MIAD Bridge: Service Edition

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WHY MIAD? TAKE A PEEK INTO MIAD’S STUDENT BODY LIFE AND WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT IT

ALUMNI Q&A WE SIT DOWN WITH ALUMNI JOHN KOWALCZYK AND ASK HIM ABOUT HIS SERVICE EXPERIENCES

WHAT IS SERVICE? JOIN US THROUGH OUT THIS EDITION AS WE EXPLORE WHAT SERVICE REALLY MEANS TO STUDENTS

SELF INTEREST AND COMMUNITY Tess Doyle writes about what it was like to volunteer at RedLine Milwaukee and all the things she learned from it.

- page - 4 SERVE NOT THYSELF Michael Marten questions what service really means, in regards to himself as well as the community.

11 - page MAKING SENSE OF SERVICE Join a MIAD student as she reanalyzes her idea of what service is and how it evolves to become a more complex idea.

- page - 17 WHY MIAD? Check out ratings on MIAD’s student life. Take a walk through the Third Ward, food options and campus life.

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Letter -FROM THE-

EDITOR This MIAD: Bridge is all about service, both in the community and what it means it MIAD itself. One of this things I had the hardest time grasping when I was a foundations and sophomore student was why I needed to volunteer at some place, how it pertained to my knowledge and affected my growth as a designer. I thought that this wasn’t Marquette and honestly tried to put off taking the Service Learning classes as much as possible.

It wasn’t until recently that I volunteered for a joint workshop for Big Brothers Big Sisters Milwaukee, that I really got to understand why. It was a couple of students in the class that were in charge of creating a schedule and activities for the pairs that came in. It had to be something fun, and yet broad because we didn’t know the exact ages coming in, just a range of 9 to 15 and both genders.

When it got to the day of, and the kids and their Bigs came in, seeing how nervous they were to be in this strange art school, not even quite sure what an art school was, put it through our heads that we were going to make a difference for these kids, whether it was going to be knowledge about the art careers or just getting to know their Big (who really was like a second parent to them). And honestly, that was the best feeling in the world, watching these kids open up to their partner and understand that art has so much more of an effect on the world that one thinks.

THAT is why the theme for this edition is service. To show future MIAD students, those both currently enrolled or who are looking at possibly going to MIAD in the future, that sure, the idea of service can be pretty off putting to some people, but once you find that place that sounds interesting to volunteer at, and you really get into it, not only are you going to make a difference (big or small) at that organization an those affected by it, but it’s also going to change you, your understanding of service and your outlook on life and your actions.

ABOUT HER Name: Mary Krzyzewski Age: 22 Major: Communication Design Minor: Art History Likes: Long walks on the beach, stargazing, Netflix marathons, Diet Coke Dislikes: Diet Pepsi, the Sun, children, bad typography

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SELF INTEREST AND COMMUNITY Exerpt from Tess Doyle Illustrations by Brie Nelson This past semester I’ve spent my time and skills putting in volunteer service at RedLine Milwaukee. RedLine was started by two individuals by the names of Lori Bauman and Steve Vande Zande in October of 2009. RedLine started as a gallery and space for artist studios. Currently, RedLine houses ten emerging artists, five mentoring artists, and six teen artists all from the Milwaukee community. RedLine and the individuals making up its community are aware of the urban community surrounding them and working hard to be a positive member of it. “...an urban laboratory that seeks to nourish the individual practice of contemporary art and to stimulate the creative potential of the local community to which we are linked. Through residency, education, outreach and challenging exhibition programs with a focus on social justice, RedLine inspires and impacts new generations of cultural and civic transformers.” (RedLineMKE) Based off their mission statement, RedLine is very much so, run through community and volunteers. Although artists who house their studio practice within RedLine’s walls pay a small monthly fee to be there, they also put in volunteer hours to stay. Through workshops, open studio time and outreach programs these artists and volunteers bring art, problem solving, and a different outlook to the Milwaukee Community. In fact, part of my service was helping prepare for workshops with local grade school and high school students.

The gallery in RedLine has four shows annually. Those shows include local, national, international and a “RedLine” exhibition.

The art presented often has common themes of sustainability, urban culture, race and gender issues. If you have any time to stop by in the near future, you will be able to see the exhibition by Anne Kingsbury. Kingsbury is a local Milwaukee artist whose work explores female gender issues with the use of typical traditional feminine “crafts” to portray such ideas.

The work is really beautiful and a great example of Milwaukee talent and ideas streaming through the community.

Aside from all of these wonderful things RedLine offers, what I really would like to talk about in the print shop housed in the basement! This is where I spent almost all of my time! I am currently a printmaking major and just happen to be a lab aid in the MIAD print shop. So, I figured RedLine’s printmaking shop was a perfect fit for me! Not only am I qualified for

the position but also I am very interested in branching out of the one print shop I currently spend almost all of my time in.

Milwaukee is a smaller city, with big city vibes and aspirations, yet it is still able to keep a small town community relationship between its inhabitants. The RedLine Print shop is a great example of this! Two MIAD alumni started the shop. Now, it is currently run by Kim Weiss, whom I worked and interacted with during my service time. The print shop offers two intaglio presses and screen-printing. Alongside the presses are a paper making studio, photo darkrooms and a recently added natural dye lab! (Seriously, come hang out. It’s a blast!)

During my first few weeks of volunteering at RedLine, I was super impressed and intrigued by such good energy that went buzzing through the studios in the basement. As well as people from upstairs coming down to visit. I was introduced to many of the artists who have studios in the building and use the community shop space. There are so many artists working in different mediums with different forms of expression all hanging out in one building. It was so cool! Redline is like

Redline is like a hub for creative interaction between different artists who have their own ambitions and d rive. a hub for creative interaction between different artists who have their own ambitions and drive. Yet these people are able to interact and react to what others are doing and thinking through in one place. It was such a community. They have one large intent or idea, which is creating, that drives them to each do what they do. MIAD has similar things going for it, of course. I suppose I wasn’t used to seeing it elsewhere till I came to MIAD, and now at RedLine.

During my stay I was also able to see and help out with the outreach programs offered. I was able to experience how they reach out to the Milwaukee community. Throughout the time groups of students, differing in age, would come over to the print shop. They were given workshops on how to screen print. Then from the imagery they printing, they would turn that into something new. A few sessions done with the same group of high school kids turned their prints into tapestries to hang up at their school. Tori is the woman who runs most of the classes I witnessed. On a certain occasion that I was volunteering, a class of high-school students was supposed to come in for a screen-printing workshop. Tori who was teaching the class was volunteering to do it and was so happy and bubbly to interact with the students! She received a call that the school was in lock down and the group of students wasn’t able to leave. She volunteered to pick up the stuff she could and bring the workshop to them. Although it wasn’t ideal and they wouldn’t be able to print, Tori was happy to bring what she could so they were still able to get a step ahead and experience something new. That’s what I call working with what you got and still being able to reach out to enlighten the community! RedLine and its people really know what they want from a community and make no excuses in achieving that goal. It’s neat that RedLine offers something to schoolchildren, which is a total eye-opener, vs. adults whom seek

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things out on their own. On one hand they are keeping and enhancing the lives of the youth to show them alternative lifestyles. On the other hand they allow for people who have the knowledge or some knowledge to continue to grow with access to RedLine’s facilities. This brings me to thinking of the service synopsis talk we attended by Dan and Troy. I couldn’t help thinking about the classes that RedLine runs with the youth of Milwaukee. Most of RedLine is run through volunteers and the time given by the artist’s who have studios within the space. I got to see the work produced. I couldn’t help to think and express enough of how fortunate I am for having a creative outlet in my youth and early childhood.

I believe it is so important to give these individuals a chanceto at least experience and experiment without any judgment.

My mother who is an artist always encouraged the small crafts and drawings that my siblings and I produced. Which in turn, motivated me to make more. As well, the school district that I was brought up in always gave the option of an art class or something in the “arts”. If I hadn’t had an awesome art teacher in high school there is no way I would

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still have been in college or even gone to begin with. Art has always been something where I can show off my talent or keep it totally to myself in order to get an emotion out.

Most troubled youth don’t have an outlet to express or release some sort of anxiety/emotion through a creative process. I believe it is so important to give these individuals a chance to at least experience and experiment without any judgment opportunities or alternative ways of dealing with issues, while enjoying themselves. Dan and Troy make a great team in teaching discipline and creativity without judging and saying no to what these students are trying to find within themselves. A sense of confidence, identity, escape, and organization are brought to them, which isn’t found in their everyday lives.

