Year: 2019

Celebrate the Holiday Season at the Milwaukee Art Museum

– Visitors can enjoy special holiday happenings at the Museum including Artful Holiday, Museum Store Sunday and shopping events, live music and snowflake decorations.   –

Milwaukee, Wis. – October 30, 2019 – Visitors to the Milwaukee Art Museum can enjoy a wide variety of activities and events to celebrate the winter holiday season. Kids and families can make take-home gifts at Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays: Artful Holiday, shop at Museum Store Sunday and see new snowflake decorations of favorite works in the Collection that will hang in Windhover Hall. 

“The Museum is always a beautiful place to spend quality time with friends and family, whether they’re from the area or visiting,” said Amanda C. Peterson, Director of Marketing and Communications, Milwaukee Art Museum. “With lovely views of the winter landscape out the windows, three great temporary exhibitions and the inspiring space to stretch your legs and your imagination, this is the perfect time to visit.”

On Nov. 15, kick off the season with MAM After Dark: Friendsgiving, from 7–11p.m. Gather together and cozy up for a night of tasty treats, games, crafting, photo ops and F-R-I-E-N-D-S themed trivia. Visitors can also shop at the local artists market and enjoy live performances, in honor of Native American Heritage Month. Admission is free for Museum Members,  $12 in advance and $14 at the door.

At Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays: Artful Holiday on Dec. 8, kids and families can discover the art of printmaking in the Landfall Press exhibition, meet area printmakers, watch demonstrations and make art to give as gifts all while enjoying the sounds of the season, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

On Nov. 22–24, Kohl’s Color Wheels will visit Holiday Folk Fair International at State Fair Park. Kids and families can make art together from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  

The Museum’s youngest visitors will get to drop in and make art at Play Date with Art: Bold Brushstrokes on Dec. 13 and Play Date with Art: Winter Wonderful, Jan. 11. Both events feature hands-on activities for ages 0–5, complete with Singing Time at 10:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.

Shopping and gift giving:

Museum visitors can find the perfect gift at the Milwaukee Art Museum Store. On Museum Store Sunday Dec. 1, the Store will again take part in the international annual event that offers special shopping experiences, uniquely curated gifts and live music, along with trunk shows and free gift wrapping. All purchases support Museum exhibitions and programming. 

At the Member Holiday Shopping Party Nov. 20, local artist Hannah Jablonski will debut this year’s exclusive ornament, and be available for signing throughout the evening. The after-hours private event for Members will have live music, complementary wine and appetizers, discounts and free parking in the heated underground garage. 

Members can also receive extra savings on purchases and free gift wrapping at the Museum Store during Double Discount Days on Nov. 29, and Dec. 1, 5, 12, 19 and 26.  

In conjunction with A Modern Vision: European Masterworks from The Phillips Collection, an exhibition store within the Baker/Rowland gallery space will offer gifts and products inspired by the artists and images highlighted in the exhibition.

Holiday gift guides on the Museum Store website (store.mam.org) will highlight unique items and gift ideas for CEOs, co-workers, pet-lovers, families, friends and more. Free shipping will be available for all online orders of $25 or more Nov. 29–Dec. 19, and Museum Members can make any occasion special with complimentary gift wrapping offered on all purchases year-round.

Gift memberships to the Milwaukee Art Museum are available throughout the year, but make a special holiday gift for art lovers. During the holiday season, memberships purchased in-person at the Museum include an exclusive gift. Each level of membership provides free admission to the Museum, invitations to Member Preview Celebrations, discounts at the Museum Store and Café Calatrava and on parking, and free access to Family Sundays, MAM After Dark, gallery talks, lectures and more. Gift orders received by Friday, Dec. 13 will guarantee arrival of the membership package in the mail by Christmas, and orders placed by Dec. 9 will receive a full membership package before the start of Hanukkah.


Visitors can also enjoy the sounds of the season in Windhover Hall with live musical events that are free and open to the public. 

Nov. 30, 11 a.m.–12 p.m.: Carolers from the Milwaukee Rep’s Christmas Carol
Dec. 10, 2:30–4 p.m.: The Zafa Collective
Dec. 14, 11 a.m.–12 p.m.: Roubik Music Studio Holiday Concert
Dec. 15, 2–3 p.m.: Barcel Brioso Holiday Concert
Dec. 21, 1–2 p.m.: Bruce Anthony Holiday Guitar Concert
Dec. 22, 2:30–3:15 p.m.: Northshore Suzuki Strings Holiday Concert

A Variety of Exhibitions:

Opening Nov. 15 in the Baker/Rowland Galleries, A Modern Vision: European Masterworks from The Phillips Collection features masterworks by many of the best-known artists of European modernism including Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas and Pablo Picasso. 

Beginning Nov. 29, visitors can experience the Museum’s popular and recently conserved eighteenth-century crèche (or nativity scene). The crèche and its setting will be on view on Level 1, Gallery S107. On Dec. 19 at noon, visitors will have the opportunity to take an in-depth look at the crèche with Catherine Sawinski, Assistant Curator of European Art.

Portrait of Milwaukee, on view through March 1 in the Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts, portrays the city, industry and people of Milwaukee through photos drawn from the Museum’s Collection, the Milwaukee Public Library and Harley-Davidson Museum, among other local collections. 

Landfall Press: Five Decades of Printmaking in the Bradley Family Gallery celebrates the 50th anniversary of one of the country’s most renowned printers and publishers with nearly 100 prints, many from the Museum’s Landfall Press Archive. 


Holiday Hours:

The Museum will be closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day, and open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, for New Year’s Eve and Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, for New Year’s Day. The Kohl’s Art Generation Studio is open for individuals and families 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day the Museum is open. 


Additional Seasonal Programming:

Dec. 5, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.: Free admission thanks to Meijer Free First Thursdays
Jan. 1, 1:30 p.m.: Drop-in Tour: New Year’s Resolutions
Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.: Story Time in the Galleries

Unless otherwise noted, all programs are free for Museum Members, free with Museum admission and free for children ages 12 and under thanks to Kohl’s Cares.


New Milwaukee Art Museum Exhibition Features Masterworks by Monet, van Gogh and Picasso

  •  The exhibition showcases 50 iconic paintings from The Phillips Collection, America’s first museum of modern art.  –

Milwaukee, Wis. – October 8, 2019 – Iconic paintings by some of the most famous modern European artists—including Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso—will be showcased in a new exhibition at the Milwaukee Art Museum

Opening Nov. 15, 2019, A Modern Vision: European Masterworks from The Phillips Collection will feature 50 paintings by towering figures of modernism like Édouard Manet, Gustave Caillebotte, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Pierre Bonnard, Wassily Kandinsky, Amedeo Modigliani, and Pablo Picasso. The collection of paintings reflects the vision of Duncan Phillips, the founder of The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., America’s first museum of modern art. 

“The Phillips Collection is one of those unique institutions, with a collection that was groundbreaking in its day, and is full of singular paintings that exemplify the very best of each artist that Duncan Phillips collected,” said Tanya Paul, Isabel and Alfred Bader Curator of European Art, Milwaukee Art Museum. “At the same time, the collection is deeply personal, not only because it is Phillips’s own vision of modernism, but also because it retains an intimacy that derives from its presentation in the childhood home of its collector.”

Upon starting the institution, Phillips set for himself the task of defining modern art and its origins, starting with 19th-century sources and collecting across its developments through the years. He fostered close relationships with young artists and was one of the earliest figures to introduce modern art to the United States. 

“Art offers two great gifts of emotion—the emotion of recognition and the emotion of escape. Both take us out of the boundaries of self,” said Duncan Phillips. 

The Phillips Collection, along with other notable collections formed by individuals—including the Milwaukee Art Museum’s own Bradley Collection—has helped shape how Americans view and understand the development of modernism. Additional materials will allow visitors to explore the connections between The Phillips Collection and the collection of Peg Bradley, an influential local collector, whose gifts helped form the backbone of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s modern art collection. 

“Whether someone has already fallen in love with The Phillips Collection or is excited to see paintings by van Gogh and Cézanne, as well as additional works in the Milwaukee Art Museum’s collection by Kandinsky, Picasso and Monet, this exhibition’s visit is a gift to Milwaukee’s art lovers,” said Amanda C. Peterson, Senior Director, Audience Engagement, Milwaukee Art Museum. “With the paintings, the artists, the events around the exhibition, and the stories around the collectors, we know this is an exhibition our visitors will love.”

An accompanying catalogue, Master Paintings from The Phillips Collection, will be available for purchase from the Museum Store.

A Modern Vision: European Masterworks from The Phillips Collection is organized by The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.

The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities.

This exhibition is also supported by Presenting Sponsor Johnson Financial Group; Leadership Sponsor Wendy Sleight; Supporting Sponsors Kenneth R. Treis and Four-Four Foundation; and Contributing Sponsors Sotheby’s and Suzy B. Ettinger Foundation. 

Exhibitions are made possible by the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Visionaries Debbie and Mark Attanasio, Donna and Donald Baumgartner, John and Murph Burke, Sheldon and Marianne Lubar, Joel and Caran Quadracci, Sue and Bud Selig and Jeff Yabuki and the Yabuki Family Foundation.


Programming

Events listed are free with Museum admission, free for Members.

Gallery Talks
Tues, 1:30 p.m.
Nov 19, Dec 17, Jan 14, Feb 11, March 17
With Tanya Paul, Isabel and Alfred Bader Curator of European Art

Sat, 1:30 p.m.
Feb 1 (in French)
With Béatrice Armstrong of the French Institute of Milwaukee

Express Talks
Thurs, noon and 5:30 p.m.
Dec 5, Jan 2, Feb 6, March 5

A Modern Vision Concert Series
Sat, Nov 23, 2–3 p.m.
Thurs, Jan 16, 5–6 p.m.
Thurs, March 12, 5–6 p.m.
Enrich your experience of the exhibition with these musical performances in Windhover Hall, highlighting different artworks.

Lecture on Bonnard
Thurs, Feb 27, 6:15 p.m.
Lubar Auditorium
With Dita Amory, Curator in Charge, Robert Lehman Collection, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Optional dinner after the lecture in Café Calatrava, $55/person. Reservations are required and can be made by calling Catherine Sawinski, 414-224-3293.

Milwaukee Art Museum Hosts Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration

-Families can learn about the Day of the Dead through hands-on art activities and performances at Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays: Día de los Muertos.-

Milwaukee, Wis. – September 24, 2019 – On Sunday, Oct. 13, families are invited to once again celebrate the traditional Mexican holiday Day of the Dead with the Milwaukee Art Museum at Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays: Día de los Muertos. For 22 years, the Museum has partnered with artists and organizations from the Milwaukee community to host popular Día de los Muertos family events.

From 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., families will take over the Museum as they explore the colors and symbols of Day of the Dead through art activities such as making paper flowers and skeleton paintings. Visitors are invited to create a remembrance of someone special who has passed to add to the community ofrenda (altar).

From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., representatives from First Stage Children’s Theater will join visitors at the Museum for the event. Families can learn about the world premiere of On the Wings of a Mariposa, a play set amidst the Monarch butterflies’ annual migration and Día de los Muertos celebrations, as they receive Monarch butterfly tattoos and decorate mini posters of the show.

Celeste Contreras, 2019 Artist-in-Residence at Milwaukee Public Library Mitchell Street Branch, will bring mixed-media art that honors her ancestors, while Walker’s Point Center for the Arts will explore some of the holiday’s special traditions with visitors. Marina Croft’s Milwaukee-based Dance Academy of Mexico will present Mexican folkloric dance in traditional costumes beginning at 11 a.m.

