“The studio is where the dance begins.”
ABOUT
Terrence Coffman enjoys diverse artistic expressions. From childhood on, he has been creating visual art, stories, and music. As a student at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, as well as the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, he received two Ford Foundation grants which encouraged and supported his studies.
As Coffman began his career teaching, and later, when he was president of colleges, he maintained his identity as an artist, always painting, writing, and sometimes performing.
His career culminated with his long tenure as President at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD), where he was pivotal as the institution transformed from the Layton School of Art into MIAD, a well-regarded, fully accredited independent art college with international programs. While President, Coffman also enjoyed teaching classes, was active in academic organizations promoting art education worldwide, and instrumental in the development and design of the Historic Third Ward in Milwaukee, all while continuing his personal artistic pursuits.
Throughout his career Coffman has received many awards and citations commemorating both his Art and his dedication to visual arts education. These include citations from Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson, an invitation to attend a National Medal of Arts Awards ceremony at the White House, fellowships in Lacoste, France and the Burren College of Art in Ballyvaughan, Ireland. In 2016, he received a Wisconsin Visual Art Achievement Award at the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend, and, in 2014, as the Wisconsin Artists Biennial winner, he was privileged to have a one man show at the Charles Allis Museum in Milwaukee.
Coffman’s work is in many private collections and has been exhibited in various galleries and museums, including the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Milwaukee Museum of Art. Please email for more information about Coffman’s work: TerrenceCoffmanInfo@gmail.com