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Events

We invite you to get involved with MIAD through the many events we host each year. Your participation supports students and alumni and helps create a galvanized education and creative community, addressing universal needs through our thought, design and expression.

vanessa german presents at MIAD's Creativity Series

MIAD Creativity Series

Founded in 2012, the MIAD Creativity Series annually brings in internationally preeminent artists, designers and creative scholars/educators to celebrate excellence in the arts, enrich the experiences of MIAD students and engage the community in new ways of thinking about and appreciating the visual arts and the world of design. Visiting creatives have an in-depth residency with MIAD students and present a public presentation.

MIAD Holiday Sale

MIAD Holiday Sale

The annual MIAD Holiday Sale supports students and alumni in showcasing and selling their one-of-a-kind art and design work (at all price points) to community members and art enthusiasts. The event is held during the first weekend of December. Proceeds support the artists/designers and MIAD student scholarships.

A student paints an installation space for senior exhibition

MIAD Senior Exhibition

MIAD’s annual Senior Exhibition, Wisconsin’s largest exhibition of its kind, features more than 130 artists and designers representing all of MIAD’s Bachelor of Fine Arts majors and minors.

Two people smile in MIAD's service elevator at Creative Fusion

Creative Fusion

Milwaukee’s signature fundraiser in the heart of MIAD’s creative studios, Creative Fusion, is an annual benefit for MIAD scholarships. The night includes a cocktail hour and dinner, as well as a live auction of artworks donated by a variety of artists.

Two people look at a gallery wall.

Gallery Exhibitions

MIAD features two gallery spaces that are free and open to the public: The Frederick Layton Gallery and Brooks Stevens Gallery of Industrial Design. The galleries are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. View our current gallery exhibition schedule. Gallery tours are available.

An exterior photo of MIAD's entrance

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Get updates on MIAD’s latest events!

Academic and Other Events

For other events, see our Academic Calendar and General Events Calendar.

Interested in sponsoring an event? Contact Tracy Milkowski at tracymilkowski@miad.edu or 414‑847‑3239.

Need a location for your next event? If you would like to have your event hosted at MIAD, please contact Fran Serlin, Director of Special Events, at 414‑847‑3336 or franserlin@miad.edu.

News

MIAD Sculpture Lab pushes senior’s ‘boundaries of creation’

The transformation of molten metal to solid metal and the opportunity to “experiment and push the boundaries of creation” in the Sculpture Lab at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) have always filled senior Caroline Calvano with “amazement and inspiration.”

MIAD Illustration senior weaves Chinese and Western fashion

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design senior YongXue Hayden (Illustration) believes that “creatives are always the trendsetters of the world. So, in 50 years, I’m sure art and design students will be up on the coolest new tech, fashion trends and latest entertainment.”

MIAD senior’s passion for residential design becomes a career

Sebastian Wohlt’s passion for rearranging the furniture in his childhood bedroom, and occasionally painting a wall, became a major in Interior Architecture and Design – and a professional goal of residential design – at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD).

Bucks partnership with MIAD a slam dunk for Black History Month

When the Milwaukee Bucks chose Black Excellence in the Arts as the theme for their Black History Month game in February, it was natural to continue their ongoing partnerships with MIAD by reaching out to the college for a live art piece to be created at Fiserv Forum.

Two MIAD students finalists for Grilled Cheese Grant

The ninth annual Grilled Cheese Grant finalists include two Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) students: Stella Kowalski ’24 (Fine Art + New Studio Practice, Illustration) and Makenna Schibler ’25 (Fine Art + NSP). They are two of five finalists who are in the running for the crowd-funded grant.