• Who is Donovan?

Donovan Hill is a 2019 Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design graduate. He studied in the Interior Architectural Design program and minored in the Furniture program. He currently is an employee at the Good Lands Studios in Milwaukee creating furniture pieces for clients. He continues to work on his architectural work and is hoping to get a job as an Interior Designer in the near future.

• How long have you been creating Art?

Donovan Has been creating art since before he can remember. As a kid growing up he was put into special education because he would get into trouble for not paying attention in class. He saw the art room as a safe haven for him it was a place where he could express himself. Whenever he would as to leave the classroom he would gravitate to the art room. 

• When did you find your passion?

Originally after high school Donovan didn't think that school was for him. Having been in special education throughout his entire school career he felt that he wouldn't achieve success in academics. He was encouraged to take a look at MIAD because of his ability to draw. When he first came to MIAD he fell in love the the industrial design program. As a freshman at MIAD he later attended the shelter project at Catalano square and discovered the Interior architectural design program and felt that this is where he belonged because there was more room for artistic freedom.       

• What art mediums do you use?

Donovan Works with Revit, CAD, and Sketch Up to create his Interior Design Projects but his work comes to life when he draws. He loves putting his pencil to paper and creating with his hands. Being able to work with his hands was what really drove his work in the wood lab. He creates a lot of personal work tables cutting boards and even a bench.

• What's your favorite project that you've worked on?

Right now he's working on a commission to make a custom center council for a car. He's has created this design out of walnut wood it has sharp sleek edges and features a false bottom to put more valuable belongings. 

• What inspires you to create?

  Donovan really likes modern architecture, furniture, and interior design. He wants to create sleek designs that are true to the nature of the material. He's passionate about creating innovative custom designs. 

• What artists inspire you?

 John Michel Basquiat(Fine Artist), Keith Haring(Fine Artist), These two artist influenced Donovan's drawing style he liked how the artists approached their works are very lose and stylistic. Everything is very abstract but clear in what the artist is trying to depict. John Pawson (interior designer), and Max Bill(Industrial designer), influenced Donovan's Interior design and furniture pieces he likes the simplicity and minimalism of these designers they are very clean but they also account for the space they reside in. These designers look at the whole picture and design for the space around them. Donovan likes to take a similar approach to his design work taking into account the landscape, light, direction, and meaning behind the piece.  

• How did you become interested in Interior architecture/ Furniture? 

Passion for Furniture- When Donovan was 14 his Mom was into thrifting, she and Donovan would go to re-sale stores like good will and St. Vincent De Paul and pick out furniture that they liked that could be fixed up. They would take it to a friend Mr. Calvin and he would would re-upholster and completely redesign the furniture.  He showed Donovan his wood shop and all the tools he had and this was something that inspired him to create pieces of his own.
Passion for Interior design- When he was 10 when his parents got a divorce and him his mom and his siblings down sized to a two bedroom apartment with a den. His mother adapted the apartment into a 7 person home. He learned an appreciation for how to work with space and interiors.  

• When did you realize you found your passion?

  Sophomore year when he took his first furniture class. 

• How do you view the evolution of the custom furniture? is there more people who appreciate this craft?

  More people are recognizing that the craft that goes into these pieces is worth the price tag. People want to be cheap and buy furniture that's on sale. In the long run these custom furniture pieces are a long lasting and a better investment. 

• Where do you see your self in the future? 

Donovan hopes in the near future to start working in the Interior design field. He'll continue to create custom furniture pieces, but he wants to focus on getting his license to practice Interior Design. 

​Q & A with Ben Husnick owner of Good Land Studio 

Is any of your work in public spaces in Milwaukee?

• Yes, the Day Chairs that him and Arthur Talayko created are at the Rice N Roll Bistro in the East Village of Milwaukee.  

What made you decide that furniture is your passion?

• He was enrolled in the IAD program at MIAD and got into furniture as his minor but he quickly realized that he was passionate about the work he was creating.

How has MIAD influenced your work?

• MIAD helped him to find a collective of people with similar interests and hone his craft. 

Is the Milwaukee area receptive to the work your shop generates?

• Yes it's just a matter of getting  the work in front of them.

How do you get requests for commissions?

• Most of the commissions are though word of mouth. He is currently helping other MIAD graduates to fill commissions of there own as well.

Do you have advertising that you create?

• They mostly use Instagram, Website, and Facebook but they don't have much upkeep on them.    

Do you try to stay involved with student work at MIAD?

• Yes, he is currently applying to work at MIAD as an instructor in the wood lab. He is passionate about helping other students get there start in furniture.

What opportunities do you see for MIAD students looking to get into the furniture business?

• There's a risk because you don't see the money that quickly but it's rewarding doing something you love.

What are your goals for the future?

• He hopes to continue to grow his business and teach MIAD students about the craftsmanship that goes into the work. 

Todd is a Multimedia artist and MIAD graduate he uses Print, Water color, Ink, and Videography. He got his BFA in painting and drawing from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. He recently came into our Writing class to talk about his personal experiences with writing. He told us that after taking writing classes at MIAD he didn’t revisit writing until 20 years later. He was motivated by a friend to pick up writing again and now for the past two years he’s been writing more and more. 

We started off our meeting with Tod by asking him what influences his writing style. He said he starts with an inspiration usually it's something that may be overlooked by others that captures his attention. He asks himself why would other people want to go see the art galleries he writes about. This reminded me of what we are trying to do as a class finding artistic influences in the community that maybe overlooked. I'm specifically interested in MIAD Graduates furniture pieces that are being commissioned and getting them attention. 

Tod said he doesn’t really start with an outline and it comes out of his artistic sensibilities. He jots down notes and its a two week process. He keeps a dry erase board by the kitchen sink and lets the ideas flow naturally while his mind is quiet. He says allowing your mind to explore in a state of relaxation helps the ideas come easily. He recommends being present and meditation do yoga This gave me some ides as to how I would like to approach my article. 

Tod explained how the art he makes influences what he writes about. He said in art and writing they are both a deep investigation. His fine art is normally produced in series allowing him to investigate his process. The same is true for his writing style he went to the show 8 times before knowing that he was going to write about it. He decided to explore writing about it to gain a deeper understanding of how the work was curated and the meaning behind the pieces. The 9th time he went through the gallery he went through to make sure hit every point he was trying to make. 

I really Enjoyed having Tod come in to speak with us it helped me gain a lot of insight into how I would like to approach my article. I hope to use some of his approaches to writing myself. It was really cool hearing Tod speak about the connection between his writing and his fine art. I would like to pursue this with my own work as well I think that this would benefit the way that I think and speak about my work. I found that I have a similar writing experience to Tod's. I really enjoy writing but I don't do much of it anymore outside of my course work and now this class is influencing me to jot down my thoughts and pick up a pen when I can. I hope to do more personal writing in the near future.