The cost to attend Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays: Día de los Muertos is included in Museum admission. Thanks to Kohl’s, Museum attendance is always free for kids ages 12 and under.

Related Museum Events:

The Milwaukee Art Museum’s mobile art studio, Kohl’s Color Wheels, will be at the Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 19 and 20, for opening weekend of On the Wings of a Mariposa. From 2:30 until 3:15 p.m., families attending the shows can create wearable Monarch butterflies to take home as a keepsake. The Kohl’s Color Wheels team will also join artist in residence Celeste Contreras at the Mitchell Street Library on Wednesday, Oct. 30, from 4 until 7 p.m., for a traditional Día de los Muertos celebration and procession. The Museum’s off-site studio program provides art activities, free of charge, at events throughout the community year-round.

The Museum will display the ofrenda again on Nov. 2 throughout the day in Windhover Hall. 

About Family Sundays
Families can experience art together at Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays, the Museum’s special event with hands-on art-making activities, performances, and more, which happens five times a year. For additional information, visit mam.org/artgeneration.

About the Milwaukee Art Museum

Home to a rich collection of more than 30,000 works of art, the Milwaukee Art Museum is located on the shores of Lake Michigan. Its campus includes the Santiago Calatrava–designed Quadracci Pavilion, annually showcasing three feature exhibitions, and the Eero Saarinen–designed Milwaukee County War Memorial Center and David Kahler‒designed addition. In 2016, after a yearlong renovation, the Museum reopened its Collection Galleries, debuting nearly 2,500 world-class works of art within dramatically transformed galleries and a new lakefront addition. This reimagined space also allows for the presentation of additional changing exhibitions. For more information, please visit: mam.org

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General Admission Pricing
$19 Adults
$17 Students (w/ID), Seniors (65+)
Free for Kids 12 & under every day thanks to Kohl’s
Free to Members
Free to Wisconsin K–12 teachers with valid school ID or pay stub
Free the first Thursday of every month, sponsored by Meijer

Tour groups or school groups should call 414-224-3842.

Announcing the Art & Artists Series at This Year’s Milwaukee Film Festival

  • – A series of 12 documentaries span a broad variety of the arts
    to inspire festival goers and film fans. –

Milwaukee, Wis. – September 12, 2019 – The Milwaukee Art Museum is pleased to announce the lineup of films for the Art & Artists program as part of the 2019 Milwaukee Film Festival running Oct. 17 through Oct. 31. The program will feature 12 documentary films covering a wide span of artistic practices.

“Because we know that Milwaukee cares deeply about art and the creatives behind it, we are thrilled to present this showcase of films exploring the work of visual, literary and performing artists,” said Cara Ogburn, Milwaukee Film Festival Director. “This year’s program of course includes films on well-known artists like David Hockney and Toni Morrison, but also asks audiences to consider less canonical moments of creative expression, whether in street fashion or creative dog grooming.”

This is the fifth year that the Milwaukee Art Museum has sponsored the Art & Artists series within the festival. The Milwaukee Repertory Theater will again join the Museum to promote and showcase this collection of films that highlight a variety of art forms in addition to the art of filmmaking, including painting, photography, dance and writing. 

“The Milwaukee Film Festival is one of the community’s ‘can’t miss’ events every year and we are so proud to be a part of it,” said Amanda C. Peterson, Senior Director, Audience Engagement, Milwaukee Art Museum. “We know that all of Milwaukee will appreciate the power of both the creative process and art highlighted in these movies.”

The Films

Beyond the Visible – Hilma af Klint
(Germany | 2019 | Director: Halina Dyrschka)

Hilma af Klint’s groundbreaking abstract paintings are the first of their kind but they were not recognized as a legitimate entry into the art canon for decades. The first film about her life and art asks the question of how such a groundbreaking artist could be ignored. What follows is an art scandal, years of miswritten history and a story of the erasure of female artists. This doc sets the story straight on af Klint’s vital role in art history. The Milwaukee Art Museum’s Contemporary Art Society is a Community Partner for this film. 

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/313139599

A Bigger Splash
(UK | 1974 | Director: Jack Hazan)

The English artist David Hockney broke into the Southern California art scene of the 1970s with his strange, serious paintings capturing romance and beauty. This 1973 biopic doc, available for the first time, follows Hockney’s paintings over time as well as his romantic relationship with artist and model Peter Schlesinger. A unique combination of doc and drama, A Bigger Splash provides an original portrait of art, love and loss.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTjY4PAzEpg&feature=youtu.be


If the Dancer Dances
(USA | 2018 | Director: Maia Wechsler)

Choreographer Stephen Petronio leads a dance group in recreating the late Merce Cunningham’s groundbreaking 1968 modern dance piece RainForest in this immersive dance documentary. A beautiful and intimate film, If the Dancer Dances explores the world of dancing, as well as how art is learned and taught and how educators translate artistic knowledge, resulting in a piece that illuminates the intense work dancers do to create their work which appears so seamless.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/323308357

Jay Myself
(USA | 2018 | Director: Stephen Wilkes)

On the opposite spectrum of Marie Kondo lies renowned artist and photographer Jay Maisel, who spent decades filling up his 36,000-square-foot Manhattan building before having to sell it. What emerges in Jay’s relocation process is an archaeological excavation into the life of an artist seen through their accumulated treasures. Captured by Stephen Wilkes—one of Jay’s followers (and a noted artist himself)—Jay Myself is a love letter to a life spent appreciating the literal small things.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDD4OKZ_0uU&feature=youtu.be

N. Scott Momaday: Words from a Bear
(USA | 2019 | Director: Jeffrey Palmer)

Pulitzer Prize–winner Navarro Scott Momaday is one of history’s most celebrated Native American authors, and his work explores how our collective origins connect and inform us. From his years at Stanford to his work in the Native American Renaissance, Words From a Bear works as both a biography and as a stunning tone poem that breathes visual life into Momaday’s words, through both evocative photography of the Great Plains and storybook-like animations of his poetry.

Trailer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/141fzrIfKXOhBduRbx08ty_wWlO7YNrsE/view

The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion
(USA | 2019 | Director: Lisa Cortés and Farah X)

It’s sometimes easy to forget that hip-hop isn’t merely a music style, but also a fashion aesthetic. Of course, these looks don’t create themselves. Meet Misa Hylton and April Walker, two women who have had an incalculable impact in the male-dominated world of hip-hop style since the 1980s. Working with rap luminaries like Missy Elliot and Mary J. Blige, these women have helped chart the course of hip-hop’s journey, from its New York origins to its global impact.

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
(USA | 2019 | Director: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders)

The world lost one of the greatest writers of our time when Toni Morrison died this year. This doc, filmed before her death, is an ode to her groundbreaking work as a multi-award-winning writer and her life story from childhood through the Civil Rights movement and beyond, offering an intimate look at race and humanity in America. Both a meditation on African-American art and Morrison’s story in her own words, this film reminds us that the strength of her spirit remains. The Milwaukee Art Museum’s African American Art Alliance is a Community Partner for this film. 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8sUwXTWb4M&feature=youtu.be

Varda by Agnes (Varda par Agnès)
(France | 2019 | Director: Angès Varda)

For the final film completed by Agnès Varda—legend of the French New Wave—before her untimely death earlier this year, she turned her curious, sympathetic camera to herself. The follow-up to her Oscar-nominated Faces Places, Varda by Agnès is a visual memoir crafted into a two-part, free-flowing meditation, bucking convention as only Varda could. This lovely coda to a celebrated life ruminates on a career, a style and an ethos, and on art itself.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xOe2yRr6E8

Vision Portraits
(USA/Canada/Germany | 2019 | Director: Rodney Evans)

This intimate documentary follows filmmaker Rodney Evans as his deteriorating vision motivates him to explore how declining vision impacts one’s artistry. Three artists—a photographer, a dancer and a writer—share their journeys of creating art while visually impaired, leading to surprising and insightful discoveries. Vision is proven to be much more than sight in this deeply personal story of the intersection of art and disability.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/344627726


Well Groomed
(USA | 2019 | Director: Rebecca Stern)

Among many great documentary subgenres are films that spotlight world-class practitioners of bizarre skills, like the excellent Man on Wire or The King of Kong. But trust us, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Welcome to the wacky world of competitive, creative dog grooming, where pups of infinite patience are transformed by multicolored dye jobs and fur sculpting. Yet beneath the magenta façade, you’ll be touched by this loving story of our human needs for community and artistic expression.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/283933845

Zia Anger: My First Film
(USA | 2018 | Director: Zia Anger)

Filmmaker Zia Anger discusses her unseen, lost and abandoned work, giving insights into the experiences of a female filmmaker in an often hostile environment. Her reflections on her art create an art form onto themselves, providing a fascinatingly meta view into the journey of an artist. Through live commentary and never-before-seen footage, this critically lauded live cinema event—part film, part performance, part artist talk—will be a one-time experience not to be missed!

Trailer:  https://vimeo.com/284511798


Yuli
(Spain/UK/Germany | 2018 | Director: Icíar Bollaín)

It’s the 1980s in Cuba and Carlos is a rough-and-tumble youth whose father insists must take ballet lessons. Despite his resistance, he possesses an extraordinary talent and rises to international ballet fame in Europe. Caught between two worlds, Carlos must find a way to hold onto his wavering identity. Inspired by the true story of ballet star Carlos Acosta and featuring extraordinary choreography, this deeply felt drama explores cultural intersections and the power of art and artistry.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6akxlBLpRU&feature=youtu.be

The complete Milwaukee Film Festival program book can be picked up at the Milwaukee Art Museum admissions desks beginning Sept. 26.

The box office for the 11th Annual Milwaukee Film Festival opens Tuesday, Oct. 1, for Milwaukee Film Members and Thursday, Oct. 3, for the general public. For additional information, visit mkefilm.org. 

Milwaukee Art Museum Explores Collections in New Season of Exhibitions and Events

Photos that reveal deep connections between Milwaukee and its residents, works from the Museum’s Landfall Press Archive and masterpieces from The Phillips Collection highlight the Museum’s upcoming season.

Milwaukee, Wis. – September 10, 2019 – In its new season of exhibitions and events, the Milwaukee Art Museum will explore the vision behind, importance of and connections across public and private collections. The season of collections will examine the themes and juxtapositions within collections—from those that establish the reputation of institutions to rarely seen archives—offering additional ways to contextualize art. 

“The practice of collecting has a long history,” said Marcelle Polednik, PhD, Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director, Milwaukee Art Museum. “Collections say something about the objects, the era, and the collectors more than any one single item can. This season, the exhibitions, gallery displays and programs at the Museum bring a different context to how we look at art, as well as give us an opportunity to dig more deeply into—and have a greater appreciation for—the collections in the Museum’s care.”

Now open, Portrait of Milwaukee reveals a deep connection between the city of Milwaukee and its residents through photography. On view in the Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts, the exhibition highlights some of the people, movements, businesses and neighborhoods that have helped make Milwaukee what it is today, through photos mostly taken between the 1920s and 1980s. Drawn from the collections of the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Milwaukee Public Library, the Harley-Davidson Museum and the Milwaukee Journal and Sentinel archives, many of these images have rarely been on public view. 

Also open in the Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts, James Benning and Sharon Lockhart: Over Time explores the work of two contemporary artists who both cite the influence of the other’s work on their films. 

