October 17 | 5 – 9 pm
Consciousness in Craft is rooted in intention and focused on utilizing one’s hands and memory to create. In an increasingly digital world where AI is rampant, art is a discussion of what it means to be human, embrace tradition, and express oneself.
Salgado’s work often serves as a visual dialogue for digital art and work created through digital programs and tools. Paired with traditional Mexican folk art, the craftsmanship of their grandparents, and Salgado’s digital work navigating around themes of mental health & trauma, this residency reflects on what it means to be human and create.
Nichos and Memory
October 29 | 6 – 8 pm
November 15 | 3 -6 pm
These Masterclasses are FULL, and we will not have room for walk-ins.
Join us for a heartfelt Masterclass with local artist Whitney Salgado as we explore nichos and how they can be used as storytelling mediums. A Nicho is a type of decorative shadowbox or shrine in Latine folk art that can honor a loved one, celebrate cultural icons, or everything in between. They are most commonly seen during Día de los Muertos celebrations and are often placed on altars as decorations.
From start to finish, Salgado will go over techniques to design, assemble, and decorate your own personal nicho with thoughtfulness and intention. Come with an idea or find inspiration during the workshop, listen to the history and culture around this craft, and let’s explore how nichos can heal, capture life, and honor our loved ones.
Capturing Life Through Ink
November 20 | 6 – 8 pm
Join Whitney Salgado for their third and final Masterclass, as they feature the use of ink to transcribe the world around us. Salgado will go over various types of mark making and how to best utilize a brush pen as a tool when drawing from life. Learn how imperfections and crooked lines can add a charm to your work and embrace working with an unforgiving medium. Free & open to the public, all ages & skill levels welcome. Materials provided. Registration encouraged, but not required at https://forms.gle/txnpR51hx1GAn3mB7
December 12 | 6 – 9 pm
Join us to celebrate the closing of Whitney Salgado’s Consciousness in Craft residency. The gallery has evolved, taking the shape of a vibrant cafe setting. Closing night will be about shouting out the many collaborators, highlighting the participatory creations, and creating within the luminous landscape within Whitney’s creative world. Guests will enjoy sweet treats from Green Baked Goods and a soundscape curated by our wonderful artist in residence. We hope you join us as we toast Whitney and enjoy a final night surrounded ideas and artifacts that remind us of our shared humanity and creative spirit.
Tuesday – Saturday 9am – 2pm
We invite you to stop by our gallery and experience our current exhibit.
Tuesday – Saturday 9am – 2pm
This Fall, we welcome Whitney Salgado as our next Arts @ Large Artist in Residence. A Latine digital painter and illustrator, Whitney studied Illustration and Communication Design at MIAD and has called Milwaukee home for over a decade. Influenced by Art Nouveau, pop art, and anime, their work explores themes of mental health, emotions, and identity, using both digital and traditional mediums. Their 3D pieces, such as Nichos, draw on cultural storytelling and traditions surrounding death.
In Spring 2026, Hattie Grimm will begin her residency in the Arts @ Large gallery. An artist and educator with a BA in Art Education from UW–Madison, Hattie’s work is inspired by birds, the natural world, and intuitive wisdom. She has taught art to youth, led workshops across Wisconsin, and exhibited her paintings, sculptures, and puppet parades statewide.
The Arts @ Large Artist in Residence program offers artists a three-month residency with studio space and a budget, staff support, and opportunities to transform our gallery, engage with the community through workshops and field trips, and celebrate with opening and closing events.
Learn more about both artists via their websites by clicking the links below.
Thank you to the many supporters who make our residency program possible, especially the City of Milwaukee Arts Board, Ruth Foundation for the Arts, and the Wisconsin Arts Board.