MIAD alumni, faculty featured in Baird Center art collection
MIAD alumni are well represented in the We Energies Foundation Art Collection at the Baird Center, as are MIAD Professor Emerita Jill Sebastian and acclaimed artist Dawoud Bey, who created ”Milwaukee Portraits” of MIAD students. The collection was introduced to the public under its new name at the Baird Center in May 2024.
The alumni are Mark Brautigam, Nova Czarnecki, David Najib Kasir, kathryn e. martin, Brandon Minga and Tom Uttech (Layton School of Art).
“The We Energies Foundation Art Collection has been carefully curated to portray the characteristics, culture, people and landscapes of Milwaukee and the surrounding region,” according to the Baird Center website.
A-Pattern-of-Families-Divided-by-the-Greater-Than
David Najib Kasir, “A Pattern of Families Divided (diptyque),” 2024. Image courtesy of the Baird Center.
Honeyed-by-Nova-Czarnecki
Nova Czarnecki, “Honeyed,” 2024. Image courtesy of the Baird Center.
Uttech-Mikwendamowin
Tom Uttech, “Mikwendamowin,” 1998. Image courtesy of the Baird Center.
Milwaukee-Rising_Brandon-Minga
Brandon Minga, “Milwaukee Rising,” 2024. Image courtesy of the Baird Center.
Transformation-kathryn-e-martin
kathryn e. martin, “Transformation,” 2024. Image courtesy of the Baird Center.
Lake-Michigan_Mark-Brautigam
Mark Brautigam, “Lake Michigan, Photographs (diptych),” 2023. Image courtesy of the Baird Center.
On the site, Brandon Minga describes one of his several works on view: “Milwaukee Rising was created to welcome people into Milwaukee and specifically [the] Baird Center. With modern Milwaukee rising out of the past through its heavy metal and industrial trades the piece looks towards the city’s future being built on the strong backs of the people who made it the machine shop of the world.”
Nova Czarnecki’s “Honeyed features a young woman whose dress is made of water as the central focus, standing within a Wisconsin summer forest just beginning its transition into autumn. The folds of her gown meld into water that holds native Wisconsin fish, floating flowers, fruits that have fallen from the trees above and a fawn coming to drink.”
The artist’s statement continues with the “hopes the viewer can see themselves in the painting and see themselves as royalty.”
kathryn e. martin’s “Transformation, framed in ten pieces, is a snapshot of Milwaukee as it has transformed over the years through a compilation of census data and Milwaukee names, with acknowledgement to the Native American Indians. In each frame, set behind conservation glass, is a 4” low-relief mixed-media work.”
martin is also one of the co-curators of “Viewpoints on ARTservancy: An artists’ residency that supports artists and partnerships with land conservancy,” on view August 19 – October 5, 2024 in MIAD’s Brooks Stevens Gallery.
The Baird Center is open to visitors Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at 400 W Wisconsin Ave.
News
Independent Inquiry Program students explore AI through research and creative practice
As emerging technologies continue to reshape creative industries, MIAD’s Independent Inquiry Program (IIP) gives students the opportunity to investigate their impact firsthand. Through philanthropically funded support, the optional, by application program allows students to pursue self-directed research projects that explore how new technologies can influence art, design and education.
MIAD Alum Kelly Alexander Wendorf Brings Stories of Travel to Life Through Paper Cutting
For Kelly Alexander Wendorf, paper cutting is more than an artistic medium. It's a way to explore memory, movement and human connection through intricately layered works of art. A MIAD alum who studied printmaking, Wendorf recently created a series of large-scale...
Behind In a State of IF: A Collaborative Curatorial Journey
“In a State of IF”, on view in MIAD’s Frederick Layton Gallery through November 21, is the result of a years-long collaboration between co-curators Maria Novotny and Katherine Gressel.
MIAD Alum Kyle Nesbitt Blends Storytelling, Design and Brewing
For MIAD alumnus Kyle Nesbitt ’09 (Industrial Design), creativity has never been limited to a single discipline. Through Nezbittar, a project nearly a decade in the making, he combines design, illustration, branding, photography and craft beer into a singular creative venture.
Moonlight Retreat Builds Connection
Since 2018, MIAD faculty member Naomi Shersty has been creating space for artists and nonartists alike to step away from the demands of everyday life and reconnect through creativity, community and nature.