Milwaukee Public Market celebrates 20 years with MIAD collaboration

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Milwaukee Public Market looked to the Lubar Innovation Center at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) for designs reflecting the market and Milwaukee.

Eleri Extence ’25 (Illustration), Kate Kasper ’26 (Communication Design) and Olivia Nava ’26 (Communication Design) each submitted artwork that represents the Public Market and Milwaukee. Now until May 31, the public is invited to vote to select one design to feature on a limited-edition line of commemorative merchandise. The Public Market will donate $2 of each item sold to support MIAD.

Olivia Nava, “Milwaukee Public Market,” 2025.

“My design is inspired by different icons of the market … I designed the grid that hosts all of the items to resemble the support beams that can be seen from the market’s second floor,” says Extence. “To research for this project I spent time brainstorming inside the Public Market … I looked for symbols and iconic features that would feel representative of the market as a whole—a design that newcomers to the Public Market could be excited by and Public Market aficionados could appreciate.”

“I’ve always loved the look of traditional American tattoos, and with Milwaukee’s ties to the biking community I thought it would be a great style to represent a beloved fixture of Milwaukee’s Third Ward!” says Kasper.

“This design features the sense of community the public market brings,” says Nava. “I included people greeting each other outside of the market. I also included a person riding the Hop streetcar, an important part of the city that passes by the market.”

The MIAD Lubar Innovation Center supports entrepreneurial thinking and real-world collaboration by connecting students with corporate and nonprofit partners. “This was my first time working with the Innovation Center,” continues Extence. “I was pleasantly surprised and honored to be selected to make a design for the Public Market! Drew Maxwell and Kyle James were excellent at providing guidance and feedback for creating professional work for a client.”

Learn more about the Innovation Center and vote for your favorite design!