As I mentioned before, RedLine works on a national scale. It isn’t limited to Milwaukee or near surrounding communities. Artists and craftsmen from across the country join in. Master Printer, Jaime Reid, from Gemini G.E.L. press, out of Los Angeles, visited. There he gave talks and a small workshop/demo. It’s great that RedLine is a spot for other communities to join forces with the Milwaukee community, through visiting artists. It gives a chance for the city and people to experience a fresh or different look on the same medium. On another occasion, actually my last day of volunteering, I was able to experience another similar vibe.

A class that I’m enrolled in called, “material matters”, visited RedLine. We learned dying of fabric techniques in the new dye lab they have set up. The young woman who was head of it came in, whom I’ve never seen there before. She told us her background and how she came to be at RedLine. It was really great! It just goes to show how RedLine gives people such great opportunities to have a space where they show off, practice, and teach others the skills they have! Where else in Milwaukee would she have been able to do such a thing? It also gives people who already know of RedLine to experience something new and tell others. It enriches the community, by her bringing techniques she has studied from all over the world to us here. We don’t know how lucky we are to have this chance!

So where does all of this experience I have gained bring me?

How was any of the time I spent at RedLine valuable? For a few weeks in the middle of my service time, I was beginning to become a little discouraged. I often found myself alone in the basement, trying to find productive things to do. I was given tasks every week, but those only took a short time to finish. I was told it was all right to work on my own work if I had finished everything. But that seemed silly to me. If I’m there, I want to be doing something productive in helping out this community, it made me feel so selfish. I got really crabby and thought it was pointless to be at RedLine. It also worried me that this could be my future. Nobody being around, then a lack of motivation to produce work and move forward. I

would then have to stop making art and creating and get a job that I hate. I thought that’s what was maybe happening to the people of RedLine! I hadn’t helped or seen Tori in weeks.

Where are the kids? They need this! We can’t let that stop! I then began thinking of my action plan. What am I going to do if I don’t want to even be here? I was stuck in a rut. But that’s just the thing! If I’m alone, I need to seek interactions! I need to scavenge for people to join forces! What are we going to do, when we do join up?

I have spent the past two semesters working my butt off, volunteering and organizing and printing and making my time available to the MIAD Print Club. The reason for that was to raise money and do my share and maybe a little more to get to New Orleans for the SGIC Printmaking conference. Although I was not working within my own local printmaking community that week of volunteering, I was working my charm on the larger national scale (and this year’s international) printmaking community! While I was there I was able to see printmaking friends from across the country that I’ve met through various people and printmaking events. As well as listen to artists and some people I consider printmaking idols talk about their own work! What! I know! I totally geeked out while I was there!

What’s great about these conferences is that you are able to have a chance to see what other schools do and how they work in a print shop.

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Different styles of printmaking are everywhere. Also it brings in so many different types of artists who have views and backgrounds so much different than your own and you can collaborate and talk with them! Also there are demonstrations that teach you new techniques! I actually thought about my thesis for the first time sort of seriously while I was there. I learned a technique involving screen-printing on film that I’m totally considering doing for thesis! Here’s a real kicker...While I was down there I met this guy named Pickle. Pickle goes to UWM for printmaking. It is often discussed among my friends particularly my printmaking buds…

There are two schools (MIAD and Peck School of the Arts) doing and making art/prints in the same city. A city that isn’t very large. A city that decides it wants to not only be segregated in race and class but in schools now? What the hell? We never or most rarely collaborate with the UWM art/ print department in shows or even hang/print sessions. Why? We do the same thing! We like the same thing! But we also have this great advantage of having different professors/ environment/sometimes life styles/peers. It’s an advantage because then we have different viewpoints on going about things, to bring to the table. We can then discuss/compare/ collaborate/be awesome together! Community. Branch it out.

MIAD is a wonderful community and I love it so much. Same with Milwaukee and I’m sure UWM has some more awesome people like Pickle.

I introduced Pickle to some more MIAD people. Here is a funny side note; I introduced Pickle to Patrick Sharrow after we got back from New Orleans. Him and I and others have always

What’s great about these conferences, is That you are able to have a chance to see what other schools do and how they work in a print shop. discussed wanting to talk and work with the UWM people.

