven projects that blend art and design with guided discussions. The goal is to build workforce readiness skills, social connections, resilience, advocacy and identity.
“At ABLE, we’re passionate about empowering autistic young adults to thrive,” said Jeana Holt, ABLE principal investigator and research director and UWM associate professor of nursing. “This program is all about boosting confidence, building resilience and fostering genuine social acceptance. By equipping them with stress management tools and a strong sense of self-worth, we’re helping them make a successful, fulfilling leap from school into the workforce — and into a brighter future.”
Participants in the pilot fellowship program shared powerful reflections:
For more information about the Autism Brilliance Lab for Entrepreneurship and UWM’s ongoing research, visit: islandsofbrilliance.org/able.
UWM alum and acclaimed filmmaker Chris Smith (MFA 1999, Performing Arts – Film) won his second and third Emmy for his work as an executive producer on the documentary series 100 Foot Wave. Smith won his previous Emmy in 2024 for his cinematography work for the same project.
To read the full article, visit the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Peck School of the Arts guitar program is recognized for its distinguished faculty and the achievements of its students and alumni. Led by internationally renowned artist René Izquierdo, the program continues to produce musicians who thrive on competitive stages around the world.
Annika Nelson, a senior and student leader for the Classical Guitar Organization at UWM, spent her summer training and performing at major festivals. She received a full scholarship to study with the Volterra Guitar Project in Tuscany, Italy, and attended the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina on scholarship.
“During the school year I applied to a couple of different programs for over the summer, and I ended up receiving a full scholarship to go to a festival in Italy called the Volterra Guitar Program,” said Nelson. “Before that I went to the Brevard Music Center for a music camp for orchestra students. There’s an in-depth guitar program with a professor from Austin and I got a partial scholarship to attend for two weeks.”
In addition to her studies, Nelson competed at the Chicago Guitar Festival, placing third in the collegiate division. She also found time to teach guitar, ukulele, and piano in her hometown of Plymouth, Wisconsin.
“I placed third in the collegiate competition and one of our graduate students received second place in the open division,” said Nelson. “An upcoming TA and graduate student had won in his division last year, so he played a full concert. There was a lot of UWM representation this year.”
The graduate student Nelson referenced is Kyle Khembunjong, who placed second in the open division of the Chicago Guitar Festival and returned to Domaine Forget de Charlevoix’s International Guitar Festival for his winner’s performance.
Recent Master of Music graduate Aidan Wiley Lippke also competed at Domaine Forget, earning second prize in this highly selective international competition.
Another standout this summer was Alberto Daniel Quintanilla, a recent Master of Music graduate and current Performance Certificate student. Quintanilla captured First Prize at the Festival Internacional de Guitarra “Villa de Petrer” in Spain, one of the most prestigious international competitions in classical guitar. His achievement places him among the top emerging artists on the global stage.
Alumna Leonela Alejandro (BFA 2020), who recently completed her master’s degree at Columbus State University, continues to remain closely connected to UWM’s guitar program. This summer she opened the Guitar Foundation of America’s 2025 convention in Louisville, adjudicated the youth competition, and taught a technique workshop.
“I got to open the concert this year which was nerve wracking and exciting,” said Alejandro. “I got to play a recital in front of all my guitar heroes and the festival attendees. This was a big part of what I did this summer and a big part of my guitar career.”
Alejandro was also honored as a rising star at the National Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City, where she performed in celebration of her heritage.
“They have a list for honorees who are Puerto Rican or of Puerto Rican descent every year and this year I was one of the honorees,” Alejandro said. “I was one of the rising stars which was a really cool experience.”
From Spain to Italy, Canada to New York, UWM guitarists are carrying their artistry onto the global stage, continuing the tradition of excellence and serving as shining examples of the quality of instruction that defines the Peck School of the Arts guitar program.
Payton Murphy ’27 (BFA Film)
Work by J. Celeste Contreras Skierski (MFA 2022, Art: Print & Book Arts; Lecturer, Art & Design) will be on view at the United Community Center in a solo exhibition for Hispanic Heritage Month. Contreras Skierski’s work centers on her Hispanic and Native identity, focusing heavily on the influence her teachers and mentors had on her practice.
In a segment by Meryl Hubbard for NBC TMJ4, Contreras Skierski elaborates on how her teachers have influenced her path into artistry and educating. Her exhibition is dedicated to capturing the connection between students and teachers.
“Mrs. Dreamer, my middle school art teacher. She saw me making work, and she saw that art, you know, was something that I was using as a coping mechanism and an outlet for my voice,” said Contreras Skierski.
