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
Fashion students design adaptive clothing for Independence First
For the second year in a row, Fashion and Apparel Design students at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) worked with Independence First to design adaptive clothing tailor-made for two people who use wheelchairs. The project is part of a junior-level Patternmaking & Construction course.
MIAD Values Recognition Award: Nichole Uecker
Nichole Uecker, Student Accessibility Coordinator, received the October 2025 MIAD Values Recognition Award at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD). Nichole’s nominations highlighted her embodiment of MIAD’s Core Values, especially Community, Inclusion and Kindness.
Personal and professional passion inspire Product Design student
When senior Carmen Briones’ mother was diagnosed with breast cancer during Briones’ sophomore year at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), finding a bra that was comfortable with a medical port became an additional challenge. Briones ’26 (Product Design) answered that challenge in her Design for Human Interface class by designing a product that reduces pain while increasing mobility.
Toy design at Squishmallows: MIAD student develops confidence
When she first got the internship offer from Squishmallows at Jazwares, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) senior Melody Frias ’26 (Communication Design and Illustration) thought she was in shock. Months after the internship concluded, Frias still reads that email when she needs a boost.
Collections Spotlight: Helen Hoppin
Not only is the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) home to two formal gallery spaces hosting numerous external exhibitions, the college also boasts its own large collection focusing on work produced by founders and early students.