Beginning Oct. 3, the Museum will present Landfall Press: Five Decades of Printmaking in the Bradley Family Gallery. The exhibition honors the 50th anniversary of the renowned printing and publishing workshop Landfall Press, founded in Chicago by publisher and master printer Jack Lemon. As home to the Landfall Press Archive, the Milwaukee Art Museum is the ideal place to celebrate and explore this experimental and collaborative wellspring for hundreds of influential artists.  

A selection of the most iconic paintings from The Phillips Collection, America’s first museum of modern art, will be on view in A Modern Vision: European Masterworks from The Phillips Collection. Opening Nov. 15, the exhibition will feature 50 masterworks by some of the best-known figures of European modernism including Édouard Manet, Gustave Caillebotte, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Pierre Bonnard, Wassily Kandinsky, Amedeo Modigliani and Pablo Picasso.

Additional materials will allow visitors to explore the connections between The Phillips Collection and the collection of Peg Bradley, an influential local collector of modern works whose gifts helped form the backbone of the Museum’s modern art collection. Artists including Marc Chagall, Gabrielle Münter and Georgia O’Keeffe are among those represented by the beloved works in the collection.  

In Four Seasons of American Landscapes, on view in Gallery K230, paintings and prints by 19th- and 20th-century artists highlight the cycles of the year, in depictions of the American landscape that are often serene and bucolic, sometimes tumultuous and deadly. 

In the Collection rotation, Experimental Ink: Nineteenth-Century French Prints from the Hockerman Collection, opening Nov. 22, prints by artists such as Félix-Hilaire Buhot, Eugène Delacroix, and Félix Vallotton demonstrate the extensive experimentation that was central to printmaking during the 19th century. 

“We are very proud of the exhibitions on view, and the collection of events and activities this season is sure to delight,” said Amanda C. Peterson, Senior Director, Audience Engagement, Milwaukee Art Museum. “From Dia de los Muertos celebrations and Thursday night happy hours to thoughtful lectures and scholarly programs—there’s always something to learn, do, and explore for every mood.”

Milwaukee’s artiest party, MAM After Dark, sponsored by Northwestern Mutual, continues on one Friday evening almost every month with live music, dancing, drinks and themes tied to art and exhibitions. 

On Sept. 20, visitors can party in honor of Robert Indiana’s and Mark di Suvero’s September birthdays with classic games and cake thanks to evening sponsor Sculpture Milwaukee and supporting sponsor Door Peninsula Winery. 

On Oct. 18, scavenger hunts and exciting discoveries await during the mystery-themed edition of the event with evening sponsor Ernst & Young. 

Friendsgiving on Nov. 15 celebrates good friends and Native American Heritage Month with evening sponsor Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.

Admission is $12 in advance, $14 at the door and free for Museum Members. 

Kids and families will take over the Museum on Oct. 13 at the popular Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays: Día de Los Muertos. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors can celebrate loved ones through art making, music and more. The annual cultural event will feature hands-on art activities that allow guests to explore the colors and symbols of Day of the Dead and folkloric dance performances by Dance Academy of Mexico. Guests can bring a picture or write the name of someone special who has passed away to add to the community ofrenda (altar).  

On Nov. 2, 7–10 p.m., celebrate Day of the Dead with the Dia de los Muertos Costume Contest and Dance, presented by El Conquistador Latino Newspaper. The evening will feature a Catrina (costume) contest, an authentic Mexican dinner and a night of dancing. 

At Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays: Artful Holiday on Dec. 8, visitors can discover the art of printmaking inspired by the exhibition Landfall Press: Five Decades of Printmaking. Families can meet area printmakers, watch demonstrations and create prints to take home as gifts, all while enjoying the sounds of the season. 

On Nov. 20, 5–8 p.m., Museum Members can shop the Museum Store during the private, after-hours Holiday Shopping Party, which will include the debut of this year’s ornament, live music, complimentary wine and appetizers, free gift wrapping and free parking in the underground garage. 

During Museum Store Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., on Dec. 1, shoppers will receive a special gift for their patronage during the international day highlighting the unique offerings of museum stores. All purchases support Museum exhibitions and programming, and Members receive double their discount. 


On Dec 5, at Teen Night, the evening event created by teens for teens, the Museum will feature teen-led tours through the galleries and exhibitions, hands-on art making and live performances to welcome teens from all over the area. Admission is free, thanks to Meijer as part of Meijer Free First Thursdays.

For more information on these exhibitions and events, as well as additional programs, visit mam.org.

Exhibitions are made possible by the Milwaukee Art Museum Visionaries Debbie and Mark Attanasio, Donna and Donald Baumgartner, John and Murph Burke, Sheldon and Marianne Lubar, Joel and Caran Quadracci, Sue and Bud Selig and Jeff Yabuki and the Yabuki Family Foundation.

Opening Exhibitions:

Portrait of Milwaukee
September 6, 2019–March 1, 2020
Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts, Milwaukee Art Museum
Organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum
Curated by Ariel Pate, Assistant Curator of Photography
Presenting Sponsor: Johnson Financial Group
Exhibitions in the Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts are sponsored by the Herzfeld Foundation and Madeleine and David Lubar.

James Benning and Sharon Lockhart: Over Time
September 6, 2019–March 1, 2020; April 17–August 2, 2020
Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts, Milwaukee Art Museum
Organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum
Curated by Lisa Sutcliffe, Curator of Photography and Media Arts
Supporting Sponsors: Christine A. Symchych and James P. McNulty

Landfall Press: Five Decades of Printmaking
October 3, 2019–February 9, 2020
Bradley Family Gallery, Milwaukee Art Museum
Organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum
Curated by Nikki Otten, Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings
Sponsors: Milwaukee Art Museum’s Print Forum and Russ Jankowski

A Modern Vision: European Masterworks from The Phillips Collection
November 15, 2019–March 22, 2020
Baker/Rowland Galleries, Milwaukee Art Museum
Organized by The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC
Coordinated by Tanya Paul, Isabel and Alfred Bader Curator of European Art, Milwaukee Art Museum
Presenting Sponsor: Johnson Financial Group
Leadership Sponsor: Wendy Sleight
Supporting Sponsor: Four-Four Foundation
Contributing Sponsor: Suzy B. Ettinger Foundation

Continuing exhibition: 

Nares: Moves

Through October 6, 2019

Supporting Sponsors: Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Donald W. Layden, Sr., in honor of Donald W. Layden, Jr., Joan Lubar and John Crouch, and Kasmin Gallery, New York

Additional Events:

Sept. 3: Museum returns to winter hours and is closed on Mondays. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Thursdays, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

Oct. 7–10: The Quadracci Pavilion, Café Calatrava, and the Calatrava underground garage will be closed to the public, although the Museum will remain open. Visitors can enter through the Group Tour entrance off Lincoln Memorial Drive or the East End entrance near the War Memorial parking lot. The Museum Center Park parking lot will remain available for parking with automatic discounts for Museum Members with their membership cards. The East End will be open for lunch and Thursday evening happy hour.

Meijer Free First Thursdays: Admission is free for all visitors thanks to Meijer. Sept. 5, Oct. 3, Nov. 7, Dec. 5, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

2020 Free First Thursdays: Admission is free Jan. 2, Feb. 6, Mar. 5, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

Yoga @ the Museum with OmTown Yogis: Yoga appropriate for all skill levels with a lake view. Sept. 21, Oct. 19, Nov. 16, Dec. 14, Jan. 25, 8:15–9:30 a.m. $15 suggested donation.

Story Time in the Galleries: Educators read a story while surrounded by art every Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m., sponsored by Kohl’s Cares. Free with Museum admission.

Happy Hour at the East End: Beer, wine, and drink specials with a lake view. Every Thursday night, 5–7:30 p.m.

Drop-in Tours: Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and on Sundays at 2 p.m., free with Museum admissionKohl’s Art Generation Studio: Open every day the Museum is open, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., 7 p.m. Thursdays, featuring educational and engaging hands-on activities with a different project every month.

New Milwaukee Art Museum Exhibition Honors Fiftieth Anniversary of Printmaking Workshop Landfall Press

  • – Drawn from the Landfall Press Archive housed at the Milwaukee Art Museum, the exhibition explores the experimental workshop that has influenced hundreds of artists.  –

Milwaukee, Wis. – August 28, 2019 – A comprehensive new exhibition at the Milwaukee Art Museum will mark the fiftieth anniversary of renowned printing and publishing workshop Landfall Press. On view beginning Oct. 3, 2019, Landfall Press: Five Decades of Printmaking will celebrate and explore the uniquely collaborative work environment at Landfall and highlight Landfall’s continued significant impact on the world of contemporary printmaking. 

“The Landfall Press exhibition and the Landfall Press Archive both present a wide range of subjects and styles, and several of the works redefine what a print can be,” said Nikki Otten, Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings, Milwaukee Art Museum. “The diversity of voices in the Landfall Press Archive enhances the Museum’s collection, and we are pleased to be part of Landfall’s artistic and educational legacy.” 

The exhibition features approximately 100 editioned prints, many from the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Landfall Press Archive, that are the result of collaboration and experimentation at Landfall. Stories from the workshop are brought to life through photographs, videos, and documents, and a lithography press and printing materials showcase the hand-printing process that the workshop sustains and advances. 

Founded in 1970 in Chicago by publisher and master printer Jack Lemon, Landfall has produced 3,500 editions and collaborated with a diverse range of artists from all over the world, often helping them further develop their skills or even launch their careers. As a printer of lithographs, etchings, woodcuts, books, and multiples, Landfall Press is known for being innovative and having exacting technical standards. In 2004, the workshop relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where it continues to serve new generations of artists and audiences. 

“The Museum has a world-renowned collection of works on paper, and this exhibition is an opportunity for people not only to see bold, important work but also to get a peek into the process behind making artists’ visions a reality,” said Amanda C. Peterson, Senior Director, Audience Engagement, Milwaukee Art Museum. “Whether someone is interested in contemporary art, printmaking, or even how art prints get people into collecting art, visitors will find something fascinating in this focus on Landfall Press.”

The Milwaukee Art Museum established the Landfall Press Archive in 1992. In addition to published prints, the archive includes thousands of materials central to the printmaking process: color separations, proofs, etching plates, preparatory drawings and lithographic stones. These objects demonstrate how the Landfall editions were made and capture the collaboration between artists and printers.

A 500-page book accompanies the exhibition and expands upon the history of Landfall Press, including many works not featured in the exhibition.

Landfall Press: Five Decades of Printmaking is curated by Jack Lemon and Thomas Cvikota, and coordinated at the Milwaukee Art Museum by Nikki Otten, Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings. The exhibition runs through Feb. 9, 2020. Admission to the Museum will be free on opening day, Oct. 3, thanks to Meijer. 

The exhibition is sponsored by the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Print Forum and Russ Jankowski.

Exhibitions are made possible by the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Visionaries including Debbie and Mark Attanasio, Donna and Donald Baumgartner, John and Murph Burke, Sheldon and Marianne Lubar, Joel and Caran Quadracci, Sue and Bud Selig and Jeff Yabuki and the Yabuki Family Foundation.


