“UWM Creates,” a retrospective of student/alumni- and faculty-created artwork spanning nearly 65 years from UWM Special Collections and the UWM Union Art Gallery Art Collection, is on view in the Fourth Floor Exhibition Gallery of the Golda Meir Library through December 30, 2022.
The exhibit will be part of UWM Gallery Night, Thursday, September 22, from 4:30 to 7 p.m.
“Through artists’ books and other media, these UWM artists grappled with a wide variety of themes, creating a visual map of UWM art interest over the years.” says Max Yela, head of Special Collections.
Some works feature collaborations between students, faculty, and community members, highlighting the various artistic relationships that have come from the University—relationships that persist long after these initial works.
“This UWM tradition of integrative making has encouraged new and diverse ways of thinking, a tradition that will continue for the next generations of makers,” says Yela.
The exhibition not only emphasizes the work of students and alumni, but it also offers current students an opportunity to practice skills and techniques that prepare them for professional life.
“Our graduate intern Teddy Lepley III is co-curator for the exhibition,” Yela says. “Teddy is an Art & Design grad student focusing on printmaking and artists books, but he also maintains a strong interest in curation, gallery installation, and art education.”
Lepley was responsible for making selections from Special Collections, research and writing, and designing and installing the exhibition. His co-curator Emily Hankins is the former student director of the UWM Union Art Gallery and an Art History graduate alumna. She was responsible for curating a selection of materials from the Union Gallery’s permanent collection for the exhibition.
The experience offered both of them valuable lessons in cooperative curatorial practice, Yela says. Today, Emily is professionally employed as the registrar for The Warehouse Art Museum in Milwaukee.
The exhibition includes work by Kobena E. AlaKetu, Donald Bendel, Sean Bodley, Cynthia Brinich-Langlois, John Colt, Celeste Contreras, Stephanie Copoulos-Selle, Bailey Danz, Raoul Deal, Joe Friebert, Nina Ghanbarzandeh, George Goundie, Lane Hall, Caren Heft, Mary Theisen Helm, Steven M. Krueger, Nicolas Lampert, Dara Larson, Hunter Louis, Gregory Martens, Jessica Meuninck-Ganger, Ruth Milofsky, Lisa Moline, Steve Nelson-Raney, Robert von Neumann, Danny Pierce, Jessica Poor, Nirmal Raja, Geo Rutherford, Evelyn Terry, Melissa Wagner-Lawler, Priscilla Weissenfluh, and Karen Wirth.
This is a joint UWM Special Collections/UWM Union Gallery exhibition.
Hours during the semester are
Monday-Friday, 8 am – 5 pm, or by appointment
Thursday, UWM Gallery Night, September 22, 4:30 – 7 pm
Saturday, Doors Open Milwaukee, September 24, 10 am – 5 pm
For more information, call 414.229.4345 or email libspecial@uwm.edu