MIAD student organizations: Black Leaders and Artists Coalition (BLAC)
Brad Anthony Bernard, MIAD Professor, speaks to MAM teen group
MIAD students in the Black Leaders and Artists Coalition (BLAC) partnered with Milwaukee Art Museum’s Satellite Teen Internship Program to host high school students for a tour of the college, panel discussion with BLAC members and art project this past Thursday.
This is just one of many community partnerships that BLAC sustains throughout the year. Recently, the group paired up with the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network, or MARN, to host Lalese Stamps of Lolly Lolly Ceramics in a program for current MIAD students. Ladasia Bryant, Communication Design ’23, student leader of BLAC, says the group has many more partnerships in the works, always keeping in mind the goal to “open space for black artists at MIAD to find community and opportunities that best suit their needs and wants. So far these partnerships have provided us with comfortable spaces to come together and use our voices for active change, or to just be heard.”
Ladasia Bryant speaks on BLAC’s panel to MAM teen group
The organization has exciting prospects coming up, including visits to various Milwaukee galleries, a workshop with The Bindery in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood and a zine tour at local indie bookstore Lion’s Tooth. These zine-related events are not random: BLAC also plans to start its own zine as a means for members to earn secondary income, Bryant explains.
Students interested in joining BLAC can expect a “student-run union open to all, dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive space for Black MIAD students, and fostering healthy dialogue concerning inclusivity and diversity within the college.” Bryant’s goal for the organization, “to create an active resource for our black and brown students to find solace and opportunities that best fit them and their goals,” shines through in the partnerships and programming the group has developed throughout the year.
Follow BLAC on Instagram @miadblac and learn more about student-run organizations on campus!
News
MIAD Students Connect Science and Design Through Natural Science Minor
Two MIAD students are demonstrating how scientific research can strengthen creative practice through the college’s Natural Science minor.
Seniors Ella Strzempa ’27 (Communication Design) and Keira Batzel ’27 (Fashion and Apparel Design) explored environmental issues through independent research projects in their science minor while developing skills that complement their studio work.
MIAD Makes Its Mark at MAPC 2026
A group of MIAD students, faculty and staff attended the 2026 Mid America Print Council (MAPC) Conference, “Printelligence,” in Baton Rouge, where they participated in demonstrations, panel discussions, exhibitions and professional networking opportunities.
Independent Inquiry Program students explore AI through research and creative practice
As emerging technologies continue to reshape creative industries, MIAD’s Independent Inquiry Program (IIP) gives students the opportunity to investigate their impact firsthand. Through philanthropically funded support, the optional, by application program allows students to pursue self-directed research projects that explore how new technologies can influence art, design and education.
MIAD Alum Kelly Alexander Wendorf Brings Stories of Travel to Life Through Paper Cutting
For Kelly Alexander Wendorf, paper cutting is more than an artistic medium. It's a way to explore memory, movement and human connection through intricately layered works of art. A MIAD alum who studied printmaking, Wendorf recently created a series of large-scale...
Behind In a State of IF: A Collaborative Curatorial Journey
“In a State of IF”, on view in MIAD’s Frederick Layton Gallery through November 21, is the result of a years-long collaboration between co-curators Maria Novotny and Katherine Gressel.