Programming

Opening Lecture
Thurs., Oct. 3, 6:15 p.m.
Hear about the history of Landfall Press and the stories behind some of the workshop’s most significant prints, from Thomas Cvikota, guest curator and author of Landfall Press: Five Decades.
Free with Museum admission, free for Members

Gallery Talks
Tues., 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 8, Nov. 12, Dec. 10, Jan. 21
With Nikki Otten, Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings
Free with Museum admission, free for Members

Panel Discussion
Thurs., Nov. 21, 6:15 p.m.
Welcome Jack Lemon, founder of Landfall Press, Thomas Cvikota, guest curator and author of Landfall Press: Five Decades, and artists Lesley Dill, James Drake, and Peregrine Honig, as they discuss the collaborative nature of printmaking.
Free with Museum admission, free for Members

Milwaukee Art Museum Unveils Robert Indiana’s The American LOVE Sculpture at Special Event

  • The Museum will celebrate the installation of Robert Indiana’s iconic The American LOVE (1966-99) sculpture with an unveiling on the East End.

Milwaukee, Wis. – August 8, 2019 – The Milwaukee Art Museum will celebrate Robert Indiana’s iconic The American LOVE (1966–99) sculpture during a special Grand Unveiling event Sept. 5, 2019. The community celebration will highlight the gift of the sculpture to the institution and its installation outdoors near the Museum’s East End patio, facing Lake Michigan. 

The American LOVE (1966–99) was previously on display during Sculpture Milwaukee 2018 and then donated to the Museum’s Collection, thanks to the support of an anonymous donor and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation

“The Milwaukee Art Museum is thrilled to receive this iconic sculpture for the collection,” said Margaret Andera, interim chief curator and curator of contemporary art, Milwaukee Art Museum. “Robert Indiana’s work has always connected with Milwaukee; his design for the MECCA floor in the 1970s is a Milwaukee icon, and now the LOVE sculpture’s prominent location on the lakefront will allow both locals and Museum visitors to enjoy his work for years to come.”

The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Lubar Auditorium with Joe Martin Lin-Hill, deputy director of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, who will discuss Robert Indiana and his career. The unveiling of the installed sculpture on the East End will take place at 6:45 p.m.

The sponsorship by Meijer of Meijer Free First Thursday makes admission to both events, and the entire Museum, free all day for everyone.  

“Sculpture Milwaukee is honored to have community partners who are helping build a world-class legacy of sculpture in the city, which includes the donation of Robert Indiana’s LOVE to the Milwaukee Art Museum,” said Marilu Knode, director, exhibitions and programs, Sculpture Milwaukee. “Thanks to our donors, the Milwaukee Art Museum team and all the other supporters of Sculpture Milwaukee for bringing these amazing works to our robust arts community.”

In conjunction with The American LOVE (1966–99) unveiling, a number of works by Robert Indiana from the Museum’s Collection will be on view in the K108 Gallery, including Indiana’s study for the MECCA floor, color screenprints and an important early wood sculpture. 

“Friends of Art is thrilled to support the official unveiling of the iconic LOVE sculpture by Robert Indiana. This highly recognizable piece is a welcomed addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum’s collection,” said Annette Melcher, president, Friends of Art. “We hope that members of our museum and community will join us in celebrating this milestone, and recognize how fortunate we are to have this amazing piece of art to enhance the Museum’s reputation.” 

The lecture is sponsored by the Contemporary Art Society. OnMilwaukee is the media sponsor. 

The community celebration is made possible by the support of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Friends of Art support group.

Exhibitions are made possible by the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Visionaries including Debbie and Mark Attanasio, Donna and Donald Baumgartner, John and Murph Burke, Sheldon and Marianne Lubar, Joel and Caran Quadracci, Sue and Bud Selig and Jeff Yabuki and the Yabuki Family Foundation.

Milwaukee Art Museum Announces 2019-20 Slate of Exhibitions and Events

–  Intimate photographs of Milwaukee; masterworks by Van Gogh, Monet and Degas; and objects spanning nearly 100 years of Scandinavian design influence in the U.S. highlight a year of exhibitions and programming at the Museum. –

Milwaukee, Wis. – May 30, 2019 – The Milwaukee Art Museum will explore the significance and vision behind art collections, as well as the various influences that shape how and what artists create during the institution’s 2019-20 series of exhibitions.

Opening Sept. 6, 2019, in the Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts, Portrait of Milwaukee reveals a deep connection between the city of Milwaukee and its residents through photography. Presenting selections from the Museum’s Collection, as well as from local public and private collections, the exhibition shows a city of neighborhoods, small businesses, industry and architecture, bustling with people who call Milwaukee home. Portrait of Milwaukee will be on view through March 1, 2020.

The work of James Benning and Sharon Lockhart will also be on view in the Herzfeld Center Sept. 6-March 1, 2020, and again April 17-Aug. 2, 2020. This durational exhibition puts in conversation the work of Milwaukee-born independent filmmaker and artist Benning and contemporary artist Lockhart who have often cited each other’s influence in the making of their own films.

Beginning Oct. 4, the Museum will present Landfall Press: Five Decades of Printmaking in the Bradley Family Gallery. On view until Feb. 9, 2020, the exhibition honors the fiftieth anniversary of the renowned printing and publishing workshop Landfall Press, founded in Chicago by publisher and master printer Jack Lemon. The Milwaukee Art Museum, as home to the Landfall Press archive, is the perfect place to celebrate and explore this experimental and collaborative wellspring for hundreds of influential artists.

A selection of the most iconic paintings from The Phillips Collection, America’s first museum of modern art, will be on view in A Modern Vision: European Masterworks from The Phillips Collection. From Nov. 15, 2019, to March 22, 2020, the exhibition will feature 50 masterworks by towering figures of European modernism, including Edouard Manet, Gustave Caillebotte, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Pierre Bonnard, Wassily Kandinsky, Amedeo Modigliani and Pablo Picasso.

The Quilts of Pauline Parker will present a selection of colorful quilts and wall hangings by artist Pauline Parker, whose narrative works are based on stories from history, the Bible, or current events, often focusing on women. On view March 20-July 12, 2020, these rarely-exhibited works can be appreciated both for their mastery of traditional sewing and quilting techniques and for the way Parker transformed scraps of fabric into compelling works of personal, cultural and political expression.

An exhibition featuring pictures by one of the most important American documentary-style photographers of our time, Susan Meiselas, opens April 17, 2020. A member of Magnum Photos since 1976, Meiselas seeks to bear witness to stories that raise provocative questions about the ethics of seeing. The exhibition presents never-before-shown photographs alongside iconic series, on subjects from human rights and conflict to domestic violence that reflect her ongoing commitment to working and sharing the stories of women. Meiselas is the recipient of the 2019 Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize.

Opening May 15, 2020, the major international exhibition Scandinavian Design and the United States, 1890-1980, is the first to present the extensive design exchanges between the United States and the Nordic countries, bringing the details of a little-known chapter in American culture and history to light. It explores the impact of Scandinavian design on American material culture and, conversely, the influence of American design in Scandinavia. Co-organized with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the exhibition explores a broad range of objects, including furniture, textiles, drawings, graphic design, lighting, silver, ceramics, glass and an automobile, will be on view through Sept. 7, 2020.

Sept. 5, the Museum will celebrate Robert Indiana’s The American LOVE (1966–99) sculpture, recently acquired for the Collection, thanks to the support of an anonymous donor and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.

The iconic sculpture, painted red, white, and blue, was previously on display during Sculpture Milwaukee 2018, and will be installed in its new home, outdoors on the Museum’s East End. The community is invited to attend the unveiling of the sculpture at 7:30 p.m.

MAM After Dark, Milwaukee’s artiest party, continues on one Friday evening almost every month for live music, dancing, drinks and art.

On Sept. 20, visitors can party in celebration of Robert Indiana’s and Mark di Suvero’s September birthdays with classic games and cake. Admission is $12 in advance, $14 at the door and free for Museum Members.

Additional themes for MAM After Dark ahead:

Oct. 18: Mystery

Scavenger hunts and discoveries around every corner

$12 in advance, $14 at the door and free for Museum Members


Nov. 15: Friendsgiving
Celebrating good friends and Native American Heritage Month

$12 in advance, $14 at the door and free for Museum Members.

Jan. 31: Miami Nights

Salsa dancing with a Miami and Havana flair

$15 in advance, $19 at the door and free for Museum Members.

Feb. 28: Masquerade

A European-style mardi gras carnival

$15 in advance, $19 at the door and free for Museum Members

March 27: Pajama Party

An un-slumber PJ party

$15 in advance, $19 at the door and free for Museum Members

April 24: Spring Fling

Mint juleps, flowers and fancy hats

$15 in advance, $19 at the door and free for Museum Members

May 29: Members’ Choice

Museum Members pick the theme

$15 in advance, $19 at the door and free for Museum Members

June 19: Lakefront Festival of Art After Dark

The outdoor art fair stays up late

Included in Friday festival admission

Aug. 28: Scandinavian Fest

Kicking off a three-day festival of Nordic culture at the Museum, inspired by Scandinavian Design and the United States, 1890-1980

$15 in advance, $19 at the door and free for Museum Members


Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays continues with hands-on art activities, performances, family tours and visiting artists.

Themes include:

Oct. 13: Dia de Los Muertos

Dec. 8: Artful Holiday
Inspired by Landfall Press: Five Decades of Printmaking

March 8: Make It Modern

Inspired by A Modern Vision: European Masterworks from The Phillips Collection

May 3: Needle & Thread

Inspired by The Quilts of Pauline Parker

Aug. 30: Discovering Scandinavia
Wrapping up a three-day celebration of Nordic culture at the Museum

Inspired by Scandinavian Design and the United States, 1890-1980

Attendance is included with Museum admission, and free for kids 12 and under, thanks to Kohl’s Cares.

At Teen Night, the evening event created by teens for teens, the Museum will feature teen-led tours through the galleries and exhibitions, hands-on art making and live performances Dec. 5 and May 7, welcoming teens from all over the area. Admission is free, thanks to Meijer as part of Meijer Free First Thursdays.

At Play Date with Art, on the second Friday of each month, the Museum’s youngest visitors can drop in with family members to create art to take home and sing along during Singing Time at 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. Activities are designed for children ages 0-5 along with their caregivers.

During Art in Bloom, visitors will be able to see floral interpretations of works from the Museum’s Collection. April 30-May 3, 2020, more than 30 art-inspired floral installations will be on display throughout Museum’s galleries, and special events include family activities, informational presentations and friendly floral competitions.

Lakefront Festival of Art, hosted by the Museum’s Friends of Art, will return June 19-21, 2020.

Exhibitions throughout 2019 are made possible by the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Visionaries including Debbie and Mark Attanasio, Donna and Donald Baumgartner, John and Murph Burke, Sheldon and Marianne Lubar, Joel and Caran Quadracci, Sue and Bud Selig and Jeff Yabuki and the Yabuki Family Foundation.

Milwaukee Art Museum Taps Accomplished Museum Professional as Chief Development Officer

-Abby Ashley joins the Museum to head up fundraising, membership.-

Milwaukee, Wis. – May 21, 2019 – The Milwaukee Art Museum today announced that, after an extensive nationwide search, Abby Ashley has been hired as the Chief Development Officer (CDO) for the organization.

Ashley is currently at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida, as its Director of Development. During her time at the Norton, she led and completed an ambitious $110 million capital campaign, in addition to supervising all aspects of annual fundraising, managing a staff of 14, and transforming the Norton’s customer relationship management database.

“Abby is a rising star in the museum development world with a broad range of accomplishments, and we are extremely lucky to have her as a part of the Museum’s leadership team,” said Marcelle Polednik, PhD, Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director. “I know that everyone both inside and outside the Museum will appreciate Abby’s innovative, collaborative approach and her energetic, warm personality.”

