Frank Juárez
Last night the Grilled Cheese Grant (GCG) hosted its 9th annual community-funded emerging artist fundraiser at the Vanguard Sculpture Services in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The GCG is organized by a volunteer team of Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design alumni, Rachel Hausmann-Schall, Alyssa Anderson, Joe Acri, Sal Nicholson, Alyssa Kaboskey, and Margaret Griffin.
The 2024 GCG Finalists were T.J. Blanco (Film, UW-Milwaukee), Madeline Cawkins (Photography, UW-Milwaukee), Jessica Gaskey (Film, UW-Milwaukee), Stella Koslowski (Sculpture, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design), and Makenna Schibler (Sculpture, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design). From a pool of submissions, artists were selected by a panel of jurors.
As visitors entered Vanguard Sculpture Services they were greeted by the welcoming committee who handed them a voting ballot. The ballot contained the finalists’ names and artist statements. As they continued to enter the building, they walked into the makeshift gallery with all five artists represented. Visitors were encouraged to vote for their favorite artist. Voting ended at 6:30 pm. The number of votes that artists would determines the placement and monetary amount that they would receive during the award presentation. The money raised goes towards funding their senior exhibition projects. Over $5,000 was raised, which fully funded each of their projects.
This year, GCG expanded its submissions to include emerging visual artists not associated with MIAD or UWM working within Southern Wisconsin. My hope is that Seniors from colleges/universities outside of MIAD and UWM take advantage of such a great opportunity that is provided by GCG and a community of supporters that continue to financially contribute to the future generation of artists.
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About the Grilled Cheese Grant
The Grilled Cheese Grant (GCG) is an annual community fundraising event and visual artist grant that provides financial support for undergraduate seniors and emerging artists in Wisconsin. The Grilled Cheese Grant was created in 2016 as a secondary platform for graduating seniors from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) and the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) to receive financial support for their senior exhibition projects outside of their institution.
The 2024 Grilled Cheese Grant was sponsored by Artdose Magazine, Cactus Club, Heinn Chapman, Current Projects, Doc My Art, gener8tor, Aryn Kresol, Milwaukee Artist Resource Network, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Troubadour Bakery, Vanguard Sculpture Services, VAR Gallery, Walker’s Point Center for the Arts, and Young Space.
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