MIAD alumni, faculty selected for gener8tor x Sherman Phoenix 2023 Spring Cohort

The Sherman Phoenix Foundation in Milwaukee, in partnership with startup accelerator gener8tor, has announced the members of the 2023 Spring Cohort of artists. Selected from a pool of 300 applicants, five of the 15 Milwaukee creatives awarded the grant are affiliated with MIAD.

Alumni Sara Carter ’20 (New Studio Practice: Fine Arts), Anika Kowalik ’17 (Printmaking) and Eduardo Zavala ’22 (NSP: Fine Arts), as well as Adjunct Professor Ck Ledesma and current student Hannah Samoy ’24 are participating in this year’s accelerator program. Each artist receives a $10,000 grant and participates in a 7-week individualized mentorship program to strengthen their artistic business.

The gener8tor x Sherman Phoenix accelerator focuses on supporting creatives who have been traditionally underfunded, like BIPOC and LGBTQ+ creatives, female or female-identifying people, people with disabilities, neurodiverse people and veterans. The program will culminate in an exhibition on Saturday, June 3, 2023 featuring the work of all 15 artists.

“I’m excited to work with and support such a talented group of Milwaukee artists,” said Darius Smith, director of gener8tor Art x Sherman Phoenix in a press release. “By helping these artists gain business skills, we can help them be more successful both financially and creatively.”

Helping artists succeed is not the only goal of the gener8tor x Sherman Phoenix program. Continuing in its mission to uplift and serve the whole Milwaukee community, Sherman Phoenix and gener8tor will provide community education, from professional development workshops and artist talks to Master Classes exploring the contemporary art market. Programs will be hosted at the Sherman Phoenix Marketplace.

Read more and view a full list of all 15 artists participating in the 2023 Spring Cohort.