MIAD professor, alum named 2026 Mary L. Nohl Fellows
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) Communication Design professor Laura Farahzad Mayer and alum Nomka Enkhee ’25 (Fine Art + New Studio Practice) each received one of five Mary L. Nohl Fellowships for 2026. The recipients of emerging artist awards, Farahzad Mayer and Enkhee were selected from among 168 applicants.
They each receive $10,000 to create new work or complete work in progress, and a $5,000 budget for professional development and production.
Laura Farahzad Mayer
Laura Farahzad Mayer, “Bastani.”
Nomka Enkhee
Nomka Enkhee, “Listen, there is a horse in my backyard.”
“I am incredibly humbled to have been selected for the Nohl Fellowship, says Farahzad Mayer. “It means so much to receive this recognition…. I am still becoming familiar with the Milwaukee creative community since moving here in 2023. This opportunity will help me make connections and allow me to be a better participant in this vibrant community while growing in my creative practice.”
As described on her website, Farahzad Mayer is an artist, designer and hand letterer whose work explores themes of grief, memory, culture and generational storytelling, informed by her upbringing in a small town as the daughter of an immigrant.
Alum Nomka Enkhee ’25 is a visual artist, poet and performer who incorporates elements of traditional oral storytelling in her work. She is co-director of e.s.r., an artist-run exhibition space and publishing practice. Among her many activities as a MIAD student, Enkhee was selected for the 2025 Plum Blossom Initiative 11th cohort, Yale Norfolk School of Art Summer 2024 program and Gener8tor Art x Sherman Phoenix 2024 cohort.
For her Nohl Fellowship, Farahzad Mayer says she’s “not setting out with specific projects in mind…. I always work very intuitively and follow my interests and where the work takes me. I hope to use this opportunity to explore new materials and process I’m interested in. I am excited to see what more dedicated and disciplined studio time will lead me to.”
And says Farahzad Mayer, “I hope to model for [MIAD] students an interdisciplinary approach to making. I hope to share a spark of inspiration to always continue evolving as a creative practitioner and to demonstrate that the desire to learn and grow continues on far beyond the classroom.”
Outside of her creative practice, Farahzad Mayer shares that she is a skilled pickleball player, a mom to two and has two pugs.
Mary L. Nohl Fellowship finalists in the established artist category include MIAD alum David Najib Kasir ’01 (Painting) and instructor Brit Krohmer. Finalists in the emerging artist category include alum Brandom Terres-Sanchez ’23 (Fine Art + New Studio Practice) and Kayle Karbowski ’15 (Integrated Studio Arts).
Learn more about this year’s Nohl Fellows and explore MIAD’s Communication Design and Fine Art + New Studio Practice majors!
News
MIAD Students Connect Science and Design Through Natural Science Minor
Two MIAD students are demonstrating how scientific research can strengthen creative practice through the college’s Natural Science minor.
Seniors Ella Strzempa ’27 (Communication Design) and Keira Batzel ’27 (Fashion and Apparel Design) explored environmental issues through independent research projects in their science minor while developing skills that complement their studio work.
MIAD Makes Its Mark at MAPC 2026
A group of MIAD students, faculty and staff attended the 2026 Mid America Print Council (MAPC) Conference, “Printelligence,” in Baton Rouge, where they participated in demonstrations, panel discussions, exhibitions and professional networking opportunities.
Independent Inquiry Program students explore AI through research and creative practice
As emerging technologies continue to reshape creative industries, MIAD’s Independent Inquiry Program (IIP) gives students the opportunity to investigate their impact firsthand. Through philanthropically funded support, the optional, by application program allows students to pursue self-directed research projects that explore how new technologies can influence art, design and education.
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.