Remembering Adam F. Nilson, Fine Art alum

Adam F. Nilson, Miller High Life mural (photo courtesy of Nilson Studios)
Adam F. Nilson ’03 (Drawing) passed away on March 5, 2023. He was the owner of nationally recognized Nilson Studio, where he created many beloved Milwaukee area murals. Generous with his community, Nilson also hosted art supply drives and mentored students to ensure children had access to the arts.
According to his website, Nilson credits his son Jackson with “the inspiration and courage to strike out on his own.” After graduating from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Nilson founded his studio mural business. His work spanned private murals and fine art work to Milwaukee hallmarks like the iconic Miller sign. Nilson’s clients ranged from restaurants and breweries to the Milwaukee Bucks, and his work was featured on several HGTV shows.
Starting his career at 17 years old, Nilson created a graffiti mural for his school, Beloit Memorial High School. Even years after graduating, Nilson continued to give back to students at Beloit Memorial and in the Milwaukee community, participating in fundraising efforts and mentoring to keep kids engaged in art.
Nilson’s generous creative contributions profoundly impacted his Wisconsin communities and beyond. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 1 p.m. at the Daley Murphy Wisch & Associates Funeral Home and Crematorium in Beloit, WI. A visitation will precede the service at 10 a.m. Nilson’s family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to charity in his name.
Read Adam Nilson’s full obituary here.
News
MIAD professor founds nonprofit for Tourette support
With its gently sloping lines evocative of individuals celebrating and embracing their identity together, the logo designed by MIAD Professor Nicole Hauch for Tourette Support & Education, the non-profit she founded, reflects the values of Community & Belonging; Personal Growth & Acceptance; Mindfulness & Understanding.
MIAD writing instructor publishes critically acclaimed book
Sean Enfield, critical studies and writing instructor at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), published Holy American Burnout! in December 2023. Since then, Enfield’s collection of essays has received critical acclaim and widespread support.
MIAD professor Lee digs dinosaurs to paint human condition
For 10 years, MIAD First Year Experience Assistant Professor and painter Matthew Lee has visited and worked in a 66-million-year-old dinosaur bonebed near Ekalaka, Mont. On three occasions, he’s taken MIAD students with him as part of MIAD’s Study Abroad Programs, to dig and create art there.
Between Space & Place: Cultural narratives of the BIPOC community
MIAD faculty Lexi S. Brunson ’14, one of ten faculty and staff members who received a Ruth Arts + MIAD Grant for the 2023-24 academic year, recently shared with the college a presentation of her year-long project, “Culture: Between Space & Place.”
MIAD professor’s work supports community
A self-described artist, social practitioner and storyteller, MIAD Service Learning and Critical Studies faculty Hj Bullard leads a life of community support, within MIAD and beyond.