Amos Kennedy comes to Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) as part of the school’s Creativity Series, similar in spirit to TED Talks. Since 2012, the Creativity Series has brought, in the words of the institute’s board chair Madeleine Kelly Lubar, “distinctive and internationally renowned creative artists to Milwaukee from a broad spectrum of the visual arts to enrich the experiences of MIAD students, while engaging the community in new ways of thinking about—and appreciating—the arts and the world of design.”
On Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m., provocative letterpress artist and bookmaker Kennedy will hold forth on the Fourth Floor Raw Space of MIAD. After wearying of life in the corporate world, Kennedy opted instead to pursue the path, in his words, of a “humble negro painter.” He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1997 under legendary book designer and papermaker Walter Hamady.
Kennedy’s works treat different themes at different points on the silly-serious continuum, but all his letterpress posters call out to the eye with lush colors and textures. They also address the mind, some with messages that are pointed (a 14-piece Rosa Parks series), others that are playful (paeans to coffee bearing slogans like “Coffee Makes You Black,” “Coffee Makes You Queer” and “Coffee and Love Taste Best When Hot”). Immediately following what promises to be a highly interesting and enjoyable presentation, there will be a meet and greet with Kennedy in the first floor lobby from 7:30-8 p.m.
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“Threshold”
Charles Allis Art Museum
1801 N. Prospect Ave.
“Threshold,” opening Nov. 5 at Charles Allis, invites viewers to interrogate the psychology of interiors. Twenty-five nationally and internationally recognized artists, craftsmen and musicians have integrated their sounds, sculptures and other works into the late Charles Allis’ celebrated 1911 Tudor-style mansion. The result is a chance to test your sensitivity to the affective qualities of glass, porcelain, light, soil, fur and sound. The Allis’ architecture is the perfect substrate for manifesting fear, fragility, wonder and desire. The opening reception for “Threshold” is Thursday, Nov. 5 from 6-8:30 p.m. featuring a panel discussion with the curator and select “Threshold” artists from 7-8 p.m.
“The Ship That Never Sinks: Friendship”
The Pink Llama Gallery
W62 N580 Washington Ave., Cedarburg
“The Ship That Never Sinks: Friendship” is a collective exhibition by eight native Cedarburgers who have remained friends despite having dispersed across the country. “Buds all through elementary and high school,” said the mother of two of the artists, “with art as the bond.” The pieces in the exhibition don’t pertain to the friendship theme directly, but the woodwork, painted copper panels, nighttime urban photography, drawings and other media are a testament to the real thing. “The Ship That Never Sinks: Friendship” opens with a reception on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 6-8 p.m.
