Harley-Davidson donates materials for MIAD campus

The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design recently received a $1.4 million donation of materials from the Harley-Davidson Motor Company to help students transform their learning community.
“MIAD is deeply appreciative of this unprecedented donation of materials by Harley-Davidson,” said MIAD president Neil Hoffman. “The donation benefits the college not only by enhancing our ability to create lively social spaces for all students to gather and interact near their work spaces. It also provides a deep learning experience for students in Interior Architecture + Design – who have garnered national awards and whose work has benefited local organizations throughout the community, such as the Urban Ecology Center and the Salvation Army.”
The Interior Architecture and Design students are seeking input from throughout the college community as they re-design spaces in the college’s Jane Pettit Bradley academic building using the fixtures, tables, flooring, lighting and wall components received through the gift. They have already transformed the MIAD Café using the donated materials.
“Harley-Davidson is energized by our growing partnership with MIAD and ability to assist in the development of the college’s campus and its students, said Harley-Davidson president and COO Matt Levatich who was recently elected to MIAD’s board of trustees. “Harley Stylists play an integral role in the college’s ground-breaking Industrial Design PowerSports course, which they helped to found in 2008, and, last fall, students from across five majors participated in The Helmet Project, Harley-Davidson Museum’s first feature exhibition. It is especially gratifying now to see how the Interior Architecture + Design students are using the donated materials to transform MIAD’s campus for all students.”
The materials donated to MIAD were designed for the Harley-owned Buell Motorcycle Company by DCI Marketing, where MIAD alumnus Jim Wiemer is vice president and creative director.