The Peck School of the Arts at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) is thrilled to announce that Sara Krajewski will join the School as the Director of Inova (Institute of Visual Arts) Galleries. Ms. Krajewski currently serves as the Curator at the Henry Art Gallery, University of Washington, Seattle, and has held curatorial positions at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and the Harvard University Art Museums. She will begin her new role at Inova on July 15, 2012.

"Reestablishing Inova's preeminent position is critically important to securing Milwaukee's role as a leader in contemporary art," said Wade Hobgood, Dean of the UWM Peck School of the Arts. "I believe that Sara's leadership and demonstrated experience in contemporary curatorial practices, non-profit gallery management, fundraising, and community outreach will allow Inova to widen and deepen its significant impact here in Milwaukee and around the world."

Since 1998, Ms Krajewski has curated exhibitions of contemporary art, concentrating on photography, film, video, and sound art. Her projects have included solo presentations by Matthew Buckingham, Rodney Graham, Liz Magor, Isabelle Pauwels, Walid Raad, and Steve Roden, and several thematic shows including The Violet Hour (2008) and Image Transfer (2010) currently being traveled by Independent Curators International.Her curatorial interests over the past several years have centered on the place of photography in visual culture. Her current research into hybrid practices and interdisciplinary narrative art forms examines how visual culture is increasingly intertwined with performance.

"I'm thrilled to join the Peck School of the Arts and Inova. I have long admired Inova's exhibitions and programs and look forward to bringing new voices and perspectives to the galleries. I see my role as pivotal to creating strong connections between students and artists, nurturing relationships across campus, and fostering appreciation for contemporary art throughout the community," said Ms. Krajewski.

Key responsibilities of this position include: leading and supporting an exhibition programming schedule of the highest quality that contributes productively to Peck School of the Arts program needs for students and faculty; planning and coordinating exhibitions, activities, curricular programming, and events with Peck School faculty, staff and students; curating exhibitions and facilitating the design of exhibitions and projects; and providing points of connection and collaboration across schools and departments on the UWM campus and with peer institutions around the country.

In a note sent yesterday to the Board of Directors and staff at the Henry Art Gallery, Director Sylvia Wolf stated "In the four years I have worked with Sara, I have come to deeply admire her intelligence, devotion, and heart. While we share in her excitement at this time of change and growth, we also acknowledge that she will be sorely missed, for over nearly eight years, Sara has made extraordinary contributions to the Henry Art Gallery and has been a valuable colleague and friend to all."

ABOUT INOVA, UWM AND PECK SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

Inova, the Institute of Visual Arts, is a world-class art gallery serving as a conduit for emerging artists regionally, nationally and internationally. Through close collaborations with the departments of Art & Design and Film, as well as with other university programs and regional visual arts organizations, Inova seeks to present the best contemporary art, provoke new ideas and showcase new directions.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) is a state-supported research university with more than 30,000 students. It offers 94 undergraduate majors, 53 master's degree programs, and 32 doctoral programs. UWM is a Level II research institution and one of only two comprehensive, doctoral degree-granting universities among the twenty-four campuses of the UW-System.

UWM is located on the east side of Milwaukee less than a mile from Lake Michigan. The university community enjoys both the cultural and employment advantages of a large city and the pleasant surroundings of a residential neighborhood.

The UWM Peck School of the Arts is one of the largest and most comprehensive arts schools in the region. It is the only dedicated school of arts in the UW System for the education and training of professional artists with over 2,000 undergraduate and graduate student majors. The Peck School offers degree programs in art and design, dance, film, inter-arts, music, and theatre.

ABOUT THE HENRY ART GALLERY

The Henry advances the art, artists, and ideas of our time. Since its founding in 1927, the Henry Art Gallery has served the Pacific Northwest as a pioneer in bringing contemporary art and ideas to the region. The Henry is a hub for audiences of all ages to experience the discovery, wonder, and surprise that contemporary art, artists, and ideas provide. The Henry staff, board, and community are committed to taking risks, and fostering dialogue and debate. Exhibitions, collections, and public programs at the Henry stimulate research and teaching at the University of Washington, provide a creative wellspring for artists, students, and educators, and reveal a record of modern artistic inquiry from the advent of photography in the mid-19th century to the multidisciplinary art and design of the 21st century.

Inquiries from the media: Please contact Ellen Friebert Schupper, UWM Peck School of the Arts Director of Marketing and Community Relations at 414-229-6771 or schupper@uwm.edu.