Local Artists Depict Strong Local Women in New Alverno College Ad Campaign

Strong local women are the focus of the latest Alverno College ad campaign, which was rolled out in late May. The women are all Alverno alumnae, and the artwork featured in the ads was created by local artists who are part of FROM HERE TO HER Artist Collective.

“This campaign, which is uniquely Milwaukee, is all about women celebrating women,” said Sebastian Thachenkary, Director of Marketing Communications for Alverno College. “What better way to demonstrate the value of an Alverno education than to showcase some of our outstanding alums?”

The ads, which can be seen on billboards and in bus shelters throughout southeastern Wisconsin, feature the following women:

• Cecelia Gore, ’92, ’08, executive director, Brewers Community Foundation; portrait by Jasmine Barmore
• Jennifer Kopps-Wagner, ‘93, senior vice president & general counsel, Assurant Health; portrait by Kerri Root
• Jennifer H. Hruz, ’12, nurse, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare; portrait by Rachel Hughes
• Jeanna Salzar, ‘10, Milwaukee’s Best Acoustic Musician & Female Vocalist, 2009 & 2010; portrait by Miranda Petroviak

“A lot of us have admired those billboards for years. They’ve become part of Milwaukee’s visual landscape in a way, so of course we were thrilled when Alverno approached us about it,” said Katie Mullen, founder of FROM HERE TO HER Artist Collective. “Plus the tie to strong women is right in line with our values and what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Barmore was honored to take on the portrait of Gore. “I wanted to portray her as a light in this community,” she said. “I hope her image, shining bright and beautiful throughout the city, inspires and empowers … all women in Milwaukee.”

Root felt much the same way about painting Kopps-Wagner. “So here was this incredibly intelligent, successful, dedicated woman holding this powerful position, and she's got this confidence and glow and is so grounded,” said Root. “I knew that was exactly what I wanted to capture and present.” 

“This truly is a first for Alverno, and maybe even Milwaukee, tapping into the local art scene to create an ad campaign featuring community leaders,” said Thachenkary. “We’re really excited about the project and what this means moving forward.”

About FROM HERE TO HER Artist Collective

FROM HERE TO HER Artist Collective is an alliance of female art activists whose work primarily depicts women. The Collective is best known for their annual Women’s History Month exhibitions that explore gender issues in our culture through both an introspective and social justice lens. Through public art projects, youth artist mentoring, community workshops and more, the Collective’s mission is to amplify the voices of girls and women in our community as well as to demonstrate the positive power of mutual support and opportunity-creation among women. Learn more at fromheretoher.tumblr.com.

About Alverno College

Alverno College, a four-year independent, Catholic, liberal arts college for women, exists to promote the personal and professional development of its students. The college has earned accolades and respect internationally for its highly effective ability-based, assessment-as-learning approach to education, and has consulted with three U.S. presidential administrations on accountability and outcomes in higher education. For the last four years, Alverno College was ranked one of the top three schools in the Midwest doing “the best job of educating undergrads” by U.S. News & World Report. Educators from throughout the world visit Alverno to learn about its proven, student-centered teaching methods.

Alverno offers more than 35 major program areas of study, including graduate programs in education, nursing, community psychology and business that are open to women and men. For more information about Alverno, visit www.alverno.edu or call 414-382-6100.