First-Year Student Exhibition promotes professional skills
The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design hosts the First-Year Experience Student Exhibition from late March through September 2023. A juried exhibition of work by MIAD’s first-year students, the installation celebrates the creative and personal growth that students experienced over the course of the year.
Local professionals will judge the exhibition and award hundreds of dollars in prizes at the reception on March 24, 2023. Renato Umali, Mariah Tate Klemens and Gabrielle Banzhaf are the jurors for this year’s exhibition. Representing a wide range of interdisciplinary art forms, the jurors’ experiences range from filmmaking, music and sculpture to woodworking and fiber arts.

First-Year Experience Assistant Professor Janelle VanderKelen explains that in addition to celebrating the creative accomplishments of this year’s first-year students, the exhibition aims to help students begin to develop professionally. “[It’s an] opportunity for students to start developing key professional skills, like preparing work for external exhibition and considering their class projects as creative works that have lives outside the classroom,” she says.
The Milwaukee community is invited to attend the reception on Friday, March 24 from 2 – 3:30 p.m. on the second floor of MIAD’s building at 273 E Erie St. Follow MIAD’s First-Year Experience on Instagram to stay up to date with exhibition news and learn more about MIAD’s FYE program!
News
Yale Norfolk Summer Program accepts Fine Art junior
Greta Berens ’26 (Fine Art + New Studio Practice) was accepted to participate in the summer Yale Norfolk program in Norfolk, Connecticut. The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) junior is one of 25 students who will attend the six-week program.
MIAD alum is state fair Grand Champion Fairtastic Artist
Wisconsin State Fair has named Lauren Marvell ’16 (Integrated Studio Arts) the 2025 Grand Champion Fairtastic Artist for her hand-painted poster featuring this year’s theme, “youth enjoying the state fair.”
Milwaukee Public Market celebrates 20 years with MIAD collaboration
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Milwaukee Public Market looked to the Lubar Innovation Center at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) for designs reflecting the market and Milwaukee.
Poster designs support professional practice, children’s nonprofit
Each year, Illustration juniors at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) work with Cramer-Krasselt and Penfield Children’s Center to design posters for the Penfield Children’s Center Annual Croquet Ball fundraiser.
Milwaukee Art Museum partners with MIAD Lubar Innovation Center
For its annual celebration of art, flowers and spring, the Milwaukee Art Museum turned once again to the Lubar Innovation Center at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD).