Passion = Vision.
- attended James Madison High School, Milwaukee, WI
- graduated 1990 BFA Photography
- currently owns her own photography business: lilaaryan.com
Lila Aryan
“There is no greater career experience than having a job that is also your passion.”
Q. What did you want to be when you grew up?
A. An artist…
Q. What was your first memorable experience with art and design?
A. My first memorable experience was winning an award for cartoon drawings.
Q. How did your MIAD education affect where you are today?
A. It gave me that springboard from which to jump into my career. It gave me confidence for my career in photography. Confidence is everything.
Q. What was the most valuable thing you learned at MIAD?
A. The most valuable thing I learned at MIAD is how to see artistically/creatively… how to develop a vision and how to market that vision.
Q. What’s the one thing you would tell a high school student who is considering attending MIAD now that you’ve experienced life after graduation?
A. If art is your passion, be persistent and steadfast and work very hard on your vision. There is no greater career experience than having a job that is also your passion.
Q. If you had to sum up your job in a single sentence, what would it be?
A. I create images that reflect my vision, and sell them to the commercial and art world where they creatively and efficiently communicate my clients’ message.
Q. What are your goals for the future, in art/design and in life?
A. To continue to grow my business; constantly creating visually stimulating images for companies and galleries.
Q. What are some of your hobbies/interests?
A. I love church, singing, home improvement, softball, gardening, painting and writing poetry. I play soccer religiously! I volunteer as a set painter for my church’s drama ministry, and do volunteer photography for Arab World Fest. I’ve also volunteered as a board member on MIAD’s Alumni Association for fifteen years.
Q. Are there any specific parts of your resume that you’d like to share?
A. I created images for three world-wide jazz CD jackets by Narada records called Nightgrooves. I have many images in the database of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American Art for the Save Outdoor Sculpture project. I recently finished thirteen images for a book on
caregiving that may be marketed nationally with large booksellers. My regular clients include: the Aids Resource
Center of Wisconsin, Alverno College, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Shakespeare, Milwaukee County Transit System, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren Law Firm and more.
Q. Please define how you saw your major while in school, and how that definition has changed over the years.
A. Well, I really never knew what to expect in the real world, and now I know what it is like. I never knew how much hard work it would really take.
Some of Aryan’s clients include:
- Sprint
- Fleishmann-Hillard, Inc. (for Harley-Davidson + Briggs Stratton)
- Alverno College
- Blue Horse,
- Milwaukee Art Museum,
- Milwaukee Transit System,
- Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
- The Medical College of Wisconsin
- Narada Productions (music label)
- Reinhart/ Boerner /Van Deuren, S.C.
Her photography has been exhibited at:
- The Milwaukee Art Museum
- Gallery 218
- Smithsonian’s Museum of American Art (Save the Outdoor Sculpture Project)
