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
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.
Meet Carmen Briones and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Echo
Carmen Briones ‘26 (Product Design) is a President’s (Honor) List student from Cambria, Wis., president of the MIAD IDSA student chapter and an intern at SI Jacobson Manufacturing. Briones designed a device called “Echo” that removes ovarian cysts without surgery.
Meet Eeshaan Dutt and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Indra Supreme
Eeshan Dutt ‘26 (Illustration) is a President’s (Honor) List student from India and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. Dutt’s work centers on visual storytelling through sequential art, where he explores how narratives can engage and connect with audiences.
Poster designs boost professional skillsets, children’s nonprofit
Continuing an annual tradition begun in 2010 at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), Illustration juniors worked with Cramer-Krasselt and Penfield Children’s Center to design posters for the center’s Annual Croquet Ball fundraiser.