2023 2024 Friends & Donors Report
Your support of our students enables them to change their lives, and ours.
Advancing Creativity for Positive Change:
A Message From 91Ʒ’s President
The most important highlight to share about 2023-24 is the impact of your generosity on the lives of 91Ʒ students, on the growth of our programs and on the community we serve.
Your support strengthens our resolve to provide easier access to a 91Ʒ education to increasing numbers of students, to introduce diverse high school students to rewarding careers in design through free yearlong programming and to maintain the recognition of our academic excellence.
Thank you for joining us as we advance creativity for positive change and build a strong and bright community.
Jeffrey Morin, 91Ʒ President
“As a Nike intern, I had the opportunity to create a tool to help bridge gaps of information and understanding in the creation and development of womens apparel, uniting designers, material developers and other functions. [T]his tool is currently being implemented to be used and touched by hundreds of Nike business partners.
The magic of giving is what made [my Nike career] possible. My access to 91Ʒ, my professors and my peers, is why this happened. Thank you.”
Emma May Travitz ’24 (Product Design)
Material Developer, Innovation Concept Studio Team, Nike
Diverse gallery exhibitions celebrated personal narratives, cultural impact
91Ʒ’s Brooks Stevens Gallery, Frederick Layton Gallery, 160 Gallery, 91Ʒ Gallery at The Ave and numerous pop-up spaces celebrated the importance of personal narrative and cultural impact in 2023-24. From graduating students to community makers, 91Ʒ’s galleries offered a rich look into the lives and practices of significant creatives.
Growing Resistance: Untold Storiesof Milwaukees Community Guardians exhibited everyday voices of resistance and resilience around environmental injustice from some of Milwaukees most historically underrepresented neighborhoods and in a vast variety of artistic forms. →
British-West-Indian collagist, writer, letterpress printer and designer presented Changing Histories as part of the exhibition Old Type, New Ways; Work from the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum. →
Forgotten Nation, the Senior Exhibition project of Tanesha Spencer 24 (Communication Design), represented the diverse talents and societal dedication of 91Ʒs largest graduating class. →
celebrated its one-year anniversary with
Ruth Arts + 91Ʒ Artists Grants propelled individual practices forward
91Ʒ awarded Ruth Arts + 91Ʒ Artist Grants to 10 faculty and staff to develop artwork the result of a Legacy grant award from The Ruth Foundation for the Arts to pioneer its Wisconsin Artist Grant program.
Pictured: Matthew Lee, The Historia, detail. 2023 Ruth Arts Grant Recipient.
91Ʒ by the numbers. 885 students enrolled. 100% of students receive financial aid, including scholarships. 35% of students self-identify as students of color. 63% of first-year students from Wisconsin are the first in their family to attend college. 37% of students are Pell-eligible (lowest income).
Your Generosity Made Our Achievements Possible.
The academic year 2023-24 was one of incredible achievements for 91Ʒ. We launched our distinctive Fashion Design major; exponentially expanded our yearlong Design Internship Program for underrepresented high school students; had record attendance in our Pre-College Program; raised a record $650,000+ for student scholarships at Creative Fusion; and continued our recognition as top-ranked programs in Wisconsin that are among the best in the Midwest.
We gratefully honor you. Thank you for making our shared creative future possible.
Tracy Milkowski, Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Donor gifts significantly increase access to 91Ʒ’s creative, innovative education.
In 2023-24, 91Ʒ’s 514 donors represented 23 U.S. states.
- Wisconsin Donors 87%
- Individual Donors 79%
- Corporate Donors 13%
- Foundation & Organization Donors 8%
“The impact of getting a scholarship to 91Ʒ was really–it was pretty life-changing. I never expected to get to attend an art school in general, let alone one that would feel like I was worth investing in.”
Geornica Daniels ’23
New Studio Practice: Fine Arts
Fashion and Apparel Design debuted
The Fashion and Apparel Design major debuted, reflecting 91Ʒs values and students: it is inclusive of gender, size, accessibility, sustainability and trends. Visiting Instructor and curriculum author Sarah Eichhorn was named first full-time professor in February.
Learn More Students Declare FAD
Celebrating Latine heritage through creativity
First Latine Student Exhibition celebrated 91Ʒs Latine students during Hispanic Heritage Month. 91Ʒ is a designated Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).
Pictured: Ari Gutierrez, Porque tú eres Mexicana, 2023.
Events
2024 Creative Fusion, co-chaired by Deanna & Eric Tillisch and Christine & Tom Irgens, raised a record $650,000+ for student scholarships.
Events
More than 175 alumni attended the first-ever Alumni Reunion in October 2023 to kick off and celebrate 91Ʒs 50thanniversary.
Visionary
Pao Houa Her presented Freshly Cut Plastic Flowers: The Hmong-American Dream as part of the November 2023 91Ʒ Creativity Series.
Events
91Ʒ Holiday Sale showcased 120+ student and alumni creatives, and raised a record $55,000 in support of participants and scholarships.
Visionary
Phoenix S. Brown, Fine Art ’19, received the Emerging Artist Award as part of the Wisconsin Visual Art Achievement Awards (WVAAA).
Visionary
The Scholarship Luncheon bestowed Passion Awards to Susan & Bob Mikulay and The Herzfeld Foundation for decades of leadership and philanthropy.
Visionary
Zachary Scharrer, Product Design ’24, designed bespoke, adaptive formalwear for users with disabilities for his senior exhibition project.
News
In 2023, 91Ʒ’s Communication Design, Animation & Illustration programs received top rankings in Wisconsin & Midwest by Animation Career Review.