OSSUARY exhibition features 160 Wisconsin artists, 340+ works involving bones

“Double mouth pieces 23 and 24” by Yevgeniya Kaganovich
MILWAUKEE (January 2, 2020) … Originally inspired by curator Laurie Beth Clark’s research at repositories of bones in countries where mass violence has occurred, “OSSUARY: A Project by Laurie Beth Clark” features more than 300 artists and more than 340 total works comprised of or themed around bones. Nearly half of the artists are Wisconsin artists. The exhibition is on view in the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design’s (MIAD) Frederick Layton Gallery January 13 – March 7, 2020.
- January 17, 5 – 9 p.m. Opening Reception during Gallery Night in the Third Ward. Artists’ reception begins at 7 p.m.
- February 26, 7 – 8 p.m. Curator Talk – “OSSUARY: A Repository of Bones”
While the exhibition inspiration stems from traumas, the exhibit celebrates resilience and the ways artists create counter images that are hopeful or poignant rejoinders.
“The contributions are political statements and personal elegies, memorials to individuals or statements about mortality. They represent connections to ancestors and/or descendants. Some are serious, and some use bones in a completely playful manner,” according to Clark.

“Exoskeleton 6” by Jill Sebastian
Among the Wisconsin artists featured, include:
- Emily Belknap ’07, MIAD adjunct faculty
- Amy Cannestra ’06, MIAD alum
- Leslie Fedorchuk, MIAD professor
- Jon Horvath, MIAD professor
- David Najib Kasir ’01, MIAD alum
- Riley Rae Niemack ’16, MIAD alum
- Maggie Sasso, Textiles Lab Technician
- Jill Sebastian, MIAD professor emeritus
- Brian Schneider ’14, MIAD alum
- Jason Yi, MIAD professor
- Rina Yoon, MIAD professor
MIAD’s Galleries are free and open to the public Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. More information: miad.edu/galleries
News
TMJ4 features two MIAD graduates during AAPI month
Stephanie Brown of TMJ4 News featured recent graduates Mengdian Xing ’23 (Product Design) and her sister Lynn Xing ’23 (Interior Architecture and Design) during a month-long celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage.
Magic: The Gathering tournament in Italy features Illustration faculty
Ever since he was a student at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), Associate Professor of Illustration John Matson has incorporated fantasy illustration into his work. This lifelong fascination has led to a fruitful career as a fantasy illustrator and educator, most recently manifesting in an invitation to attend a Magic: The Gathering tournament in Italy as a guest illustrator.
Successful Creative Fusion gala closes Our Creative Future campaign
Raising more than $10 million is no small feat. The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) announced it had exceeded its comprehensive campaign goal of $10 million after its annual fundraising gala Creative Fusion: Fashion Forward, where donors generously raised more than $485,000 in scholarship support on May 6, 2023.
2023 Penfield Poster Competition bolsters professional experience
This year’s Penfield Poster winners have been announced! In collaboration with advertising agency Cramer-Krasselt, 80 juniors at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) designed posters for the Annual Croquet Ball fundraiser at the Penfield Children’s Center.
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.