Arts education lays groundwork for MIAD alum curatorial role

Nikki Ranney ’22 (Illustration), the new curator of the Cedarburg Art Museum, says she “is so grateful that I went through my Bachelor of Fine Arts and got to experience a traditional art education at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design because it laid the groundwork for the more academic side of the curatorial field.”

“MIAD was my first foray into the arts as a viable profession,” Ranney says. “I honed my work ethic through the Illustration department, and watched my peers also develop their artistic processes.”

Nikki Ranney, Cedarburg Art Museum, 2026.

“It was during my time completing my Art History minor at MIAD that I realized I wanted art history and museums to be my career. I was fortunate to participate in the Florence study abroad program in 2022, an experience that has stuck with me as a defining moment in affirming my love for art history.”

Ranney, who began her new role on February 2, says, “My new position at the Cedarburg Art Museum is a dream come true. The collection focuses on local Wisconsin history while also providing space for contemporary artists. I’m working on very exciting projects that I can’t wait for everyone to come visit!”

Her advice for students interested in museum work? “Don’t limit yourself to just one area of focus. I come into opportunities with an artist’s perspective, not just a scholar’s, and that has set me apart from others in a very competitive industry.”

“The other piece of advice, though it’s more of a requirement regardless,” says Ranney, “is to find hands-on experience. I worked with the Gallery Committee and the Layton School of Art collection while I was at MIAD, and those experiences helped me identify which elements of museum/collections work I wanted to pursue further and what type of jobs I might not be so interested in.”

Ranney has previous experience at the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM), Milwaukee Public Museum and Pabst Mansion. At MAM, she assisted with researching and writing the catalog for the Bradley Collection’s 50th anniversary exhibition. Ranney holds a master’s degree in art history from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

“The whole art history department at MIAD, and especially [Professor] Chris Szczesny-Adams, encouraged me to really commit to my passion, which made the decision to continue on to grad school even easier,” Ranney concludes.

Read more about Ranney in the Ozaukee Press.