Illustration students design posters for Johnsonville company headquarters

Illustration by Thomas Deegan ’22, featuring Johnsonville’s “Love Your Neighbor” motto
Johnsonville collaborated with the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) last fall on a project to give Illustration students real-life industry experience designing posters to be displayed in the company’s headquarters in Sheboygan Falls, Wis.
During the project, 88 MIAD students in their junior year created illustrations to promote the company’s “Love Your Neighbor” motto, its guiding principles, The Johnsonville Way statement and the Johnsonville mission statement.
The company selected three finalists in each category:
- Thomas Deegan for the Love Your Neighbor category
- Paige Slinkard for The Johnsonville Way category
- Andrew Lowry for the the Johnsonville mission statement category
- Sofia Garcia for the Johnsonville guiding principles category

Illustration by Paige Slinkard ’22, featuring “The Johnsonville Way”
“Johnsonville was an amazing client to work with for this sponsored curriculum project. They were enthusiastic about the creative potential of the students and welcomed the unique and diverse visions they brought to the project,” says Christiane Grauert, MIAD professor of Illustration. “Providing students with real-life professional experiences during their program of study is a crucial component of their MIAD illustration education. Students overwhelmingly voiced how this project was a great learning moment when it comes to understanding the work process of a professional illustrator.”
The students worked closely with Johnsonville’s Jamie Schmelzer, Senior Director of Strategic Growth, and Leah Glaub, Vice President of Human Resources and Organizational Learning, who were directly involved in the design process, reviewing and sharing feedback on initial tight sketches with each student. They also invited feedback from 20 company members, including the family owners, to select the winning projects.
News
Product Design class uses virtual reality for shoe design
Product Design students at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) are keeping up to date with the emerging technologies that are becoming industry standard. In the junior Advanced Digital Modeling course, instructor Frank Savage has incorporated Gravity Sketch, a virtual reality platform, into a shoe design assignment.
Senior Communication Design project wins national GDUSA award
Cultivata, the 2025 Senior Exhibition project by Frankie Mallerdino ’25 (Communication Design) at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), was named a Gold Foil winner in Graphic Design USA’s 2025 Digital Design Awards. Only 10 percent of the more than 3,000 entries earn this national distinction.
Meet Desharr Saddler and 2025 Senior Exhibition project ClubHaus
Meet Desharr Saddler and 2025 Senior Exhibition project ClubHaus. Desharr Saddler ’25 (Product Design) is from Milwaukee.
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.”