So, Patrick being “Mr. I think I’m funny”, meets Pickle one night. I tell him Pickle and I’s little story. Pat shouts, “It’s finally happening! The joining of the printmakers! You guys are the bridge! Lets do this!” Wonderful right? Let’s bring communities together. Milwaukee isn’t that big. We can do it. Here’s my action plan...Based off of this idea of joining forces, I will join forces. Simple. In March of 2013 the SGCI Printmaking Conference will be held in Milwaukee, between UWM and MIAD, as well as other surrounding businesses/galleries (including RedLine). A group of fellow peers and I have discussed of forming a student committee. We would together form gallery shows and nightlife, “after party” community gathering spots for the conference attendees. Well, we made this happen. It is happening as we speak! The best part about this group is that we didn’t keep it exclusive to MIAD. We have branched out and taken partnership with the UWM printmaking students and interested individuals. Every Monday night we meet at a local Alterra Coffee shop and discuss our

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ambitions that we hope to make a reality by next spring. This committee is set on fulfilling what we thought was missed at past print conferences. We want to be involved in making things better and more enjoyable. What better was to do so then making it happen yourself? So far, we are still in the beginning stages. We have set up various groups online for a collective amount of people who are interested to access our plans and contribute if they feel the need. It also gives people who didn’t get a chance to attend the meetings to stay updated. We’ve come up with a few ideas of “themes” that we’d like to incorporate. With our next meeting we will be dividing up responsibilities between individuals to talk to local businesses for sponsorships and space to fund the events that we have planned. As well as, come up with solid designs to promote and get the ball running for the actual events that are to occur next spring. We would like to keep how we fund our ideas local. Local for the idea of a community being able to show off and take part of responsibility in sponsoring such a national scale event! We are hoping to enlighten and welcome outsiders of Milwaukee into its diverse communities, but without denying the benefits and beauty of differences that the conference will bring along with it! I can’t wait to see how many wonderful ideas and events we can make a reality

by March of 2013!

Maddie Dall ('15) Illustration A piece of a thesis project done by Maddie Dall that focuses on illustrating as well as sculpting prehistoric creatures.

ALUMNI Q&A

Alumni

With

John Kowalczyk

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“Service” means something different depending on who you ask. Providing dinner once a week at a homeless shelter, joining the armed forces, talking with a friend, chaining yourself to an old oak tree as loggers enter the forest, leaving your car at home and biking to work everyday, giving $50 to the Red Cross, choosing professional work that makes a difference, writing a letter to a congressional leader about campaign finance reform, developing a micro lending project for low-income teens to start small businesses, serving on a committee at a religious institution, giving blood, tutoring a migrant worker, adopting an eight year old boy.

These are all examples of service.

As far as I can see between all examples of service the key interrelating component here is an absence of self. So often our goals – in fact, our entire mindsets – are uniformly self focused. Immanuel Kant was a philosopher who went so far as to say that, with a few exceptions, everything we do is motivated for the self. Our society facilitates, even encourages, this line of thinking. The “American Dream” is one of personal gain and triumph and capitalism urges harsh competition and values corporate Darwinism. Those things can grow a prospering economy (or sometimes not) and lead to business success, but they stress self-centric thinking and they dismiss empathy.

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My personal definition of service is anything that requires sacrifice. It is a response to brash individualism and even selfishness and an affirmation of the more compassionate form of the human spirit. It is remembering that we are social creatures and that none of the amazing privileges our society affords us could have ever existed without working for, and with, each other.

While I stress that one’s goal for service should be purely altruistic it is, however, important to have the content of that service be catered to the one’s self. One’s skills, gifts,

talents, and interests are vital in searching out a way to serve. I am interested in, and have a growing skill set concerning, digital art and design, and related technological tools. I see the importance of the internet and computers in art, graphic design, and business ventures of all natures, is only going to increase as time goes on. I also know that my High School in Sun Prairie, WI is far behind the times when it comes to learning programs. In searching for a way to give back that would work with my strengths, thus allowing me to give a higher quality of service, I saw a prime opportunity at Sun Prairie High School. Giving high schoolaged students the chance to jump start their skills in various design programs may not seem like

MIAD BRIDGE: SERVICE EDITION

the traditional method of public service, but this sort of mentor-ship would give students fundamental knowledge of an ever increasing industry and the chance to explore new interests.

I came to MIAD knowing nothing about any of these programs, and having some previous experience and knowledge of them would have benefited me greatly. Photoshop, Illustrator, Web Design are the fundamental tools in pursuing any career in design. Also, the knowledge of design aesthetic is meant to be taught with personal critiques and collaborative projects which I plan on imploring at every chance I get. Helping kids learn these things now is helping them find success in their future careers.

