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
Paris study abroad illuminates creative practice for students
Madison Boeder ’25 found that study abroad trips through the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) resonated so strongly with their practice that the Fine Art + New Studio Practice major (Art History minor) went on two: Florence in 2024 and, this year, Paris.
Illustration & Animation rank top in state, highly in Midwest and U.S.
In Animation Career Review’s 2025 college rankings, the Illustration and Animation programs at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design were once again ranked number 1 in the state.
Art direction and alumni connection: Design student interns at Nike
This past summer, Olivia Nava ’26 (Communication Design) landed a fiercely competitive internship at athletic footwear and apparel brand Nike. Now that she’s back, the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) senior reflects on the experience, and the MIAD classes and connections that prepared her for this opportunity.
MIAD gallery offers photo students contemporary perspectives
In the photo area of the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, where digital technology and the darkroom intersect, the Perspectives Gallery shines its own light on contemporary image makers.
Transformational reflection: Studying abroad in The Burren, Ireland
Each year, a group of Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) students spends four weeks in May investigating the Burren in County Clare, Ireland through text and image. Based at the Burren College of Art and led by Professor Leslie Fedorchuk and printmaker Matthew Presutti, the two-decade-long partnership between the colleges has produced meaningful reflection and transformational experiences for students.