Christie Tirado (b. 1990) is an interdisciplinary artist and educator based in Madison, WI. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, she uses her art to navigate and express the complexities of her heritage. Drawing from the rich tradition of Mexican relief block printing, Christie’s work delves into how migration reshapes culture, identity, traditions, and memories, with a particular focus on labor-related migration within diasporas. Through cultural exploration and artistic practices, she brings visibility to the nuanced experiences of immigrant communities, highlighting narratives that are often overlooked within the broader social tapestry.
Cultivando Historias will be open in Memorial Union's Main Gallery from Friday, September 27th through November 15th of 2024. Galleries are open from 8am - 10pm, Monday through Sunday.
“I consider how history imagines the object/human hybrid, often from an art historical perspective; the myth of Pygmalion, visions of moving statues, discourse surrounding representational art. What ethical considerations does one owe a painting of a woman, a statute of a person, a sufficiently lively doll? How does the literal body engage with inanimate ones, particularly in the symbolic landscape of digital spaces. Humor is a large part of my practice as well; there is an inherent absurdity to these questions and themes despite their sincerity, and it is an aesthetic I embrace as part of the work.” - Kate Forer
Bedfellows by Kate Forer will be open in Gallery 1308 at Union South from October 4th to November 8th of 2024. Galleries are open from 8am - 10pm, Monday through Sunday.
“As an artist, I am interested in where high and low culture intersects and how images carry meaning within a society that consumes a huge amount of visual information. My creative practice is an exercise in the transformation of common objects and an investigation into how context, expectation, and gaze affect our experience with the things we live with. I use the technique of casting to transform found objects and forms into rich tableaus that use color and texture to alter the perception of space and draw the viewer into a complex experience.” - Craig Clifford
Flora, Fauna, Flight will be open in Memorial Union's Class of 1925 Gallery from Friday, September 27th through November 15th of 2024. Galleries are open from 8am - 10pm, Monday through Sunday.
“Real life excursions have taken me on a path exploring life not as a traveler, photographer or writer, but as a pilgrim of opportunity itself. My expeditions provide the backdrop for my ceramic sculptures, adding a dimension of lived experience transforming the ordinary into a hyper reality.” - Gerit Grimm
When An Artist Sets Sail will be open in Memorial Union's Main Gallery from Friday, November 22nd, 2024 through January 24th of 2025. Galleries are open from 8am - 10pm, Monday through Sunday. (with the exception of holiday/winter closures)
Rooted and Restless shares four distinct visions of the natural world through abstraction and representation. Despite an acute awareness of climate change, habitat loss, and disrupted ecology, four Midwest painters speak to spiritual connections, the restorative power of nature, and the persistence of life, even in threatened environments.
Rooted and Restless will be open in Memorial Union's Class of 1925 Gallery from Friday, November 22nd, 2024 through January 24th of 2025. Galleries are open from 8am - 10pm, Monday through Sunday. (with the exception of holiday/winter closures)
"Expanding Perspectives by Milwaukee artist Mauree Childress will feature a collection of works in admiration of the everyday, strong women for their brave contributions to social justice and social well-being. Together with this collection are works depicting a variety of day-to-day experiences through the lens of people living with disabilities, including groundscapes as interpreted by the artist who showcases the beauty and difficulties of having a mobility disability.” - Mauree Childress
Expanding Perspectives by Mauree Childress will be open in Gallery 1308 at Union South from November 15th, 2024 to January 17th of 2025. Galleries are open from 8am - 10pm, Monday through Sunday. (with the exception of holiday/winter closures)