Joseph Nieminski Papers

Joseph Nieminski was born and raised in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. He became interested in scenic design as a school boy watching illusionistic scenery painted on the stage at Parish Hall for Becker Brothers Studio. Nieminski attended the School of the Art Institute (1955-1959) and earned a BFA in Advertising Design. After working in advertising and serving in the U.S. Army, where he provided scenic design for a service club production at West Point, he went on to study Scene Design at the Goodman School of Drama (1967-1970), earning a second BFA. Upon completion, he became a member of the United Scenic Artists of America. From 1970 until his retirement in 2001, Nieminski worked as a freelance set designer and scene painter. He was awarded the Charles MacArthur Award by the Chicago Drama Critics League for Lysistrata (Ravinia Festival), Suddenly, Last Summer and The Hot L Baltimore (both Ivanhoe Theatre). He received more than ten Jeff Award nominations and won for A Christmas Carol, Design for Living and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (all Goodman Theatre). A Christmas Carol was produced annually, using Nieminski’s award winning sets, for more than 20 years. From 1979 to 2011, Nieminski served as an adjunct faculty member of the Goodman/DePaul Theatre School. In 1995, Nieminski redirected his artistic talents, and began sculpting award winning, one-of-a-kind collector dolls.