MIAD Labs
At more than 25,000 square feet, MIAD offers one of the most expansive maker facilities in the nation. This creative hive will offer you limitless opportunities to bring your ideas to life. Here, you’ll find space and resources to define your creative path.
In MIAD’s labs, you will have access to cutting-edge technology, equipment and machinery. Expert lab technicians are available to help you use all equipment.
Check out MIAD’s 3D & Sculpture Lab, Lubar Emerging Technology Center, Lubar Innovation Center, Printmaking Lab and Textiles Lab.
3D & Sculpture Lab
MIAD’s 3-D and Sculpture lab space boasts approximately 20,000 square feet of workable space for students in all disciplines to work and create. Accommodating needs for students of varying backgrounds, the lab supplies the needed machinery and technology for working in wood, metal, plastics, vacuum forming, model building, bronze casting, ceramics, clay and much more. Found among the open, general space are separate rooms allowing for individual spray booths, tool rooms of shared usage, classroom space, in addition to many individual workstations for needed projects and ideas. True to the nature of the rest of MIAD’s Jane Pettit Bradley building, a wall of windows spans the length of the lab, allowing natural light to flood the facilities opening up the expansive facility even more.
Lubar Emerging Technology Center
The Lubar Emerging Technology Center (ETC) is a place where MIAD students, staff and faculty engage with technologies as they develop. The purpose of the Lubar ETC is to help students learn how to learn to use technology to support their creative practice. All students have full access to the center, regardless of course of study or discipline.
Lubar Innovation Center
The MIAD Lubar Innovation Center connects real-world clients with our best and brightest students.
Through our creative development program, we foster innovative and entrepreneurial thinking to challenge our students’ individual interests, support academic programming and collaborate with corporate and nonprofit partners.
Printmaking Lab
MIAD’s Printmaking Lab is a unique space on the third floor overlooking the Milwaukee River. It includes a full letterpress shop, intaglio relief printing shop, photo darkroom, lithography shop, screen printing and paper making capabilities and a risograph printer.
Textiles Lab
MIAD’s Textiles Lab is an open workspace available to students in all disciplines. Located on the sunlit second floor the lab houses home to industry-grade equipment, many handwork processes and an ever changing array of donated materials. The lab is monitored and maintained by the Textiles Lab Technician and knowledgeable student workers. Curriculum based projects, such as Product Design’s Everyday Carry project, Visual Language’s embroidery project and the majority of Fashion and Apparel Design projects are accomplished in the Textiles Lab alongside individual projects and explorations. This lab is designed for technical skill building, conceptual advancement and exploratory research.
News
Meet Makenzie Cincotta and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Point Park
Makenzie Cincotta ’26 (Interior Architecture and Design) is a Dean’s List student from Milwaukee and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award.
Meet Kevin Gene Brown, Jr., and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project The Façade of Luxury
Meet Kevin Brown Jr. and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project The Façade of Luxury. Kevin Gene Brown, Jr., ’26 (Fine Art + New Studio Practice) is a Dean’s List student from Racine, Wis.
MIAD seniors receive 2026 Alumni Senior Thesis Awards
Thanks to the generosity of alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the college, the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) will award $7,085 to 44 seniors to directly support the fabrication and installation of their senior exhibition capstone projects.
GDUSA selects MIAD Students to Watch 2026
GDUSA selects MIAD Students to Watch 2026
Communication Design senior Olivia Nava ’26 and junior Nola Hennen ’27 were named 2026 Students to Watch by Graphic Design USA magazine (GDUSA).
MIAD student awarded 1st Place at NARI Student Design Competition
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design junior Paul Budnowski ’27 (Interior Architecture and Design) was awarded 1st Place and Crowd Favorite in the Interior Design Portfolio Contest at the 2026 NARI Spring Home Improvement Show. A select group of students from MIAD,...