To watch the segment, visit TMJ4.
Ashley Oviedo (BFA 2020, Theatre) is featured in a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel review of Sanctuary City, a production by Next Act Theatre. In her debut at Next Act, Oviedo plays G, an undocumented immigrant teen. The article highlights how the play mirrors real immigration struggles in the present moment.
She praised her training and personal attention she received at UWM as giving her a voice for meaningful stories: “What draws me to a play like Sanctuary City is essentially the same thing that draws me to music and dance! I love telling stories, and from the time I was eight years old, it’s what I have always loved to do.”
Read the full story on JSOnline.
Kyle Khembunjong, a recent graduate of UWM’s classical guitar studio, received second prize and the audience prize at the Josefina P. Tuason International Guitar Competition in Denver over the weekend. The competition draws talented musicians from around the world.
Jonathan Laabs (MM 2017, Music) was announced as the new director for the Sheboygan Symphony Chorus.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jonathan Laabs as Director of the Sheboygan Symphony Chorus,” said Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra’s music director Ernesto Estigarribia Mussi. “Jonathan brings a wealth of experience as a conductor, and his passion for choral music aligns perfectly with our mission to connect and inspire through song. His leadership and vision will undoubtedly elevate our chorus and enrich the musical experience for both singers and our community.”
Marc Sijan (BFA 1971, Art-Sculpture) is regarded as one of the best hyper-realistic sculptors in the world, localizing his practice in Milwaukee’s Bay View area. Sijan has been working for decades to create sculptures, taking inspiration from real people and situations.
In an article written by James Groh for NBC TMJ4, Sijan talks about his artistic path and his lifetime of work.
“What motivates me? To outdo myself,” said Sijan. “To outdo something I’ve done before, all of them I’ve done before. To make the next one unique and have its own message.”
To read the full article, visit TMJ4.
Nellie Vance (BA 2013, Art), artist and co-founder of Black Space, was featured in Shepherd Express for her creative work and community impact. Black Space is a free mental wellness resource for Milwaukee’s Black community, and Vance extends that mission through her art.
Specializing in portraiture, including well-known pet portraits, she also draws inspiration from nature, influenced by her upbringing in Green Bay and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. “Through both my art and nonprofit work, I want people to feel seen, heard, and included,” Vance shared in the article by Ben Slowey.
Read the full story on Shepherd Express.
Peck School of the Arts theatre faculty member Alvaro Saar Rios (Associate Professor, Theatre) has been awarded the 2025 Cunningham Commission for Youth Theatre by The Theatre School at DePaul University.
Rios, a Texican playwright based in Chicago, has had his work produced in Chicago, New York City, Mexico City, Hawaii, and throughout Texas. His plays include Luchadora! and Quetzali & Comic Book Queen vs. The Alebrije of Darkness. He also recently adapted Pam Muñoz Ryan’s novel Esperanza Rising for Milwaukee’s First Stage.
Through the Cunningham Commission, Rios will write a new play titled How to Catch an Alebrije. The story follows a group of eighth-grade friends searching for a mythical creature they believe can grant them one wish. Rios will develop the piece over the next year in collaboration with the Cunningham Commission Selection Committee and faculty at The Theatre School.
Dr. Ali-Reza Mirsajadi, chair of the Cunningham Commission Selection Committee and artistic director of Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences, praised the project.
“How to Catch an Alebrije captures the excitement and whimsy of childhood imagination at the intersection of Mexican culture and folk art,” Mirsajadi said. “Rios’s piece questions humanity’s relationship to power and control in a world where we coexist in balance with nature, creatures, and dreams.”
Rios reflected on the honor, noting his past experiences working with DePaul’s Chicago Playworks.
“Each experience left a strong impression on me, thanks to the talented performers, designers, and directors,” he said. “This play aims to incorporate puppetry, and I have no doubt that everyone involved will showcase the same creativity they brought to my previous works.”
At UW-Milwaukee, Rios serves as Associate Professor of Theatre and head of the Theatre Practices BA program, through which he mentors aspiring theatremakers who hope to contribute to and change theatre. He is also the creator of New Dramaworks, a Peck School of the Arts series introducing undergraduates to the craft of new play development.
Chris Smith (MFA 1999, Film) directed a Netflix documentary on the new wave/post-punk band Devo. After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2024, Netflix picked up the project and released it to streaming services on August 19.
The On Milwaukee article written by Molly Snyder sheds light on some thoughts and opinions about the film. The review of the project features opinions on the origins and story of the band as a fixture of the genre.
To read the full article, visit On Milwaukee.