MILWAUKEE — A new program in Milwaukee is helping artists strengthen their business skills.
A collaboration between Sherman Phoenix and gener8tor is giving each artist a $10,000 grant and enrolling them in a seven-week accelerator program.
The program supports the Milwaukee creative community through professional development workshops, one-on-one mentorship and a master class exploring the contemporary art market.
Daniel Murray is one of the nine artists selected. He’s the owner of the Fuzz Pop Workshop, a multimedia production studio based in Milwaukee.
He has a background in theatre and film. He also went to graduate school and ran a research center in Los Angeles for 10 years before deciding to move back to Milwaukee.
Through the program, he’s hoping to grow his exhibit “deep lake future.” It’s an immersive underwater experience based on Milwaukee and its local ecology.
“We’ve built something here that’s been very fun and that we’re proud of but the hope is to do this bigger and wilder and weirder,” said Murray.
(Spectrum News 1/Katarina Velazquez)
Throughout the program, artists engage with gener8tor mentors and industry experts, both virtually and in person, from their base at the Sherman Phoenix Marketplace in Milwaukee.
The program’s primary focus is on supporting creative professionals who have historically faced underfunding, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, women, nonbinary individuals, persons with disabilities, neurodiverse individuals and veterans.
Darius Smith is the director of the collaboration between gener8tor Art and Sherman Phoenix. He said he is eager to collaborate with this exceptionally talented group of Milwaukee artists.
“I firmly believe that by equipping these artists with vital business skills, they can enhance their prospects for both financial and creative success,” said Smith.
Murray said the support will help him prototype, research, and develop plans for the next part of this project.
“I’m excited to work with all of the great folks over at gener8tor and figure out how we can leapfrog to the next generation of this,” said Murray.