Ashley has almost a decade of museum fundraising experience, including serving in multiple roles in the Development Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Her extensive experience in planned giving, endowment growth and membership, as well as team building, change management and community involvement, will be utilized as the Milwaukee Art Museum undertakes its strategic planning process.

Originally from the Chicagoland area, Ashley graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Arts in communications and culture with additional coursework from New York University.

Her current role at the Norton Museum of Art includes oversight of fundraising, membership, special events, facility rental and visitor experience, accounting for 65 percent of the organization’s $10 million annual operating revenue.

Esther Rosenberg, of Howe-Lewis International—a firm specializing in recruiting not-for-profit executives—led the search.  

Abby Ashley officially starts her role as the Chief Development Officer of the Milwaukee Art Museum on July 8, 2019.

Free Admission this Summer to the Milwaukee Art Museum for Members of the Military

-The Milwaukee Art Museum is one of more than 2,000 museums across America participating in the Blue Star Museums program in 2019. –

Milwaukee, Wis. – May 17, 2019 – Military personnel and their families will again be able to visit the Milwaukee Art Museum free of charge this summer. The Museum will participate in the annual Blue Star Museums program, a collaboration among the National Endowment of the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense and more than 2,000 museums in the United States.

Beginning Armed Forces Day on Saturday, May 18, through Labor Day, Sept. 2, 2019, active military and up to five family members can visit the Milwaukee Art Museum free of charge. Military veterans and one guest will also be able visit the Museum for free this summer.

“We are proud to be this community’s art museum, welcoming everyone in it to explore, be inspired and spend quality time with their friends and family,” said Amanda C. Peterson, Senior Director of Audience Engagement at the Milwaukee Art Museum. “We are so thankful to have programs like this that allow us to welcome those who give so much to this country, as service members, as veterans and as the families that miss their loved ones serving. ”

This year’s participating Blue Star Museums represent not just fine arts museums, but also science museums, history museums, zoos, nature centers and children’s museums.

Museums are welcome to sign up for Blue Star Museums throughout the summer by emailing bluestarmuseums@arts.gov. A list of institutions nationwide participating in the Blue Star Museums collaboration is available at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

“The Defense Department congratulates Blue Star Families and the National Endowment for the Arts on reaching an incredible milestone: ten years of service to the military community though Blue Star Museums,” said A.T. Johnston, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy. “We offer our sincere gratitude to the more than 2,000 museums across the country who open their doors through this wonderful program. Your patriotism and generosity have enriched the lives and experiences of our military families.”

The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military—Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard as well as members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.

The Milwaukee Art Museum has added two unique offers at their Museum on top of the Blue Star Museums program. The Milwaukee Art Museum will extend free summer admission for military veterans and one guest with any proof of service, such as a VA card. The Museum’s admissions desks will also offer free postcards and postage for anyone who wants to send a note to those currently deployed.

“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to celebrate the 10th summer of collaborating with Blue Star Families, Department of Defense, and especially the more than 2,000 museums across our nation that make this program possible,“ said Mary Anne Carter, Acting Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. “Organizations such as the Milwaukee Art Museum are providing wonderful opportunities for military families to share a memorable experience together this summer.”

Milwaukee Art Museum Announces 2019 Lakefront Festival of Art

  • Annual event brings art festival to Milwaukee’s lakefront for the 57th year, June 21–23.   –

Milwaukee, Wis. – May 14, 2019 – Lakefront Festival of Art, held on the grounds of the Milwaukee Art Museum, celebrates its 57th year June 21–23, 2019. The weekend-long festival features 180 national artists, hands-on activities, food and live entertainment along the shore of Lake Michigan.

Lakefront Festival of Art is organized by Friends of Art, the longest-running volunteer support organization of the Milwaukee Art Museum, as a fundraiser for art exhibitions and the acquisition of works for the Museum’s Collection.

“We are so proud to support the Museum and working artists from all over the region with this wonderful festival,” said Annette Melcher, President, Friends of Art. “It has evolved to become one of the premier art festivals in the nation, with activities for all ages and backgrounds, set against an iconic and beautiful setting.”

Among the artist booths featured this year will be jewelers, painters, sculptors, photographers and printmakers. Visitors can also browse pottery, drawings, digital art and works made from wood, glass and ceramics, metalwork and photography, all available for purchase.

The Children’s Stage will host theatre performances, singing, live music and dance. At the Friends of Art Children’s Tent, kids of all ages will be able to create art inspired by 2019 Festival Poster Artist Nha Vuu. The PNC Children’s Experience tent will have additional hands-on projects, and at Kohl’s Color Wheels, families can make take-home art inspired by the exhibitions on view in the Museum.

“This is one of the most popular events at the Museum throughout the year, rain or shine,” said Krista Renfrew, Director of Special Events, Milwaukee Art Museum. “Visitors will find something to ‘wow’ them—artists’ booths, kids’ activities, the after-hours party, and full access to everything within the Museum.”

LFOA will feature multiple food and beverage options, including booths operated by local restaurants, the Marietta Wine Garden with views overlooking Lake Michigan, and the lakeside Peroni Beer Garden. The popular giant, person-sized gilded picture picture frame will be located next to the Hawks Sculpture Garden.

At Lakefront After Dark on the evening of June 21, festival-goers can party under the glow of the Museum’s wings with live music, the beer garden, and access to the artist booths. The special evening event runs 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and admission to Lakefront After Dark is included with Friday Festival tickets.

During the silent auction, visitors can bid on art objects in person or online, with proceeds raising funds for Friends of Art. Bidding begins June 21 at 10 a.m., with final bids wrapping up at 10 p.m. on June 23.

Festival tickets also include admission to the Museum, with access to special temporary exhibitions including Nares: Moves, Sara Cwynar: Image Model Muse and Charles Radtke: Contained, featuring the Cedarburg-based artist who won multiple Best of Show Awards at LFOA during the 1990s.  

The Under the Wings mentoring program continues again this year. After shadowing LFOA artists at previous festivals and attending education programming throughout the year, the selected college-student artists will gain the hands-on experience of selling their own artwork to festival visitors.

Parking will be available at Museum Center Park at O’Donnell (credit only). The Milwaukee Art Museum is located near the Prospect & Mason #4394 bus stop on the GOL Line. A Bubblr bike station is located nearby at Discovery World, 500 N. Harbor Drive. A dedicated Lyft pick up and drop-off point will be located on Wisconsin Avenue and North Prospect Avenue, next to the iconic orange sculpture The Calling by Mark di Suvero, with discounts on rides to and from the Museum for Museum Members.

Lakefront Festival of Art is hosted by Milwaukee Art Museum’s Friends of Art. Media sponsors include MKE Lifestyle, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 88Nine Radio Milwaukee, Front Room Studios.

Supporting sponsors include PNC, Hawks Landscape, Marietta Investment Partners, Peroni, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, Leaf Filter, The Prairie School, Saz’s, Irgens, Pella Window & Doors, Ciderboys, Fred Astaire Dance Studios, and Pepsi.

Hours
Friday, June 21: 10 a.m.–10 p.m.
Saturday, June 22: 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
Sunday, June 23: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Kids and Families Meet Wisconsin Artists at Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays at the Milwaukee Art Museum

-Families can enjoy hands-on art activities and performances as they see working artists in action. –

Milwaukee, Wis. – April 16, 2019 – On Sunday, May 5, the Milwaukee Art Museum invites families to meet local artists and create their own art projects at Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays: Wisconsin Artists.

Five times a year, the Milwaukee Art Museum is filled with kids, families, and art making, with projects and presentations in multiple spaces in the Museum, including the iconic Windhover Hall, as part of Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on May 5, visitors can explore the work of Cedarburg-based artist Charles Radtke in the exhibition Contained, and then sculpt their own furniture inspired by Radtke. Aspiring artists of all ages can also let the works by Wisconsin artists including Georgia O’Keeffe, Reggie Baylor, and Michelle Grabner, in the Museum’s Collection spark their creativity, before painting their own masterpiece.

Visiting artists from Artists Working in Education will be on-site from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to talk about murals and other community projects that they have helped create around the Milwaukee area. Members of Walker’s Point Center for the Arts will discuss how they bring thoughtful social dialogue and community engagement through the arts. Artists of L.U.N.A. (Latinas Unidas en Las Artes) will host a pop-up exhibition, a hands-on activity, and rotating artist demonstrations.

The Lloyd Barbee Montessori Choir will sing at 1:30 p.m. in Windhover Hall followed by The Milwaukee Children’s Choir from 2:30 to 3 p.m. Visitors can view art by the students of Cedar Hills Elementary and Lloyd Barbee Montessori in the Kohl’s Art Generation Studio. Visitors are also invited to tour the exhibition Bouguereau & America with the accompanying Family Guide throughout the event.

The cost to attend Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays: Wisconsin Artists is included in Museum admission. Thanks to Kohl’s Cares, Museum attendance is always free for kids ages 12 and under.

New Exhibitions and Events Explore the Season of Process at the Milwaukee Art Museum

  • Meticulously designed furniture by a Wisconsin-based artist and a closer look at the art of motion by a New York-based artist highlight the Museum’s upcoming season.  –

Milwaukee, Wis. – April 4, 2019 – The inspiration, thought and planning that happen before a single brush or tool is picked up can be as important to a work of art as the masterful execution of the object itself. In the season of process, the Milwaukee Art Museum will explore works that intricately merge conceptual exploration and art making into the final object.

“This season at the Museum, we highlight two artists, James Nares and Charles Radtke, whose lengthy careers are marked by deep conceptual rigor and technical mastery. Each has continually evolved and adapted his artistic process to translate ideas into compelling art objects,” said Marcelle Polednik, PhD, Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director, Milwaukee Art Museum. “The multifaceted films, photographs, and paintings in Nares: Moves and the incredibly detailed cabinets in Charles Radtke: Contained invite viewers to look beyond the materials to consider, respectively, motion and time, and ideas of containment. I am eager for our visitors to experience these exhibitions and the accompanying programs and to enjoy an inspired and inspiring summer at the Milwaukee Art Museum.”

Beginning April 19, Museum visitors will have the opportunity to see the meticulously crafted works of Cedarburg, Wisconsin–based furniture maker Charles Radtke. On view through August 25, 2019, Charles Radtke: Contained, the first retrospective for the artist, features more than 35 works, including cabinets, tables and chairs that blur the boundaries between furniture and contemporary sculpture. The exhibition celebrates Radtke’s explorations into the function of the cabinet as a container, and several works have intricately designed interiors or hidden compartments.

The Museum will also present the first retrospective exhibition for New York–based artist James Nares this season. On view June 14–October 6, 2019, Nares: Moves explores in-depth the artist’s films as central to his artistic practice, and reveals his significant five-decades-long career bringing the concept of motion into the spotlight. Through photographs, drawings, paintings and sculpture, the exhibition highlights the key projects of this prolific, perpetual inventor and investigates his seminal contribution to contemporary art.

A new display of selected prints from the collection of Kevin Fahey and Ray Grzebielski will be on view in the American art galleries through August 4, featuring works by the 19th-century master etchers and lithographers James McNeill Whistler, Francis Seymour Haden, and Joseph Pennell. Fahey and Grzebielski amassed their collection over three decades and have enriched the Museum’s collection with a series of significant gifts. The longtime Chicago residents, who have roots in Wisconsin, noted, “We have been collecting prints for several years and are glad that works from our collection have found a good home at the Museum.”

At Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays: Brush with Greatness on July 21, kids and families will take over the Museum from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Visitors can explore contemporary painting and motion-based art with guest artist James Nares, and create their own paintbrushes. The cost to attend Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays is included with Museum admission. Thanks to Kohl’s Cares, Museum admission is always free for kids age 12 and under.

Kohl’s Color Wheels, the Museum’s mobile studio offering free art activities, will visit a variety of outdoor community events throughout the summer, including  Polish Fest, Juneteenth Day, Summerfest, Bastille Days, Wisconsin State Fair, and Mexican Fiesta. Through Kohl’s Color Wheels, kids and families will create art inspired by the Museum’s summer exhibition and Collection.  

Sculpture Milwaukee returns to Wisconsin Avenue for a third year this summer. The Museum will again host docent-guided trolley and walking tours, beginning June 12. Tours are $17 for adults and seniors and $6 for kids 12 and under.

“When the weather gets nicer, it’s almost like the Museum becomes a different place, with the gorgeous lakefront, the patios opened up and people taking advantage of the Museum as part of a full day of enjoying the city,” said Amanda C. Peterson, Senior Director, Audience Engagement, Milwaukee Art Museum. “From family fun to evening parties, we try to host one-of-a-kind creative experiences so everyone can find themselves at the Museum.”

MAM After Dark, the mostly monthly party at the Museum and supported by Northwestern Mutual, continues this spring and summer with themes tied to exhibitions, plus one theme chosen by Museum Members.

On April 19, local talent takes center stage at MAM After Dark, thanks to evening sponsor Summerfest, with local bands, local artists and all sorts of Milwaukee-loving fun just a few days after 414 Day.

For May 17, during Museum Members month, Members chose the theme “Bhangra & Bollywood.” May’s MAM After Dark will include authentic cuisine, music, dancing and fun in the lively south Asian style.

Retro New York City is the MAM After Dark theme on August 16, thanks to evening sponsor Educators Credit Union. Visitors will explore a taste of the urban playground that inspired James Nares and the No Wave scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Hip hop and punk-inspired music and performances will make it an evening to remember.  

Each MAM After Dark event features music, DIY stations, non-traditional art tours, Quizmasters team trivia, a photo booth from Front Room Photography, beverage and food tastings, a scavenger hunt through the galleries and access to the Museum throughout the evening. Admission is $12 in advance, $14 at the door and free for Milwaukee Art Museum Members.

For those looking for an elegant experience with friends and family, the Sunday brunch at the Museum’s Cafe Calatrava goes big for special occasions, with delicious special offerings created by Chef Jamie Nelson drawing inspiration from the exhibitions and the season.

On April 21, visitors can enjoy a festive Easter brunch, served buffet-style in Windhover Hall, including a DIY doughnut station. Kids can meet the Easter Bunny and take a scavenger hunt card to discover animals in the art. Reservations can be made at mam.org/easter; pricing is $55 for adults ($45 for Members) and $15 for kids 7-12. Kids 6 and under are free. (Gratuity and ticket fees extra.)

On May 12, moms will be spoiled with a sumptuous brunch buffet in Windhover Hall on the last day that the exhibition Bouguereau & America will be on view. Kids can create a meaningful message for Mom in the Kohl’s Art Generation Studio, and brunch reservations include a $10 gift certificate to the Museum Store—for last-minute gifting, or for Mom to treat herself. Reservations for Mother’s Day Brunch can be made at mam.org/mom; pricing is $55 for adults ($45 for Members) and $15 for kids 7-12. Kids 6 and under are free. (Gratuity and ticket fees extra.)

Grill-Side on the East End events return June 27, July 18, August 15 and September 12. Visitors can enjoy special menu items cooked outdoors while overlooking Lake Michigan and listening to live, local music. No Museum admission is required to attend this event.

The 2019 Visionaries, supporting the exhibitions and artistic vision of the Milwaukee Art Museum throughout the year include Debbie and Mark Attanasio, John and Murph Burke, Sheldon and Marianne Lubar, Joel and Caran Quadracci, Sue and Bud Selig and Jeff Yabuki and the Yabuki Family Foundation.

For more information on these exhibitions and events, as well as additional programs, visit mam.org

Opening Exhibitions:

Charles Radtke: Contained

April 19–August 25, 2019

Bradley Family Galleries, Milwaukee Art Museum

Organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum

Curated by Margaret Andera, interim chief curator and curator of contemporary art
Supporting sponsors: Milwaukee Art Museum’s Friends of Art, Christopher and Sally Candee, Heidi and Greg Borca and Marcia and Kent Velde.

Nares: Moves

June 14–October 6, 2019

Baker/Rowland Galleries, Milwaukee Art Museum
Organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum
Supporting Sponsors:  Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, Joan Lubar and John Crouch, Mr. and Mrs. Donald W. Layden, Sr., in honor of Donald W. Layden, Jr., Kasmin Gallery, New York

Continuing exhibition:

Sara Cwynar: Image Model Muse

Through August 4, 2019

Supporting Sponsor: Live Wire Productions
Exhibitions in the Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts are sponsored by the Herzfeld Foundation and Madeleine and David Lubar.

Bouguereau & America
Through May 12, 2019
Supporting Sponsors: The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, The Laskin Family in memory of Myron Laskin, Jr., In memory of Dr. Russel Lee Wiener, Anonymous, Four-Four Foundation, Samuel H. Kress Foundation, Kenneth R. Treis, and the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Fine Arts Society.

Additional Events:

Meijer Free First Thursdays: April 4, May 2, June 6, July 4, August 8, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

Yoga @ the Museum: April 20, May 18, June 15, July 20, August 17, 8:15–9:30 a.m. $15 donation.

Story Time in the Galleries: Every Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m., sponsored by Kohl’s Cares.

Happy Hour in the East End: Every Thursday night, 5–7:30 p.m.

Drop-in Tours: Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and on Sundays at 2 p.m., free with Museum admissionKohl’s Art Generation Studio: Open every day the Museum is open, featuring educational and engaging hands-on activities.

Contemporary Wisconsin Furniture Maker Charles Radtke Highlighted in New Exhibition at Milwaukee Art Museum

Charles Radtke: Contained is the first retrospective exhibition for the Cedarburg, WI–based artist.-

Milwaukee, Wis. – March 21, 2019 – Visitors to the Milwaukee Art Museum will have the opportunity to see meticulously crafted and subtly complex works that blur the boundaries between furniture and contemporary sculpture in Charles Radtke: Contained.

On view April 19–Aug 25, 2019, the new exhibition is the first retrospective for renowned furniture maker and artist Charles Radtke, who lives and works in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Radtke’s objects are in a number of private and museum collections, including at the Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Milwaukee Art Museum.

More than 35 cabinets, tables, chairs and doors featuring the artist’s signature craftsmanship and attention to detail will be on view in the Bradley Family Gallery. The exhibition focuses on the artist’s ongoing exploration of the cabinet as a container. Several works have intricately designed interiors or hidden compartments, while others are more traditional woodworking forms.

“Radtke’s pieces initially draw the viewer in through the technical mastery and elegance of the work,” said Margaret Andera, interim chief curator and curator of contemporary art. “A closer look, however, reveals surprising features such as asymmetrical wood grain patterns, five-sided legs, and subtly painted details. We have watched the evolution of Radtke’s career, and are excited to bring greater national attention to this extraordinary artist.”

Largely self-taught, Radtke was first introduced to basic woodworking skills from the Franciscan Friars at St. Paschal’s Friary in Oak Brook, Illinois. Now known for his exceptional skill in techniques like dovetailing, planing, carving and finishing work, Radtke often personally harvests the wood he uses for his work. The more recent works featured in the exhibition show the artist going beyond the mastery of technique toward a more conceptual exploration within the forms, including challenging, rather than enhancing, the natural characteristics of certain woods.

This exhibition not only celebrates the work of a Wisconsin artist but also encourages visitors to understand furniture beyond its function and to look more closely at materials and form.

“I really try to think about making something as pure and as salient as I possibly can without getting in the way of the design,” said Radtke. “When somebody looks at the furniture, I would like them to pause and try to absorb all of the nuances.”

Radtke has won multiple national awards throughout his career, including Best in Show at the Lakefront Festival of Art, held annually by Friends of Art at the Museum, in which he participated three years. His work was first featured at the Museum in the exhibition On Nature: Five Wisconsin Artists, in 2002.

Charles Radtke: Contained is curated by Margaret Andera, interim chief curator and curator of contemporary art, and organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum.

A full-color exhibition catalogue is being published by the Milwaukee Art Museum with essays by Margaret Andera and Glenn Adamson, Senior Scholar, Yale Center for British Art.

Supporting sponsors include Milwaukee Art Museum’s Friends of Art, Christopher and Sally Candee, Heidi and Greg Borca and Marcia and Kent Velde.

Exhibitions throughout 2019 are made possible by the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Visionaries including John and Murph Burke, Sheldon and Marianne Lubar, Joel and Caran Quadracci, Sue and Bud Selig and Jeff Yabuki and the Yabuki Family Foundation.

Programming

Artist Gallery Talks
Tues, April 30, 1:30 p.m.

With Charles Radtke and fellow furniture maker and UW-Madison professor Tom Loeser

Tues, August 13, 1:30 p.m.
With Charles Radtke and Margaret Andera, interim chief curator and curator of contemporary art

Free with Museum admission, free for Members

Gallery Talks

Tues, 1:30 p.m.

May 21, June 4

With Margaret Andera, interim chief curator and curator of contemporary art

Free with Museum admission, free for Members

*Exhibition photos available upon request

Art and Flowers Combine at Milwaukee Art Museum’s Art in Bloom

– The Museum’s popular annual event returns April 11–14 with art-inspired floral arrangements, workshops, lectures, a fashion show and family-friendly activities. –

Milwaukee, Wis. – March 5, 2019 – Art and flowers will come together for the 12th year to celebrate the return of spring at Art in Bloom at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Presented by Educators Credit Union, the popular annual event will give visitors the opportunity to view more than 38 art-inspired floral installations on display throughout the Museum, Thursday, April 11, through Sunday, April 14. Each arrangement is inspired by a specific work in the Museum’s Collection and created by local florists.

“The fantastic and colorful floral installations inspired by works of art in our Collection are a highlight of spring in Milwaukee,” said Krista Renfrew, Director of Special Events at the Milwaukee Art Museum. “Visitors appreciate the fresh and fragrant perspectives these floral experts bring to the galleries.”

Art in Bloom will feature a variety of additional activities and programs including floral workshops and presentations, docent-led tours, family-friendly activities and a marketplace offering items by local artists, home goods, jewelry, clothing and garden accessories. All lecture presentations in Lubar Auditorium are open to the public and included with Art in Bloom admission.

At the popular Beauty in Bloom: A Floral Fashion Show, models will walk down the runway wearing couture-inspired gowns and accessories that local artisans create entirely out of flowers, with inspiration drawn from the Gilded Age of the Museum’s exhibition Bouguereau & America. This ticketed event takes place April 13 at 7 p.m. inside Windhover Hall and will include hors d’oeuvres, valet parking and a cash bar.

Also on April 13, four floral designers will show off their pruning skills, speed and ingenuity at the floral design competition “Pruned,” inspired by competitive cooking shows. Admission to Pruned is free with Art in Bloom admission.

