Artist featured in MIAD exhibition named McKnight Foundation Distinguished Artist
“Truth is Power…The Tongue is Mightier Than the Sword” by Douglas Ewart. Photo by Bruce Silcox.
Douglas R. Ewart, an interdisciplinary artist from Minnesota whose work spans musical performance, instrument making, painting and teaching, was named the 2022 McKnight Foundation Distinguished Artist. The award recognizes “artists who have made significant lifelong contributions to Minnesota, enriching our communities” and carries a $100,000 grant.
Ewart is currently displaying work in MIAD’s “Then as Now: Woodland Pattern 1980-2022” gallery exhibition. “Then as Now” features four decades of visual history of Milwaukee’s Woodland Pattern Book Center and over 100 artists who have exhibited there, with works ranging from printmaking and fiber arts to sculpture and sound arts. The exhibition runs from October 10 to December 3, 2022 in MIAD’s Frederick Layton Gallery.
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Ewart currently lives in south Minneapolis, where he focuses on multi-instrumental creation and performance, sound sculpture and visual art. He has won prestigious awards and performed at national and international venues. His musical and visual composition “Crepuscule” has been performed at numerous jazz festivals.
“Douglas Ewart has been a mentor to countless musicians, performers, and creatives in Minnesota and nationally,” said DeAnna Cummings, Arts & Culture program director at McKnight Foundation. “This award honors his heart and genius as well as his influence and impact.” Marcus Jones, who served on the panel that chose Ewart, said, “The panel was moved by the nomination letters that not only spoke of Ewart’s talents and contributions as an artist and trailblazer, but also of the love, deep respect, and gratitude these nominators feel for him. They detailed an artist who lives his creative life thoroughly and shares generously with the community.” Read the McKnight Foundation’s full post about Ewart here.
View Ewart’s contribution to “Then as Now: Woodland Pattern 1980-2022” at the opening reception on Friday, October 14 at 5pm in the Frederick Layton Gallery at MIAD. Read more here about MIAD’s gallery schedule.
News
Double ASID award winner is inspired by nature and internships
Rising senior at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) Adam Wold ’27 received two awards in May from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). The Interior Architecture and Design (IAD) major won the Silver Award in the Commercial category and the Bronze Award in the Residential category.
MIAD faculty, alumni shine at WI Visual Art Achievement Awards
Professor Leslie Fedorchuk and alumni of the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) received four of the eight individual 2026 Wisconsin Visual Art Achievement Awards for “their significant contributions to the state’s creative culture.”
National Society of Illustrators honors 13 MIAD students
Works by 13 students and recent graduates of the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) were selected from among 4,550 nationwide submissions to receive 2026 honors from the national Society of Illustrators.
Pallas Textiles competition provides real-world experience
First-place winner Sophia Simonson ’28 created Refractions as part of her MIAD studies in Interior Architecture and Design. She is one of 20 students studying at MIAD through a cross-registration program with Concordia University. MIAD students Kaitlyn Powers ’26 (Illustration) and Natalie Spetell ’27 (Product Design), both of whom have minors in Communication Design, received Honorable Mentions.
2026 First-Year Exhibition showcases professional growth
An annual tradition at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design from late March through September, the juried First-Year Experience Exhibition celebrates students’ yearlong personal and professional growth.