Florentine Opera partners with MIAD Lubar Innovation Center
The first project Taylor Leinstock ’26 (Illustration) did through the Lubar Innovation Center at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) will come to life as the Florentine Opera brings its touring production to schools and community centers around southeast Wisconsin in 2026.
Leinstock, a President’s List student, was hired by the Innovation Center to create illustrated panels to be used as backdrops during the opera’s productions.
“Working with the Innovation Center and the Florentine Opera was an incredible experience,” Leinstock says. “I enjoyed … to help bring the opera’s vision and overall aesthetic to life. I was especially proud of the final color palette and how each background flowed seamlessly together in the finished piece.”
“We began with a group meeting to discuss key requirements, design inspiration and the overall look they wanted to achieve,” Leinstock explains. “From there, I shared updates and received feedback throughout the process until the final design was complete. Since this was my first freelance project, I learned how important clear communication is, especially with phrasing design-related questions when you can’t visually reference things over email. I found the client interaction and feedback process to be very positive.”
“We had a wonderful experience partnering with the MIAD Lubar Innovation Center and working with Taylor Leinstock,” says Renata Herrera, Florentine Opera Education & Community Engagement Manager. “I loved seeing Taylor’s illustrations bring our director’s vision to life. Her designs helped ensure that this children’s opera feels friendly and inviting for elementary school students.”
“This project with the Florentine Opera was not only my first, but the longest-running project I have done with the Innovation Center so far,” Leinstock says. “Now I have designed many projects with the Innovation Center, and I … am grateful for all of the opportunities the center has given me.”
Learn more about working with the MIAD Lubar Innovation Center as a client or student.
News
MIAD Alum Kelly Alexander Wendorf Brings Stories of Travel to Life Through Paper Cutting
For Kelly Alexander Wendorf, paper cutting is more than an artistic medium. It's a way to explore memory, movement and human connection through intricately layered works of art. A MIAD alum who studied printmaking, Wendorf recently created a series of large-scale...
Behind In a State of IF: A Collaborative Curatorial Journey
“In a State of IF”, on view in MIAD’s Frederick Layton Gallery through November 21, is the result of a years-long collaboration between co-curators Maria Novotny and Katherine Gressel.
MIAD Alum Kyle Nesbitt Blends Storytelling, Design and Brewing
For MIAD alumnus Kyle Nesbitt ’09 (Industrial Design), creativity has never been limited to a single discipline. Through Nezbittar, a project nearly a decade in the making, he combines design, illustration, branding, photography and craft beer into a singular creative venture.
Moonlight Retreat Builds Connection
Since 2018, MIAD faculty member Naomi Shersty has been creating space for artists and nonartists alike to step away from the demands of everyday life and reconnect through creativity, community and nature.
A Tribute to Horicon Works: Barany’s Mural Celebrates Products, History and Community
A new mural at John Deere’s Horicon Works is bringing the company’s history to life, and it was created by MIAD professor and alum James Barany ’92 (Drawing).