Faculty
Our faculty, who inspire our students and graduates, are innovators. They have a long tradition as passionate, intelligent and dynamic educators who are working artists and designers. But they are now also known for having transformed the essence of learning by ‘unlocking the curriculum’. In doing so, they reinvented the college beyond course descriptions and disciplines to offer a contemporary, integrated experience that blends personal context, research, practice, the traditions of ‘making’, and interdisciplinary critique and design.
“We are a community of innovators. We are artists, designers, educators, writers and scholars committed to our students, to fueling industry, transforming our communities, and defining our culture. As active and accomplished professionals, we are the creative engine that shapes MIAD’s curriculum, centered on the rigorous preparation needed for a successful creative life. Learning at MIAD is the result of the synergy of teacher and learner. It’s a collaboration grounded in intellectual inquiry and research, critique and assessment, working alone and in a community of creative professionals. Our students learn to persist, ask better questions, and think independently while mastering a discipline. It’s our privilege to nurture this process and mentor talented individuals as they turn their passion into their profession. MIAD’s students, faculty, staff, and broader community partners are bonded by a deep commitment to the creative process, a respect for the unique contribution of each of our voices, and our passion for making. That’s why we choose MIAD. That’s how we make MIAD.”
News
MIAD Task Award: Alum pays it forward with generous mentoring
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) alum Amy Cannestra ’06 (Communication Design) believes in giving back, in mentoring and in the supportive nature of the Milwaukee art and design community. By founding Task Creative and the MIAD Task Graduate Award, the incredibly busy creative exemplifies all three beliefs. The Task awardee, Ashley Osorio ’26 (Fine Art + New Studio Practice), will receive five consecutive days to use the Task Creative space for a project of their choosing this summer.
Meet Michaela Prischman and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Cloth
Michaela Prischman ’26 (Communication Design) is a President’s (Honor) List student from Tinley Park, Ill. She created “Cloth,” a tool to help guide young professional women to find and organize alternative work attire through a personalized style subscription box.
Flagship Madison museum features exhibition by FYE faculty
The First-Year Experience (FYE) at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) blends contemporary and traditional techniques, an approach embraced by FYE faculty David R. Harper in Good Morning Sweetheart, a solo exhibition on view at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) through August 30, 2026.
Illustration seniors land NASA and Disney internships
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design seniors Grace Weisner ’26 and Allison Stras ’26 have landed the internship of their dreams: Weisner at NASA and Stras at Disney. Both are Illustration majors with minors in Communication Design.
Meet Kas Cook and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Mcallaster’s Special
Cas Kook ’26 (Animation Track in Illustration) is a Dean’s List student from the Greater Chicago area and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. “Project Calvin Sazerac” is about Calvin Sazerac, a seasoned barkeep, who creates new cocktails for his favorite regulars. When he is challenged to meet the demands of a picky saloon patron, he creates something life changing.