I have benefited from others’ service in countless ways. My uncle, Wes enlisted in the army to help protect our country. My sister’s fiancé’s father is a police officer in Madison, WI. My art teacher in High School really motivated me to push myself and work hard to get into Art School. My parent’s sponsor a child in Kenya and I’ve benefited from knowing how hard other people’s lives are and how lucky I am to have loving, supportive parents. Mother Teresa said in her 1996 interview when asked how youth in America can help her cause, “And so as love begins at home, we are more and more able. Where there is love, there is joy, there is peace, there is unity. That is why it is very important if we really want to give the kindness of God’s love, we must first experience that in our own

life-His love. The other day , I had a letter from a child from America…I can’t remember the name of the place…and he wrote me in writing Mother Theresa, I love you so much… and underlines under “so much”. I’m sending you my pocket money, and inside the letter there was a check of 3 dollars. All a beautiful gift of God.”

If everyone would just serve others without even thinking twice, the world would be a much better place.

A little boy sent a measly 3 dollars, but that was probably a significant amount of money to him and if everyone in the world would be selfless enough to sacrifice his equivalent of 3 dollars, perhaps world hunger would not be such a prevalent problem in this world. Perhaps the boy

by Michael Marten

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Where MIAD Students Serve Each year, MIAD students in their junior and senior years pick a different place in the local Milwaukee communities to volunteer at for a semester long period. Here is a look into where they all go.

Types of Organizations 1. Environmental/Nature 2. Working with Kids 3. Working with Animals 4. Food Programs 5. Emergency Lodges

Top 5 Locations 1. Urban Ecology Center 2. Artists Working in Education 3. MADACC 4. Discovery World 5. Growing Power

sent his 3 dollars after watching his parents be selfless and generous. The world is one big continuous cycle.

Service, more than anything, is about people, so there is no better way to understand this topic than through the people who have experienced it. My older sister, Abby, was kind enough to give me some of her insights on the nature of service: “I define service as anything you can do to make the world better and not worse. Service is important because it is what makes humans human. Doing something for the greater good even though it’s not exactly fun. Service builds good character.

I used to volunteer at Lake shore Kid’s Camp as a lifeguard every summer. I helped in the kitchen, cleaned the pool and the bathrooms and did odd jobs around the camp.

It helped me to build a good work ethic and a lot of kids that came through the camp looked forward to the week they were there more than anything else all year. I’ve benefited from the service of the other staff members at the camp because we developed strong friendships and bonded through serving others.

Showing kindness and setting good examples for children is going to make future generations better.

Children tend to mimic how they’re treated. Therefore if you’re nice to kids and support them and encourage them, they will be more likely to grow into nice, supportive, encouraging adults. I think children in our society are “lost” because some of them don’t have good parents to show them the way. We can improve the lives of less fortunate children by leading with example.”

My future brother in law, Thad, was also able to provide a take on what service is: “I worked with kids at a public access cable station. The same station I got to be a part of, and that instilled a love of and fascination of television production when I was little. Not only was I able to guide kids creatively, I was also able to return the gift that was given to me at a young age.

I It feels right to give back, because

once you’ve benefited from truly selfless people you realize how much brighter and surer the world seems, especially to children. It cultivates a value to help and improve the world around you when you are small and people come out of nowhere to do something nice for you. And it makes you want to live your life with those principles in mind. If everybody felt similarly, and everybody gave just a little, I can’t see how that wouldn’t be a better place to live.”

Service is about people. Not just about the people who are the recipients of the service, but also about those who give. A symbiotic sort of relationship forms as a result of serving others whether it is apparent or not. The served is more likely to serve, with an example set of how we may help each other, it is easy to see how it makes sense.

It may sound cliche to say that you get just as much value out of giving as receiving, but the truth is things are only cliche because they are said so often, and this is said so often because it is true, and has been true for so many peoples.

Chloe MacKinon (15') Sculpture A piece of a thesis project done by Chloe MacKinon that depicts the phrase "a wolf in sheeps clothing", in a realistic sculpted form.

ALUMNI GIVE BACK

by Annie Hyma

photos by Walkers Point Center for the Arts

“Creating something and understanding that people are going to use it every day, and that it’s going to make their lives better, that is one of my favorite things.”

