First-Year Exhibition 2023 winners announced
Four winners and three honorable mentions were selected at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design’s (MIAD) First-Year Experience Student Exhibition opening reception on Friday, March 24, 2023. Renato Umali, Mariah Tate Klemens and Gabrielle Banzhaf, the three jurors, commended all the participating students for their strong work.
Olivia Singer won Best in Show for Grace, a graphite drawing on paper. “This drawing basically clutched me by the throat, it was amazing,” says Banzhaf. Mo Johnson won for The All-Seeing Furby (white ink and Verithin colored pencil on mix-media paper), Amanda Smithvias for Chomp (stained glass), and Laken Dreher for ☆My Room! ^_^☆ (paint pens on Bristol). “Our winners brought us to this beautiful place of nostalgia,” said Banzhaf, noting overarching themes of the contemporary in conversation with the historical. “I think that everybody put their stamp on these iconic pieces,” Banzhaf continues.
Honorable mentions were awarded to Erin Haas for Operation Cake (stop motion), Kleo Van Dornick for Cardboard Box (cardboard and hot glue) and Daniel Perez for this half of the dichotomy (watercolor on paper). “These honorable mentions were chosen because they exhibit exceptional technical skills,” said the jurors. They noted the skillful use of materials, the beautiful craftsmanship and attention to detail. “It speaks to the inability of language to address some of the things we have to deal with as humans,” said Umali of Perez’s work.
Winners received gift cards to BLICK Art Materials. The installation, which celebrates the creative and personal growth that students experienced over the course of their first year at the college, will be on display on MIAD’s second floor until September 2023.
Keep up with MIAD’s First-Year Experience on Instagram or learn more about the program!
News
Painting is alive at the Painting is Dead Gallery
It’s over 20 years and 30 miles from a figure drawing class at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design to the new Painting is Dead Gallery in Fredonia, Wis., owned by Katie Musolff ’04 (Painting) and Andy Fletcher, who first met in the class.
MIAD alum publishes picture book for neurodiverse children
MIAD alum Morgan Tillisch ’24 (Illustration) wrote and illustrated a book to help neurodiverse kids feel comfortable sharing. With the help of her professors and the Lubar Innovation Center, Tillisch recently published “I Can Share My Toys” through Barnes & Noble.
WI LGBT Chamber of Commerce names MIAD Nonprofit Business of the Year
The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce has named the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) Nonprofit Business of the Year as part of its 2024 Business Awards. The awards honor members for their contributions to build a more inclusive and diverse business community.
Innovation Center designs branded wall for M3 Insurance
Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design student Sarah Madden ’24 and Candice Roth, director of workplace experience & corporate administration at M3 Insurance, agree that collaboration was key to the success of M3’s branded wall project with MIAD’s Lubar Innovation Center. The finished graphic mural was placed in M3 Insurance’s new headquarters in downtown Milwaukee.
Product Design students design custom tap handles
Juniors in a Product Design class at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) partnered with two local industry leaders to work on a unique product—they designed custom tap handles in collaboration with manufacturer Hankscraft AJS for Third Space Brewing’s iconic Happy Place brew.