Brushwork-painting exhibition and curation

Curating this show with Tanner and Angie was a really great experience...

My Curatorial Statement:

In pursuit of education and community, we have put together an art exhibit that encompasses the interests and experiences of the Painting and Drawing department at UW-Milwaukee. As curators it is our job to bring the various art pieces together to tell a story. With the wide variety of styles, colors, techniques, and content of the works represented here, that was a difficult task. In our attempt to create a cohesive vision for this show we began having discussions about what pieces engage in an interesting conversation when they are displayed side by side, or how the splash of color in the corner of one piece may pull a similar color to the forefront in the other. These discussions and musings led to the final design of this exhibition. 

This process is similar to the ever changing and dynamic environment found in the studios here on campus, and the lasting impact those experiences have on the artworks that we make. We see it in trends; for example, when all of the students in a shared studio start to create underpaintings using the same neon pink, or when “palimpsest” becomes a part of the common vocabulary in artworks, or multiple students begin talking about how to best depict the passage of time. Sharing, discussing, and critiquing leads to community and a communal story. 

This show’s intention is to have a positive effect on our network of painters through education, experience, and connection building. In working with the undergraduate students, we aimed to give them a positive experience submitting art for a show. We hope that our alum get to reflect back on their experience at UWM, and how they have grown since then. Our decision to include graduate students was in pursuit of broadening our network. We look forward to seeing the many unexpected ways this exhibition impacts our community. 

We would like to thank everyone for their participation in this exhibition. We especially appreciate the faculty who acted as support for students throughout the experience, as well as their continuous efforts to be a safe space for our artistic pursuits.