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‘M’ IN MIAD
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HOW THE MILWAUKEE INSTITUTE OF ART & DESIGN IS GROWING WITH THE CITY AND ITS THIRD WARD COMMUNITY
By Laurie Arendt Every year, the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) serves about 1,750 enrolled students, including precollege and outreach students. But that pales in comparison to the thousands of people who are touched every year by the college, including many of its Third Ward neighbors.
STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ALIKE RELAX ON THE MILWAUKEE RIVERWALK NEAR THE MIAD CAMPUS.
“WE LIKE TO SAY THAT THE ‘M’ IN MIAD MATTERS,” SAYS MIAD PRESIDENT JEFF MORIN. “COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE INVITED INTO OUR SPACE HERE THROUGH A VARIETY OF MEANS, FROM OUR OPEN GALLERIES TO OUR VISITING ARTIST SERIES AND OTHER EVENTS.”
It’s a commitment Wisconsin’s only fouryear, nonprofit, private art and design college takes seriously. Last year, the college created a new community hub space on campus, which includes a lecture and gathering space specifically for outreach. This summer, the school is adding a new admissions center for all visitors. “We’re really trying to create a new user experience for guests,” he says. “That could be new students, prospective students and members of the community.”
But what many people don’t know is the college’s larger commitment to the city and to future creatives. MIAD students have a fourcredit, service-learning requirement of 35 hours integrated into their degree requirements.
“We now have relationships with about 200 partners, primarily in the city but throughout southeastern Wisconsin,” he says. “Our students are doing really good work within the community,
with partners like the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network (MARN), Journey House, Habitat for Humanity, Discovery World and Penfield Children’s Center, among many others.”
MIAD also takes an active role in supporting students before they even start thinking about possible creative education and careers. Most recently, MIAD has collaborated with fellow Third Ward neighbor Hanson Dodge to create a summer design internship for high school students.
“IT’S REALLY BEEN A WAY TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO THINK ABOUT THE DESIGN ECONOMY AND THAT IT IS A VIABLE PATHWAY TO AN ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE CAREER,” he says.
“The program had 15 students last summer, and if there’s any indication of how important it is, this year we had 100 applicants for 45 spots.
“We’d love to expand this program even further and place more students, but we really need more partners — marketing firms, industrial design and architectural firms — to create more placements.” To help support the “baby creatives” in the community, participants in this program also receive access to MIAD’s youth programs free of charge.
“We keep that dialogue going with them,” he says. “It’s broader than the actual internship.”
MIAD’s roots in Milwaukee run deep; the college can trace its history back to 1920, when it was initially founded as the Layton School of Art. Throughout the decades it continued under a few different names and bounced locations around the city before landing in the Third Ward in 1989.
“For many years, the school’s mission really seemed focused on who it was,” reflects Morin. “Now, it’s really more about what we do. Our mission statement really sums it up well: WE IGNITE CURIOUS MINDS THROUGH ART, DESIGN AND SERVICE.”
GO BEHIND THE SCENES AT MIAD!
THIRD WARD NEIGHBORS GATHERING 5:30-7 P.M., SEPT. 14 MIAD COMMUNITY AUDITORIUM & GALLERY
JEFF MORIN, PRESIDENT OF MIAD Photo by Eric Halverson
Stroll over to the campus to hear Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design President Jeff Morin speak on current and future plans at the college. After the short presentation, you will have the opportunity to tour MIAD’s newly renovated galleries, labs and studios. RSVP for this free event at MIAD-ThirdWard.eventbrite.com
