La Mère Brazier: Phoebe Nelson Senior Exhibition 2025

Phoebe Nelson ’25 (Illustration) came to the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) to study children’s book illustration. Now at the end of her senior year, she is writing and illustrating a children’s book about Eugénie Brazier, the first person to get six Michelin stars, for her Senior Exhibition project.

“I wanted to take this opportunity to try out making something historical just so that I could showcase not only my storytelling abilities, but also my abilities with researching,” explains Nelson. “And it really is just a lot of research that goes into this, and a lot of planning that all of us have to do. A lot of visual research and sketching. For me personally, I did a lot of reading and writing, because I had a whole manuscript to write, which was really fun and exciting.”

“La Mère Brazier,” Nelson’s book, features intricate paper-cut scenes. For each spread, Nelson first makes a digital rendering. Then, she measures, cuts and glues hand-painted paper to construct the details, setting and characters. Several of these original spreads will be on view during MIAD’s 2025 Senior Exhibition, in addition to hard copies of her book for visitors to read.

“I was building a website, I kind of got to know my own art a little better and learn things about myself and learn about what I liked more,” continues Nelson. “I realized things that I hadn’t realized or hadn’t known about myself. And one of those things being that I really enjoy making work that is about people. I enjoy animals and nature and that stuff, and I thought that was kind of my main focus. But after actually looking at all of my work, I was like, oh my goodness, no. It’s people and people’s relationships and interactions.”

From working on MIAD’s “Lois Ehlert: A Creative Life” exhibition to connecting with local galleries, Nelson’s professional experiences have shaped her plans after graduation. “MIAD is just like a jumping off place for all of us. And all of these relationships are just waiting, and all you have to do is like, go out and access them,” she says. After graduation, Nelson plans to connect with publishers about her two children’s books.

Learn more about MIAD’s Illustration major and plan your visit to MIAD’s Senior Exhibition!