MIAD celebrates one-year anniversary of offsite gallery
Culture Starters at MIAD Gallery at The Ave.
The Gallery at The Ave, the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design’s (MIAD) first offsite gallery, celebrated its one-year anniversary at the opening reception of its newest show, “Culture Starters: Emerging from Quarantine.”
MIAD’s Gallery at The Ave opened its doors to the public on April 6, 2023. Since then, it has hosted four major exhibitions, as well as 68 exhibiting or consigned creatives. In addition to shows, the gallery supports MIAD students, staff, faculty and alumni by selling work on consignment. In the last year, the gallery has sold more than 2,000 works in a variety of media.
At the opening reception for “Culture Starters,” over 125 MIAD community members and gallery guests connected to celebrate both the new show and the gallery’s anniversary.
“It truly takes a village to see numbers like this, and we couldn’t have done it without the creativity, labor and trust of the community,” says Monica Miller, MIAD Gallery at the Ave manager and adjunct faculty in fine arts.
“Culture Starters: Emerging from Quarantine” is on view March 28 – June 22, 2024, and explores what happens to the creative practice when forced to incubate, grow and mature in close quarters. It features work by MIAD faculty, staff, students and alumni, including Megan Cunningham, Paul Druecke ‘87, Sarah Eichhorn, Liz Geoffrey ‘21, Griffin Gilreath ‘21, Vedale Hill ‘12, Adam Porter ‘11, Nirmal Raja ‘08, Stacey Steinberg ‘04, Maggie Szpot ‘13 and additional works by MIAD students and alumni.
MIAD Gallery at The Ave.
Effective May 1, gallery manager Miller will become MIAD Director of Galleries & Community Engagement, leading the college’s onsite galleries while continuing management of MIAD Gallery at The Ave and offsite gallery opportunities.
“Through their work, Monica has championed the representation of the MIAD community’s creativity through a variety of diverse placements and opportunities, heightening visibility for the college and helping our faculty, staff, students and alumni build their professional networks in Milwaukee,” says Tracy Milkowski, MIAD Vice President for Advancement.
Explore MIAD Gallery at The Ave!
News
Meet Kas Cook and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Calvin Sazerac
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.
Meet Mac Bronnson and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project MENd
Mac Bronnson ’26 (Communication Design) is a President’s (Honor) List student from Milwaukee and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. MENd – No Bro Left Behind is a men’s mental health app that is not designed as a mental health app.
MIAD faculty designs for Brewers Wisconsin Artist Series
Faculty member Ric Stultz, who teaches Illustration at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, has designed what is sure to become iconic apparel during the Milwaukee Brewers 2026 season.
Meet Cyrill Reyes and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project NECROZOIC
Cyrill Reyes ’26 (Illustration) is a President’s (Honor) List student from the Greater Chicago area. My thesis is game concept art and visual development of the world of NECROZOIC, a prehistoric fantasy that retells the extinction of the dinosaurs.
Meet Bailey Staerkel and 2026 Senior Exhibition Project Stitched Together
Bailey Staerkel ’26 (Fashion and Apparel Design) is a Dean’s List student from Vancouver, Wash., and a recipient of a 2026 Alumni Thesis Award. My thesis, Stitched Together, is an exploration of Gothic horror through fashion, taking classic horror archetypes and reinterpreting them into a collection of fully realized couture looks.