MILWAUKEE -- Four current Milwaukee Area Technical College students, an MATC graduate and an MATC faculty member are among 12 artists selected to create and display original works to help beautify the Downtown Milwaukee Campus, 700 W. State St.
The campus has undergone many renovations, and the artwork created by students, staff, alumni and community members will decorate new spaces and celebrate the college’s history and diversity.
“It is so important for us at MATC to create a culture of belonging. Our students, faculty, staff and community need to see representations of themselves, and of their lived experiences, when they step onto our campus,” said Dr. Julie Ashlock, director of MATC’s Center for Teaching Excellence and chairperson of the college’s Community Arts Committee. “Building the MATC Community Art Collection is an incredibly powerful way for us to support this feeling of inclusion and belonging.”
Current MATC students selected were: Miguel Camacho, Milwaukee; Tayla Hart, Milwaukee; Mi Salgado, West Allis; and Laila Scott, Milwaukee.
Also selected were MATC photography instructor John Glembin and MATC graduate Byada Meredith of Milwaukee.
Community members chosen were Samantha Hanneman, Hales Corners; John Kowalczyk, Milwaukee; Madeline Martin, Milwaukee; Adjuaa Nsoroma, Milwaukee; Geo Rutherford, Milwaukee; and Maggie Sasso, St. Francis.
“I’m thrilled to continue the important work of supporting local artists,” said Melissa Hartley Omholt, MATC art instructor and co-chairperson of the Community Arts Committee. “The artists that have been selected this round are extraordinarily talented, and I’m looking forward to working with them throughout the spring.”
This is the second year of MATC’s community art program. Proposals and submissions for artwork were accepted until Dec. 31, 2021, and reviewed by the Community Arts Committee. The final artwork must be completed and delivered by Aug. 1, 2022. The committee will select a sculpture project later this spring.
“We are pleased to offer artists, particularly those with connections to MATC and its partners, this opportunity to help beautify and contribute their vision to the Downtown Milwaukee Campus community,” Dr. Vicki J. Martin, MATC president, said last November. “We have learned from the installation of our pieces the first year of the program just how impactful it can be to connect to the community we serve through art. The work inspires and leads to self-reflection and thought-provoking conversations on campus.”
Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 170 academic programs; and transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.