“Art in Bloom is an exceptional Milwaukee tradition that Educators Credit Union is proud to support. These artists continue to amaze us every year with their ability and talent,” said Shannon Huot, Educators Credit Union Senior Vice President of Marketing. “We want to ensure they are able to put that work on display for all to see and admire.”

In previous years, more than 10,000 guests have visited the Museum during the event.


Art in Bloom is presented by Educators Credit Union, with additional support from Milaeger’s home and garden store.

Media Sponsor: MKE Lifestyle Magazine

Event Information

Dates:

Thursday, April 11: 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

Friday, April 12: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Saturday, April 13: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Sunday, April 14: 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Daily Admission: $5 for Members; $24 for adults ($19 advance tickets); $22 for seniors and students ($17 advance tickets); Free for children 12 and under. Members’ children 17 and under are also free. Admission for Educators Credit Union Members is $5.  

Special Membership Offer: Visitors receive free admission for two when joining or renewing their Museum membership at the door—and get a $10 gift card to Milaeger’s if they join or renew at the Family/Dual level or above. Offer only valid on-site, April 11–14, 2019

Website:  mam.org/bloom


Special Programs

Afternoon Tea Service

Thursday, April 11, 4 p.m.; Friday, April 12, 4 p.m.; Sunday, April 13, 4 p.m.
Northwestern Mutual Room
An afternoon tea with fresh scones, sandwiches and pastries (requires reservation, sold out).

Farm-to-Table Dinner

Thursday, April 11, 6–8 p.m., Café Calatrava

Dine on locally sourced courses, and hear from local producers and growers, who will share their stories (requires reservation, $85).

Beauty in Bloom: A Floral Fashion Show

Saturday, April 13, 7 p.m., Windhover Hall

See couture-inspired gowns and accessories created by local artisans, and made entirely out of blooms (ticketed, standing-room only, $50/$40 Members ).  

Additional Programs

The Incredible Edible Landscape

Thursday, April 11, 1 p.m., Lubar Auditorium

Learn to grow fruits, vegetables and herbs anywhere, with Lisa Hilgenberg, Horticulturist at the Chicago Botanic Garden. She will share strategies for incorporating edible plants into the landscape and how to harvest them. Free with event admission.

Curing & Preserving Botanicals

Thursday, April 11, 1 p.m., Northwestern Mutual Room

Find out what household products can help preserve your plants and flowers with Michael Alt, Owner of Alt’s, then leave with botanicals to try out the methods for yourself. Reservations required, $45.

Flowers in Art at the Milwaukee Art Museum

Thursday, April 11, 3 p.m., Collection Galleries

Hear from Barbara Brown Lee, Chief Educator Emerita at the Milwaukee Art Museum, and a more than 55-year Museum veteran, as she shares the stories of certain flower-related works in the Collection. Free with event admission.

The Role of Bees in the Ecosystem and Food Supply

Friday, April 12, 11 a.m., Lubar Auditorium

Gain a new appreciation for bees as Linda Conroy, Owner of Moonwise Herbs, shares the important role they play in the environment and how attendees can develop habitats for them in Wisconsin. Free with event admission.

A Modern Approach to the Centerpiece

Friday, April 12, 11 a.m., Northwestern Mutual Room

Get inspired by the latest floral trends as described by Kevin Ylvisaker, International Floral Design Expert, and make a statement with a contemporary centerpiece. Reservations required, $65.

Gardens and Other Vegetative Gems in Foreign Lands

Friday, April 12, 1 p.m., Lubar Auditorium

Take a photo tour of gardens and plants Dale Siever, Lecturer, and Writer for Sukiya Living, has seen on his global travels. Free with event admission.

Succulent Garden Workshop

Friday, April 12, 1 p.m., Northwestern Mutual Room

Design a beautiful succulent garden for the home, office or patio at this hands-on workshop led by Carrie Kroening from Petals at Silver Spring Golf Club. Reservations required, $55.

Pruned

Saturday, April 13, 11 a.m., Lubar Auditorium

Four designers show off their pruning skills, speed, and ingenuity at this floral design competition inspired by judged elimination cooking shows. Free with event admission.

Spring Centerpiece Workshop

Saturday, April 13, 11 a.m., Northwestern Mutual Room

Learn how to create a nature-inspired centerpiece with seasonal flowers in a loose and organic style, with Courtney Gutschenritter, owner of Courtney Joy Floral, and take home a fresh arrangement for the table. Reservations required, $55.

Container Garden Hands-On Workshop

Saturday, April 13, 1 p.m., Northwestern Mutual Room

Design a container garden filled with gorgeous florals and edible plants with Heidi Hornung, owner of Shady Lane Greenhouse. Reservations required, $50.

Lecture and Book Signing with Marta McDowell

Saturday, April 13, 2 p.m., Lubar Auditorium

Meet Marta McDowell, author of the New York Times bestseller All the Presidents’ Gardens, and hear about her personal experiences working as an instructor at the New York Botanical Garden. Free with event admission. Presented by the Milwaukee Art Museum Garden Club.

Friendship through Flowers: The Ikebana Way Workshop

Sunday, April 14, 10:30 a.m., Northwestern Mutual Room

Learn about the Japanese art of ikebana with Laurie Wareham, Certified Ichiyo Instructor and Junior Master, and gain a new perspective on floral design while creating an arrangement. Reservations required, $65.

The Future of Floral Design

Sunday, April 14, 11 a.m., Lubar Auditorium

International floral design expert Kevin Ylvisaker leads the fast-paced, interactive show on the latest floral design trends, while sharing techniques and creating arrangements on stage. Free with event admission.

Southern Blooms Workshop

Sunday, April 14, 1 p.m., Northwestern Mutual Room

Become familiar with the fragrant blooms and textural greens of the South. Melissa Maas, owner of Bank of Flowers, guides workshop attendees to make a southern-inspired floral arrangement. Reservations required, $35.

Art in Bloom Florist Panel Discussion

Sunday, April 14, 2 p.m., Lubar Auditorium

Welcome Art in Bloom participants as they discuss the work that went into this year’s floral masterpieces. Free with event admission.

Kohl’s Art Generation Open Studio

Thursday, April 11–Sunday, April 14.

During Art in Bloom, visitors to the Kohl’s Art Generation Studio will have the opportunity to paint fresh flowers displayed in Classical urns and vases, inspired by the settings within the canvases in the exhibition Bouguereau & America. The Kohl’s Art Generation Studio closes one hour before the Museum.

Drop-in Tours

Docent-led drop-in tours of Art in Bloom highlights are available Friday through Sunday, at 10:30 a.m., noon, and 2:00 p.m., and last approximately one hour. Tours meet in Windhover Hall. Free with Art in Bloom admission.

First Solo U.S. Exhibition of Contemporary Artist Sara Cwynar Comes to Milwaukee Art Museum

Sara Cwynar: Image Model Muse offers feminist perspectives of consumer culture through a series of photographs and works on film.-

Milwaukee, Wis. – February 5, 2019 – The Milwaukee Art Museum presents Sara Cwynar: Image Model Muse, the contemporary artist’s first solo exhibition in the United States, on view March 8 through July 21, 2019 in the Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts at the Museum. The exhibition includes three recent video installations and large-scale photographs created by the Brooklyn-based Cwynar (b. 1985, Vancouver, Canada). The works in the exhibition focuses on the artist’s interest in the creation of consumer desire for objects and how society conceptualizes beauty.

“Cwynar’s multi-disciplinary practice across photography, film, and performance echoes and responds to video and performance art of the 1960s and 1970s, in which the artist is both subject and object of the camera,” said Lisa Sutcliffe, Herzfeld Curator of Photography and Media Arts, Milwaukee Art Museum, and co-curator of the exhibition. “Presenting her full range of work within the context of an encyclopedic collection provides opportunities to examine the historical evolution of standards of beauty and how design plays a role in its construction.

The works on view reveal the artist’s study of the ways in which color, design and commercial goods can represent larger systems of power. By gathering and organizing objects according to color, vintage, material and content, Cwynar traces how they circulate and are valued by society. In this exhibition, she highlights the evolution of objects from idealized to outdated, focusing on complex feelings of both attraction and repulsion.

“I’m trying to dismantle this often-idealized kitsch, or often very nostalgic Western context of photography, which tells us who we think we are, and often with great bias. I’m trying to think of all the different ways that that is a false history,” said Cwynar. I’m trying to be clear about my own ambivalence, and how you can see the way the strategies of design and advertising are working but still be seduced by them.”

The artist’s research-oriented films are meditations on the emotional impact of color, design, and popular imagery, and how desire is created. Museum visitors will have the opportunity to view three of Cwynar’s most recent films—Soft Film (2016), Rose Gold (2017), and Cover Girl (2018). Photographs from the artist’s ongoing Tracy series explore similar themes. Through the juxtaposition of commercial objects and Cwynar’s friend Tracy, who acts as the primary model for the series, Cwynar further shows how images can shape beliefs, values and standards of beauty.

“The Milwaukee Art Museum has always found a balance between exhibiting contemporary and historic art,” said Margaret Andera, interim chief curator and curator of contemporary art, Milwaukee Art Museum. “The opportunity to explore the work of Sara Cwynar alongside the depictions of beauty by a 19th-century French Academic painter in the concurrent Bouguereau & America exhibition, allows visitors to deepen their understanding of beauty from differing points of view and across centuries.”

Image Model Muse joins a long list of Milwaukee Art Museum exhibitions that have showcased a living female artist, including Penelope Umbrico: Future Perfect (2016), Currents 35: Tara Donovan (2012), Taryn Simon: Photographs and Texts (2012), On Site: Chakaia Booker (2010), On Site: Andrea Zittel (2004) and Laura Owens (2003) as well as numerous exhibitions of Wisconsin-born Georgia O’Keeffe during her lifetime.

Sara Cwynar has won numerous awards as an emerging artist, including the 2016 Baloise Prize, which recognizes international artists on the rise.

The exhibition is co-organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and curated by Lisa Sutcliffe, Herzfeld Curator of Photography and Media Arts, Milwaukee Art Museum, and Gabriel Ritter, Curator and Head of Contemporary Art, Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Supporting sponsors include Live Wire Productions.

Exhibitions in the Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts are sponsored by the Herzfeld Foundation and Madeleine and David Lubar.

Exhibitions throughout 2019 are made possible by the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Visionaries including John and Murph Burke, Sheldon and Marianne Lubar, Joel and Caran Quadracci, Sue and Bud Selig and Jeff Yabuki and the Yabuki Family Foundation.

 

Supporting events

Gallery Talks
Tues, 1:30 p.m.
March 12, April 2, May 14

With Lisa Sutcliffe, Herzfeld Curator of Photography and Media Arts

In Conversation: Sara Cwynar and Sheila Heti

Thurs, March 14, 6:15 p.m., Lubar Auditorium

Sara Cwynar will discuss her work with Toronto-based author Sheila Heti. In 2018, the New York Times named Heti, author of Motherhood and How Should a Person Be?, among fifteen writers “shaping the way we read and write fiction in the 21st century.”

Award-Winning Art by Wisconsin Students Highlighted in Annual Milwaukee Art Museum Exhibition

– The 2019 Scholastic Art Awards celebrate works by hundreds of talented Wisconsin students.    

