Building Description
MIAD’s campus is located in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, the city’s official arts district. The district spans twenty blocks of renovated warehouses, artists’ lofts, theaters, businesses, shops, and restaurants. Bordered by the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan, the Third Ward is a destination for both tourists and residents, possessing a distinct and unique urban flavor.
MIAD’s campus, known as the Jane Bradley Pettit Building, was fully renovated in 1992 before the college moved in. The main academic building offers students, faculty, and staff 245,000 square feet of space across five floors.
In 1921, Charlotte Partridge and Miriam Frink opened an innovative art college, the Layton School of Art, in the basement of Milwaukee’s Frederick Layton Art Gallery. Despite facing challenges like the Great Depression and World War II, the school was able to adapt to wartime America and it played a vital role in nurturing Wisconsin’s creative workforce as well as shaping Milwaukee’s art scene as we know it today.
The Layton School of Art closed in 1974. However, its legacy lives on through the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), which continues to preserve and showcase the Layton School of Art Collection—an invaluable resource comprising archival materials, drawings, paintings, various forms of design work, and more.
Visitor Experience
Explore the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) through a self-guided tour that offers visitors a unique behind-the-scenes look at Wisconsin’s premier college of art and design. Guests will have the opportunity to visit MIAD’s public galleries, view current exhibitions, and learn about the creative and academic spaces that support student artists and designers.
Throughout the building, MIAD student ambassadors and staff will be available to answer questions, share insights about student life, and provide information about the college’s programs. Admissions and Youth and Community Programs staff will also be available to speak with prospective students and families interested in learning more about MIAD and Continuing Education Programs.
Visitors will receive a self-guided handout highlighting key locations throughout the building, including the nationally recognized Brooks Stevens Gallery and Frederick Layton Gallery.
Current exhibitions, student artwork, and collection highlights will be available for viewing on Saturday. No registration is required, and all activities are free and open to the public.
MIAD Galleries will have 4 exhibitions on view to the public:
Groundwork: Select Works from First-Year Experience
June 15 – September 26, 2026
These dynamic works include award winners from the annual First-Year Experience Exhibition as well as a handful of pieces chosen by the College’s leadership. All works were created in studio classes during the fall and spring semesters of last academic year. Courses featured include Systems of Drawing; Visual Language; Research, Process, and Connection; Fabrication; Digital 2D; and Digital 4D.
In a State of IF | Layton Gallery
August 17 – November 21, 2026
Examines infertility through art practice that uses storytelling, healing, and advocacy to challenge cultural, medical, and legal narratives around reproduction and family.
Through the Plastic Lens: A Toy Camera Exhibition | Gallery 160
August 17 – November 21, 2026
Featuring MIAD photography students experimenting with toy cameras to create playful, unpredictable images that explore alternative approaches to photography.
OUT OF THE SUITCASE 2026: An Exhibition of Awardees from the Mary L. Nohl Suitcase Export Fund | Brooks Stevens Gallery
September 21 – December 12, 2026
This biennial exhibition brings together recipients of the Mary L. Nohl Suitcase Export Fund, highlighting contemporary art practice within Milwaukee’s creative community.
Address
273 E Erie St
Saturday Hours
10 am - 5 pm
Sunday Hours
Not Open
Photography
Photography allowed, Videography allowed, Tripod allowed
Accessibility
Fully wheelchair accessible
