MIAD students receive 2023 Graphic Design Awards from GDUSA
Three Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) Communication Design students received 60th anniversary American Graphic Design Awards from Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) magazine. The students were selected from over 8,000 entries, and judged alongside professional design work. Fewer than 10% of entrants received an award.
Recognized for her work in packaging design, Adriana Lassa ’24 says her PRIKD: Spicy Margarita event poster “design was inspired by a set of stamps with imagery of plants. The nature scene was arranged with a nod to the desert and the agave plant.”
Ella Wiater ’24 says her winning Rockabilly Chili Poster from MIAD’s advertising design course was meaningful because “I based my targeted demographic off of a close friend.”
Catherine Currie ’23 (Communication Design) also received an award for her work – Milwaukee United – in branding and design for sport. Currie is now a creative for Emmy award-winning Cynosure Creative Agency, whose creative director is MIAD alum and Trustee Xavier Ruffin ‘10 (Communication Design). In summer 2023, she was selected for a highly competitive graphic design internship at Nike.
Lassa_PRIKD_GDUSA
Adriana Lassa, PRIKD, 2023.
Currie_MKE_United_Kit_Design_FINAL_GDUSA
Catherine Currie, Milwaukee United, 2023.
GDUSA_Home-News
Ella Wiater, “Rockabilly Chili,” 2023.
Lassa says that she “likes the possibilities of Communication Design – that it is something that is all around you. It presents itself in multiple forms for different reasons, whether that is to relay information, tell a story or evoke emotion.”
“I love Communication Design because it allows me to express myself creatively while also creating work that is impactful,” adds Wiater.
Speaking about her time at MIAD, Lassa says, “I’ve learned how essential conversation is. There’s always something to be learned from someone, and even the smallest interaction can be meaningful and give insight into your own work and others.”
Learn more about MIAD’s Communication Design program.
News
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.
MIAD Independent Inquiry Program launches with three student grants
Galilea Cerda ’26, Tina Voith ’26 and Madi Weglarz ’25 are the first three Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design students selected to receive Independent Inquiry Program stipends to investigate new technologies and their applicability to art and design education. As first-time applicants, each receives a stipend of $1,200 for a six-week Mini Inquiry this summer.
Grilled Cheese grants propel MIAD seniors
Funds from the annual Grilled Cheese Grant helped Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) awardees Siren Harris, Yo Yo collective and Madi Weglarz complete their 2025 Senior Exhibition projects and future work. All the MIAD awardees are Fine Art + New Studio Practice seniors.
Sebastian Penn: Senior Exhibition 2025
Sebastian Penn ’25 (Animation Track in Illustration), “From Home to Legacy: Black and Queer Bars in Milwaukee.” Sebastian is a President’s (Honor) List student from Holman, Wis.
McKenna Martin: Senior Exhibition 2025
McKenna Martin ’25 (Product Design), “Hyacinth.” McKenna received first place for her design for the 2023 Delta design project/competition at MIAD, is on the Dean’s List and is from Fond du Lac, Wis.