BFA DanceNaima Adedapo2007

I’m excited about making original music and sharing it with the world. And I always have to get back and give thanks to my ancestors, my teachers, my friends and family. I always give thanks to those who pushed me.

BFA MusicChristine Barclay2011

I want to explore music that I not only enjoy listening to, but I also enjoy playing.

BFA FilmGregory Bishop

Get busy and meet people. It's all about networking.

MFA FilmChristopher Bratton1994

UWM puts a high premium on the unconventional, nothing bound by the traditions of the media industry, and taking a broad look at what we do as artists, how we contribute to the social world.

BFA Musical TheatreCleary Breunig2013

I will remember the soul and spirit of each cast and how much I have learned from other people's experiences, loves and flaws. The best part of theater is the people and the spirit.

BFA TheatreDennis Buehler1993

In Milwaukee, when you contribute to the community, you feel like you make an impact. We’re committed to each other. Without collaboration, you don’t know what you’re missing, what you’re not achieving. Collaboration is not something new – it’s the only way to move forward.

MM ConductingNicholas Castonguay2011

Set goals and continue to pursue them even when times look dark.

BFA, MA Art EducationAllen Caucutt1957

The office door was always open, but you never went in. In my second semester, I was invited in to have coffee and sit down and talk with the instructors about art.

MFA DanceMary Cochran2005

Coming to school – whatever your professional experience, whatever your age – it’s going to be a trial by fire. But you have the support of peers and faculty.

Film FacultyCecelia Condit

Her passion for video art remains strong after 35 years -- in her own words, 'You only live so long!'

BFA Inter-Arts, MFA FilmCathy Cook1984

The film program allowed you to learn all aspects of production. Without claiming one skill, you could learn absolutely everything. That was the biggest challenge, but also the biggest reward.

BFA ActingMichael Cotey2008

Time in class is a gift, so use it.

BFA Jewerly & Metalsmithing and Art EducationLucy Derickson2011

Don't rush through it. Take what you can, and take your time.

BFA TheatreJames DeVita1987

The community has a sense of ownership - they've seen us succeed and fail, they watched us grow up. That's an exciting part of the theater.

BFA Inter-ArtsDavid HB Drake1969

The thing that I was left with after I graduated was the hope that I could change the world for the better and make a difference.

BFA MusicLee Erickson1978

I knew the theory program was fabulous, and once I got here it was even more outstanding. It gave me a good background that I've used my entire life.

Dance FacultySimone Ferro

You are responsible for your future. We give you the tools. You need to recognize that there is a moment to fly on your own.

Art & Design FacultyFrankie Flood

One of his greatest joys is assisting students in not only creating what they have envisioned– but inspiring them to think of solutions, both technical and conceptual.

Art EducationCindy Friese2013

Art and teaching fulfill a deeper part of me.

BFA TheatreJohn Glowacki2013

I feel like I’ve been given the tools here to be able to learn and analyze these issues, and through the Peck School I’ve learned how to portray this in my acting.

BFA Painting & DrawingMichelle Grabner1987

Milwaukee isn’t fueled by competition. Without a hierarchy, an artist can be a part of the essential conversation while working with the freedoms provided by space, time and ideal resources.

BFA FilmJonathan Hartz2014

Nothing, with few exceptions, is perfect out of the gate. Be open to criticism, it makes you better.

BFA FilmEric Haywood1992

My advice for young filmmakers is to break through whatever you think your barriers are. If film is something you want to pursue, whatever kind of film it is, then go for it.

BFA Music PerformanceKevin Horrigan2008

My teachers completely shaped the way I look at music and approach the guitar. We were not made to be one-trick ponies; we really got the full gamut.

BFA FilmJonathan Jackson2002

There is so much value in sharing great films with an audience.

BFA TheatreChike Johnson2000

I still have those moments where I question myself. You just have to stick with it and do your thing. Create your own way.

BFA FilmThomas Kiedrowski2000

You believed there were one million ways to tell a story, make a film, and students were encouraged to be open to all of them.