- Eliseo Carmona Jr. ‘11 (Industrial Design) Carmona embarked on a project to improve students’ lives with Interior Architecture + Design alumni Brad Ritter ‘11 and Ben Husnick ‘10 when Ritter received a request to design and build desks for an emerging art classroom at the Walker’s Point Center for the Arts (WPCA).

Mary Sugiyama, Assistant Director of Education and Art Educator at WPCA, was thrilled to work with the MIAD alums. “At WPCA, we pride ourselves on supporting local businesses and artists as much as possible. I talked to [Ritter] to see if he knew additional artists, and BAM, we had a group ready and willing to build our desks.”

“We were trying to give them, for a more reasonable price, something that’s a little more handmade and handcrafted, yet still functional and able to meet the needs of the students,” said Carmona.

The trio was up to the challenge of melding their individual design styles, getting, as Carmona puts it, “the best of everybody’s world and everybody’s experience, blending our best attributes and putting them together to get the best product for the center.”

Carmona brought his experience as an exhibit designer at Betty Brinn Children’s Museum and a passion for teachers and children that he also exhibited in his senior capstone project - a mobile desk designed to enhance the experience of both teacher and student. His attention to the needs of clients will be an asset at his new position as a model maker for DCI Marketing.

Husnick contributed his knowledge of building techniques from his custom cabinet work at Mark Porreca, LLC, and Ritter added his assembly and fine furnishing background from MIAD and commissioned work into the mix.

The result? Five durable desks with ample storage space for the center, and an added design element of versatility. The desks can be tucked away for fundraisers and events, and are the perfect height for both children and adults.

The desks were put into use immediately after delivery, giving Carmona the chance to experience his favorite part of design.

Ritter chimed in that the desks also me his criteria for fantastic design, “I just love it when everything comes together perfectly. It gives you a really good feeling when it’s done and it’s exactly the way you planned it.”

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BY MIAD STUDENT

DURING THIS SEMESTER, I WAS MOST FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO CONDUCT MY SERVICE PLACEMENT AT DISCOVERY WORLD, VOLUNTEERING AT THE

KOHL’S DESIGN IT LAB.

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DESIG Completing 55 hours as of this writing and will most likely continue to work with them over the summer and hopefully into my senior year at MIAD. I was originally in contact with Tom Joy who I knew before my junior year because of a design class I took my sophomore year. However as I continued to volunteer there over the semester Hannah became sort of my boss or the person I reported to. My original duties were serving the people who came into the lab to build projects and help them if needed. Managing the bar area where materials are kept as well as possibly designing projects and products for the Kohl’s Design It Lab to use. However as my volunteer experience changed and grew instead of designing products I designed a drawing series class per request of Hannah Toldt; which at this point I have taught one session.

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The Kohl’s Design It Lab is a Project Cafe’ and offers many projects for people of all ages to work on and complete either alone or with friends and family. They also offer Weekend Workshops where people can learn new skills or complete fun projects and crafts as well as summer programs with a variety of categories such as science and woodworking. The Kohl’s Design It Lab also offers a mobile Design It

The overall goal of the Kohl’s Design It! Lab is to give people the opportunity to get hands on projects and be able to build and design your ideas into beautiful products; all the while giving access to new technologies, equipment, and materials. They provide an environment which cultivates new ideas, learning and designs; connecting emerging designers and real world experts

Lab which visits schools if you ask them. They basically bring the Design It Lab Cafe Experience to the school to do projects with kids and get the thinking creatively.

who can share “tricks of the trade” all the while discussing design and its role in society. I believe they accomplish this very well not only because of the environment but also because of the people who work and volunteer for the

MIAD BRIDGE: SERVICE EDITION

GN IT! Design It! Lab. Without them and their passion for the things the Kohl’s Design It! Lab is all about it would not be what it is today.

The amount of effort that is put into the ideas and projects by the people creates a special tool for people to become involved and aware of design and their own creative ability.

