MIAD’s 2018 Senior Exhibition, April 20 – May 12, features themes of identity, inclusion, innovation, women’s empowerment and wellness

Cultural heritage and identity, acceptance and inclusion, innovation, women’s empowerment and improving wellness are themes in the 2018 Senior Exhibition projects of more than 100 of Milwaukee’s emerging artists and designers graduating from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) this spring.

The themes are featured in projects such as a:

• First-of-its-kind machine designed by Geoffrey Clark (Industrial Design) using 3D printing technology in MIAD’s Maker Space to develop a new process for Batik fabric printing.
• Philanthropic fashion company by Mariah Braddock (Communication Design) featuring products to advocate and advance women’s empowerment.
• Handheld device created by Denae Jens (Industrial Design) to monitor and prevent skin damage.
• Modular system of furniture designed by Keegan Phillips (Industrial Design) that transforms a typical office environment into a garden-like space to increase productivity and health of employees.
• An exploration of language barriers and the impact of those barriers on personal and cultural identities designed by Daniel J. Chung (Communication Design major; New Studio Practice: Fine Arts minor)

MIAD’s 2018 Senior Exhibition, generously sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, is on view April 20 – May 12 in MIAD’s Galleries, with an Opening Reception April 20, 5 – 9 p.m., during Spring Gallery Night in the Historic Third Ward. The public is welcome and admission is free. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Four students were selected by MIAD alumni to receive Alumni Thesis Scholarships that support the fabrication and installation of their projects. The award winners include Daniel J. Chung (above) and:

• Daniel McCullough (New Studio Practice: Fine Arts) investigates the camera’s role as a tool to depict reality through chance-based drawings and manipulations on sheet film.
• Catherine Sticco (Illustration) educates readers about the role of meditation techniques in an illustrated book.
• Thuy Khuu (Industrial Design) designs an elegant set of dinnerware with new functions that ease its use and connect users through emotional values.

MIAD’s annual Senior Exhibition, Wisconsin’s largest exhibition of its kind, is the culmination of the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program for students in the college’s five majors: Communication Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture and Design and New Studio Practice: Fine Arts.

Check out in-progress photos of student projects on Flickr.

MIAD alumni are employed in a variety of roles at companies such as Boeing, Briggs & Stratton, Discovery World, Fiskars, GE Healthcare, Google, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, IBM, Kohler Company, Kohl’s Corporation, Latino Arts Inc., Microsoft, the Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee Tool, Rockwell Automation, S.C. Johnson & Co. and Trek.