BFA MusicJerome Kitzke1978

For me, nothing is just notes on paper; music can move you from one thematic place to another, and can do so even without a text.

MFA FilmKyja Kristjansson-Nelson2005

That kind of support meant you weren’t just one in a sea – the faculty was investing in you.

MFA DanceDani Kuepper2003

Sometimes you get cut short of what you would achieve if you had just followed your instincts. Trust yourself. Do what you're interested in. Let it unfold.

MFA DanceDebra Loewen1982

People here have that Midwest work ethic. Artists in this community really do the work, and they really love to work hard to make it happen.

MFA DanceTimothy Lynch2013

Although graduate school can be extremely taxing and stressful, it has been the best school experience that I have had. What I am loving is that I am pursuing something I am extremely passionate about while surrounded by colleagues who have the same passion, and together we support one another to thrive.

BFA Art & DesignSarah Mick2010

Young designers should really be aware that they are a commodity, and people are lucky to have you work for them.

MFA FilmGiorgi Mrevlishvili2013

Meeting all of the incredible and talented people, students and faculty members is the most valuable experience I could ever get from these two years. Here, at the Peck School of the Arts and generally speaking at UWM, I am impressed with the mutually considerate relationships and the approaches that teachers and students demonstrate toward each other.

BFA Inter-ArtsKara Mulrooney2005

I began to have words to voice what I was interested in. My work was the most developed film I had made. It was the first time I felt like a proper artist.

BFA Painting & DrawingJohn Riepenhoff2004

The scene is growing in the Milwaukee visual arts community – it’s really an exciting moment.

Music FacultyMartin Jack Rosenblum

A member of UWM's community since 1970, Martin has taught poetry, creative writing, and music.

BFA MusicJosh Schmidt1999

Learning music history, how to research, how to write and speak, how to construct a budget – these are all part of what I do to stay in business. School was the place to digest all of that, to learn how to succeed and fail.

Stage Management and Technical ProductionPam Seccombe

If anyone had told me 10 years ago that I would be back in college in a Theatre degree program at this point in my life, I would probably have laughed out loud. But working with others who are as fascinated with how stage performances happen as I am has added a whole new dimension to my life. I may not be a traditional student, but I am certainly thrilled with my decision to become part of UWM's Theatre program at the Peck School of the Arts.

BFA TheatreSasha Sigel2014

I want to help people whose voices aren’t represented in society. It’s giving them a voice through theatre while helping to heal wounds.

MM MusicKevin Stalheim1981

There's a huge audience for new music – music I believe in. Putting it together and making it accessible for a wide range of people ­– that's what turns me on.

BFA TheatreFly Steffens2012

From the very first day I was here, I was forming relationships with artists. I knew right away that I had made the right choice in where I was supposed to be.

MFA DanceRebecca Stenn2008

Walking into this enormous space at Kenilworth where there was air – it had a different feel. It seeps into your approach to the work: time, space, air.

Art & Design FacultyNathaniel Stern

There's nothing better than waking up a student's passionate interest in something they've never thought about before, or never encountered, and then watching them become fluent in it.

BFA Painting & DrawingFred Stonehouse1982

Get involved in the art community you want to be a part of. Start hanging out at the galleries you like, but don’t just try to get your work shown. Be interested in what they are showing and they will start to develop an interest in you.

BFA TheatreJim Tasse1987

It’s amazing how teaching what I thought I knew redefined my work as an artist, how the teaching speaks to the art of acting and directing.

BFA Technical Theatre/ Theatre Design and TechnologyRandall Trumbull-Holper2007

Working to accommodate all of the exciting new acts, projects and initiatives we do into the limited space we own has been a challenge, but it serves as a testament to the creative energy here at the Peck School.

BFA DanceSarah Wilbur1996

There's such a generous spirit at UWM. It's amazing to see who it brings together and how. I met people I never would have met otherwise at UWM.

BFA TheatreYoungblood Theatre Company'08-'10

We just had to make it happen for ourselves. It's not luck; you have to go do it. We thought: we have to be together as a group to do this. We chose yes.