When I first started I used to think that working in the Design It Lab was a great experience, being able to work with kids and even adults to build projects and solve them together. I enjoyed it so much I couldn’t wait until the next time I was scheduled to Volunteer. The atmosphere really is designed to stimulate and encourage creativity in whatever you want to create or design. However after I taught the first Drawing Series class that I have started at the Design It! Lab I really have wanted to do that more

than anything. Knowing how to build your ideas is one thing. But to know how to communicate your ideas to other people on a visual and emotional scale gives them the tools they need to become a well rounded industrial designer; learning how to be creative thinkers in the Lab and learning the skills and techniques of a professional designer. One of my most frustrating experiences while working at the Design It! Lab is really two. The first being in the Lab helping kids who want you to do the project for them, especially when you have a whole table full of them. It is rare but sometimes you come across a kid (mostly younger than 7) who pick a project MIAD BRIDGE: SERVICE EDITION

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in the hopes if they complain enough you will just do it for them. They say not to help the kids who are like that too much, but I find it hard not to even though I am frustrated that they won’t even try to or put in the effort of being creative or having fun.

To be honest those are the type of kids who would not make good designers. A designer needs to be a problem solver, critical thinker, creative, and most of all have fun doing it. Another experience I had was with Kristen who creates most of; if not all the projects they have at the Design It Lab. After teaching the first Drawing Series Class, she asked me to change up my lesson plan to teach kids how to render rare bird egg replicas in Illustrator do they could be printed on a machine they call the egg-bot in one color. The only benefit I see in that is getting them used to learning Illustrator. However that can be easily done while teaching them the necessary

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drawings skills a designer needs. But this kind of good and bad, give and take, meet in the middle experiences are all part of the real world and job environment. Overall I feel as though this service placement has meant more to me than any other placement I have been at before. I am no stranger to service learning, having to complete 100 hours or more each year during high school. Being able to do what I love with design and help other people who enjoy design as well and get them involved in it and the community is a great opportunity for both me and the people I have been and will continue to help.

Jasmine McMasters (15') Painting Part of a thesis painting series

by Jasmine McMasters, that is a study on her memories with her friends and the colours she insinuates with them.

WHY MIAD?

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Current MIAD

RATINGS Campus Housing: Living in the Two50two

apartments was fantastic. The dorms are right across the street from the school, so you are able to easily get to your classes on time without having to take a bus (like the last dorms), and you are easily able to go home between classes or even during breaks during your classes. You are literally on top of a Blick store, so that is super convenient, and DigiCopy is a two minute walk down the street for you Communication Design, Illustration, and Photography majors! The dorms are like living in luxury- they’re nicer than your first apartment will be, they’re practically brand new right now, and they come fully furnished and with all appliances (except a toaster)- you really can’t get any better. Just make sure you have good roommates and your time here will be a blast!

Scholarships: MIAD is super generous with their

scholarships. I received enough to be able to go to the school for free! I received A LOT more from MIAD than I would have at other schools, despite MIAD being less expensive than others. The high tuition prices allow MIAD to have enough money to give out these scholarships- sorry to those students that come from wealthy families and have to pay out of pocket, but you’re helping me get a degree!

Off-Campus Dining: There are tons of restaurants around MIAD... if you’re willing to pay the price.

The Third Ward is a very wealthy area, so the restaurants are pretty high end. However, it’s not hard to take a bus to Brady street where there is fast food and other restaurants and coffee shops, or even to UWM area near Oakland where there is a lot of fast food and pizza places. Pizza Shuttle is always a solid option, and you can always order delivery.

Majors: The process of getting into my Drawing

major was very easy. I didn’t have to do a special application process when applying to the specific program. MIAD just has a major declaration night spring semester of your freshman year where you get to talk to the faculty in your major about what to expect. In terms of applying to MIAD in general, here are some tips: Submit your best work, consider including some observational drawing even if it’s not your intended area of study, have a portfolio review early - MIAD Admissions counselors are here to help!

Overall Experience: A Is for Amazing – If

you need helping finding anything at all there is a FRIENDLY staff member here to help. One thing I could not stand about state school is the general feeling that I was annoying any staff that I asked questions of. Also, the dorms are beautiful! The cafeteria has actual food, AND it’s good, AND cheap. The lunch ladies remember you.

FOUNDATIONS

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Whitney Salgado (15') Illustration Part of a digital illustration series

by Whitney Salgado, that illustrates the different feelings and emotions one gets from body image issues.

Citations and

CREDITS Photos From: MIAD’s Flicker Page Photography by Jaclyn Tyler Poeschl ‘10 flickr.com/photos/miadcollege

Walkers Point Center For the Arts Facebook facebook.com/Walkers-Point-Center-for-theArts-76264454112/

Articles From: MIAD Alumni News

by Annie Hyma miad.edu/newsroom/alumni-news

MIAD Service Papers

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