Belonging at MIAD
We believe everyone deserves a safe and supportive environment in which to teach, learn and create. At MIAD, our values call us to find strength in our diversity and to act with kindness in our actions.
Everyone wants to belong. Whether you’re a student, faculty member, staff or visitor, you are invited to add your voice. Across the college, there are numerous spaces, people and programs offering connection and community-building. Belonging requires participation – how you find your fit is up to you!
The works which fill our hallways and galleries reflect an exploration of identity and expression, as well as personal style and practice. This diversity of the MIAD community contributes to our teaching and learning, and provides opportunities for both affirmation and dissent.
The Living Room
The Living Room is a student-managed lounge for Affirmation, Belonging, and Connection, where all persons are welcomed and celebrated. This is a space to explore the complexity of humanity and to embrace the fullness of our lived experiences. The Living Room models MIAD’s Core Values of community, kindness, and inclusion, while centering joy, accountability, autonomy, and interdependence in our work. We hold space for uncomfortable conversations and feelings in all the ways they may show up, and empower students to address situations independently and aligned with their values. Printed items around the space represent the lives and works of historical and contemporary creatives, affirming our experiences and allowing for discovery of new worldviews.
What you’ll find inside:
- Staff offices
- Open work spaces for meetings, critiques or doing homework
- Television
- Zine Library curated by MIAD students
- Community Garden
- Resource Library
- Flair (buttons, stickers, name tags, etc.)
- Personal products
- Sensory tools
Disability and Access
MIAD supports the ability of all community members to succeed creatively, educationally and professionally, by removing barriers and promoting access in all college programs, activities and facilities. We provide reasonable accessibility services to students, employees and campus guests to ensure equal access and participation.
Find Your Connection
Belonging doesn’t just happen! Join one of the many student organizations on campus to start making new connections and find friends to explore Milwaukee.
Tribal Map
Lands + Peoples Acknowledgement
The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) occupies land on the banks of the Milwaukee River in what is presently known as Wisconsin. This land is the home of Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Potawatomi, and Ojibwe peoples, and it is the historic and present-day home of peoples who were forced by colonizers to leave their ancestral lands and migrate to and through this state. MIAD’s Acknowledgment affirms our actionable commitment to uplifting and centering Indigenous peoples and knowledge in our teaching and administration.
News
National Society of Illustrators honors 13 MIAD students
First-place winner Sophia Simonson ’28 created Refractions as part of her MIAD studies in Interior Architecture and Design. She is one of 20 students studying at MIAD through a cross-registration program with Concordia University. MIAD students Kaitlyn Powers ’26 (Illustration) and Natalie Spetell ’27 (Product Design), both of whom have minors in Communication Design, received Honorable Mentions.
Pallas Textiles competition provides real-world experience
First-place winner Sophia Simonson ’28 created Refractions as part of her MIAD studies in Interior Architecture and Design. She is one of 20 students studying at MIAD through a cross-registration program with Concordia University. MIAD students Kaitlyn Powers ’26 (Illustration) and Natalie Spetell ’27 (Product Design), both of whom have minors in Communication Design, received Honorable Mentions.
2026 First-Year Exhibition showcases professional growth
An annual tradition at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design from late March through September, the juried First-Year Experience Exhibition celebrates students’ yearlong personal and professional growth.
Meet Carmen Briones and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Echo
Carmen Briones ‘26 (Product Design) is a President’s (Honor) List student from Cambria, Wis., president of the MIAD IDSA student chapter and an intern at SI Jacobson Manufacturing. Briones designed a device called “Echo” that removes ovarian cysts without surgery.
Meet Eeshaan Dutt and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Indra Supreme
Eeshan Dutt ‘26 (Illustration) is a President’s (Honor) List student from India and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. Dutt’s work centers on visual storytelling through sequential art, where he explores how narratives can engage and connect with audiences.