Design Apprenticeship Program (DAP)

DAP I: Nathan Miller is an artist, educator and musician from the South Side of Chicago. Drawing from spiritually charged experiences, his work is a wide-ranging study of the nature of time, belief and his Christian faith. Miller melds together photography, sculpture, public installation and ministry in ways that constructively collapse rigid distinctions of content and form, and he self-admittedly frames his practice as, "a sonata composing itself". Having studied photography at the University of Illinois at Chicago (BFA, 2013), The University of The Arts London (2011), and the Rhode Island School of Design (MFA, 2017), Miller's practice is rooted in the tradition of documentary image making. Miller has exhibited at galleries and museums in Chicago, New York, London, and Rhode Island, including: Schneider Gallery Chicago (IL), Chicago Art Department (IL), Washington Park Arts Incubator (IL), ClampArt (NY) and the RISD Museum (RI). Miller is an AICAD Fellowship recipient (Pratt, 2018), and lecturer of photography at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

DAP II: Sherry Diaz (she/her/hers) is an artist, designer, woodworker, educator, and a super-proud mama. Sherry studied at The Krenov School of Fine Woodworking, based in Fort Bragg California. Previous projects include the small business Elephant Playthings, an online-based store focused on the design and crafting of simple wooden toys and furniture. She strongly believes that craftspersons need to take the initiative of teaching younger generations the craft itself— as well as an appreciation for work done with one’s hands and heart.