Milwaukee, Wis. – January 31, 2019 – Award-winning artwork created by more than 300 local students will be displayed at the Milwaukee Art Museum, during the 2019 Scholastic Art Awards: Wisconsin Exhibition. On view Feb. 2 through March 17, 2019, in the Museum’s Schroeder Galleria, the juried exhibition showcases the works of students in grades 7-12 from nearly 100 schools around the state.

“The Museum is excited to once again celebrate the incredible artistic talent of young people in Wisconsin,” said Brigid Globensky, Barbara Brown Lee senior director of education & programs. “The Scholastic Art Awards not only acknowledge and recognize the fantastic work created by these students, they are an important stepping stone on their journey to becoming artists.”

Winners were selected out of more than 3,700 total submissions in categories that include Comic Art, Photography, Video & Animation, Printmaking and Ceramics & Glass. The 131 student artists who received Gold Key Awards will compete at the national level later this year. The 206 Silver Key Awards denote statewide recognition for each artist. Award ceremonies will be held at the Museum on Saturday, February 9, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., and the public is welcome to attend.

 

The Milwaukee Art Museum has hosted the Scholastic Art Awards for the Wisconsin region since 1976. The program acknowledges excellence in the visual arts and encourages the artistic efforts of young people throughout the United States. A number of artists represented in the Museum’s Collection were Scholastic Art Award Winners, including Richard Avedon, Nancy Burkert, Robert Indiana and Andy Warhol.

Admission to the 2019 Scholastic Art Awards: Wisconsin Exhibition and the award ceremonies is free for all visitors and does not require a Museum admission ticket.

This exhibition is presented by the Heller Foundation and Mary Ellen Heller in memory of Avis Heller, the Milwaukee Arts Board, Peter and Debra Johnson, Vanguard Computers Inc., CompURent and an anonymous donor.

Exhibitions throughout 2019 are made possible by the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Visionaries, including John and Murph Burke, Sheldon and Marianne Lubar, Joel and Caran Quadracci, Sue and Bud Selig and Jeff Yabuki and the Yabuki Family Foundation.

 

Supporting events

Gallery Talks
Thurs, Feb 28, 5:30 p.m.
Sat, March 2, 1:30 p.m.

Meet at the south end of Schroeder Galleria

Robert Indiana’s The American LOVE Sculpture Donated to the Milwaukee Art Museum

Robert Indiana’s The American LOVE Sculpture Donated to the Milwaukee Art Museum

– Through the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, an anonymous donor has gifted the popular sculpture that came to the city this past summer as part of Sculpture Milwaukee.   –

Milwaukee, Wis. – January 24, 2019 – Robert Indiana’s iconic sculpture The American LOVE will be coming to the lakefront as part of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Collection, thanks to the gift of an anonymous donor through the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.

The sculpture was previously on display during Sculpture Milwaukee 2018, in front of the Northwestern Mutual Building on Wisconsin Avenue.

“This piece by Robert Indiana was one of the most popular stops by locals and visitors alike over the summer,” said Marilu Knode, director, exhibitions and programs, Sculpture Milwaukee. “We are so glad the piece will remain in Milwaukee at the Museum. Being able to add this work to our community demonstrates the impact that Sculpture Milwaukee can have on the artistic and cultural landscape of the city.”

The work will be installed near the Milwaukee Art Museum’s East End patio, facing Lake Michigan, when the ground thaws in the spring.

American Love joins a number of works by Robert Indiana in the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Collection, including early color screen prints and lithographs, and an important early wood sculpture.

“Indiana’s work has always connected with Milwaukee. His design for the MECCA floor in the 1970s is a Milwaukee icon, not just for art lovers. It’s fitting that Milwaukee is now home to the artist’s iconic LOVE sculpture as well,” said Margaret Andera, curator of contemporary art and interim chief curator, Milwaukee Art Museum. “We are indebted to the anonymous donor, the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and Sculpture Milwaukee for their support in bringing this work to the Museum.”

“The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is proud to play a role in giving such a beloved work of art a permanent, accessible home in Milwaukee,” said Ellen Gilligan, Foundation president and CEO. “Our donors inspire us every day, and this is a great example of how generous people in our community choose to work with the Foundation to make remarkable things happen. Of course, this opportunity is possible due to Steve Marcus’s visionary leadership of Sculpture Milwaukee.”

Installation dates will be announced once ground temperature allows for a secure and permanent installation.

 

About the Milwaukee Art Museum

Home to a rich collection of more than 30,000 works of art, the Milwaukee Art Museum is located on the shores of Lake Michigan. Its campus includes the Santiago Calatrava–designed Quadracci Pavilion, annually showcasing three feature exhibitions, and the Eero Saarinen–designed Milwaukee County War Memorial Center and David Kahler‒designed addition. In 2016, after a yearlong renovation, the Museum reopened its Collection Galleries, debuting nearly 2,500 world-class works of art within dramatically transformed galleries and a new lakefront addition. This reimagined space also allows for the presentation of additional changing exhibitions. For more information, please visit: mam.org.

 

About the Greater Milwaukee Foundation
The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is the region’s largest community foundation and was among the first established in the world. For more than a century, the Foundation has inspired philanthropy by connecting generous people to community needs that align with their interests. The Foundation was founded on the premise that generosity can unlock an individual’s potential and strengthen the community as a whole for everyone who lives here. We work in partnership with those who are committed to ensuring greater Milwaukee is a vibrant, economically thriving region that comprises welcoming and inclusive communities providing opportunity, prosperity and a high quality of life for all.

greatermilwaukeefoundation.org  | @GrMKEFdn  | facebook.com/GreaterMilwaukeeFoundation

 

About Sculpture Milwaukee

Debuted in 2017, Sculpture Milwaukee is the vision of Steve Marcus, a local philanthropist and former chairman of the board of The Marcus Corporation. Milwaukee Downtown, Business Improvement District #21, a 501(c)(3) organization, serves as the administrative arm of the project with many Milwaukee organizations and institutions lending their support. This tremendous gift to the community is made possible through grants, in-kind donations and sponsorships. Sculpture Milwaukee is curated by Marilu Knode, Sculpture Milwaukee’s Director of Exhibitions and Programs and former director of Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis, and Russell Bowman, former director of the Milwaukee Art Museum. Sculpture Milwaukee’s Acting Executive Director is Brian Schupper. For more information, visit www.sculpturemilwaukee.com or call 414.220.4700.

New Exhibitions and Events Emphasize Perspectives at the Milwaukee Art Museum

New Exhibitions and Events Emphasize Perspectives at the Milwaukee Art Museum

– Large-scale oil paintings by a Gilded Age artist and contemporary photos that address consumer culture from a feminist perspective enable visitors to consider beauty as a relative concept. –

Milwaukee, Wis. – January 23, 2019 – There is more than one way to look at a work of art. This spring, the Milwaukee Art Museum will give visitors the opportunity to view and appreciate paintings, photographs and videos from a variety of perspectives.

“Our responsibilities as a museum go beyond protecting and showcasing art. We must provide context, invite fresh interpretation and help visitors see something new in the works, and even in themselves,” said Marcelle Polednik, PhD, Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director, Milwaukee Art Museum. “With the variety of exhibitions and programs in this season of perspectives, we aim to encourage visitors to look at art in new ways and also explore their own points of view.”

Opening Feb. 15, Bouguereau & America showcases more than 40 masterful paintings by French academic painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905). The exhibition explores the artist’s remarkable popularity during America’s Gilded Age and shares the stories of the people who acquired the paintings on view. The first major exhibition on the artist since the 1980s, Bouguereau & America will offer new perspectives on the paintings that form the backbone of many museum collections. Bouguereau & America is co-organized with the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and on view in Milwaukee through May 12, 2019.

Through the video and photography in Sara Cwynar: Image Model Muse, opening March 8, Canadian-born and Brooklyn-based artist Sara Cwynar (b. 1985) explores the subjects of color and design, particularly in the context of how we conceptualize beauty. The exhibition, the artist’s first solo museum exhibition in the United States, reveals the ways in which commercial goods can stand in for larger systems of power. Image Model Muse is co-organized with the Minneapolis Institute of Art and is on view in Milwaukee through July 21, 2019.

In the Collection Galleries, prints from the significant collection of works on paper that Chicagoans Kevin Fahey and Ray Grzebielski recently gifted to the Museum highlight two important yet seemingly oppositional modern subjects: the city and the farm. The prints, by 20th-century masters, are on view through March in The Godfrey American Art Wing. A second selection from their collection will open in April.

On March 1, illuminated manuscripts, or handwritten books, from the Middle Ages and Renaissance will be on view in the European art galleries. The exhibition, composed of objects from local collections, looks at the bookmaking process and at how creating and interacting with the manuscripts was once a form of religious devotion.

Featured in the 20th- & 21st-Century Design Galleries is an installation about the adaptive clothing line Functional Fashions (1955–1976), which explores notions of independence and rehabilitation in postwar America.

Up-and-coming talent is presented in the 400 works of art by Wisconsin students, grades seven through 12, featured in the 2019 Scholastic Art Awards: Wisconsin Exhibition. On view Feb. 2 through March 17, 2019, in the Schroeder Galleria of the Museum, the juried exhibition celebrates young talent from around the state. The works are selected from over 3,500 submissions in categories that include Comic Art, Photography, Video & Animation and Ceramics & Glass. The Milwaukee Art Museum has hosted the Scholastic Art Awards for the Wisconsin region since 1976.

“How does Milwaukee make it through winter? By making sure we make the most of spring,” said Krista Renfrew, Director of Special Events, Milwaukee Art Museum.“With installations by some of the most talented florists around, one-of-a-kind workshops and classes, as well as a marketplace full of local vendors, it’s growing into the best one yet.”

April 11–14, visitors will be able to see a floral perspective on works from the Museum’s Collection at Art in Bloom, presented in partnership with the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Garden Club. Over 35 art-inspired floral installations will be on display throughout the Museum. The annual event includes family activities, informational presentations and friendly competitions such as the Beauty in Bloom Fashion Show, on Saturday, April 13, at 7 p.m., and the fast-paced floral arrangement elimination challenge Pruned, at 11 a.m. on April 13. Educators Credit Union is the presenting sponsor of the event. Art in Bloom adult admission is $19 in advance and $24 at the door. Member admission is $5, and kids 12 and under are always free thanks to Kohl’s Cares. Some of Art in Bloom’s special programs may require an additional ticket. More information is available at mam.org/bloom

On March 10, the Museum will host a reunion for graduates of the Museum’s Junior Docent School Program of any age. For more than 40 years, third- to fifth-grade students from all around the Milwaukee area have participated in the popular program, which offers regular art education and interpretation. All Junior Docents are invited to bring artwork they created, share their experiences, sign the “yearbook” and more. For more information, contact Sarah Ozurumba, sarah.ozurumba@mam.org.

At Play Date with Art, on Feb. 8, March 8, April 19 and May 10, the Museum’s youngest visitors can drop in with family members to create art to take home and sing along during Singing Time at 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. Activities are designed for children ages 0-5 along with their caregivers.

Docents also lead Drop-In Tours of the Museum building and highlights from the Collection each Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and on Sundays at 2 p.m. Drop-In Tours are free with Museum admission.

MAM After Dark, the semi-monthly party at the Museum supported by Northwestern Mutual, returns this spring with themes tied to the seasonal exhibitions.

“People sometimes have the impression that an art museum is a quiet, reserved place. And there are still people who haven’t had a chance to check out the Museum,” said Amanda C. Peterson, Director of Marketing and Communications, Milwaukee Art Museum. “So we try to change that by throwing parties 10 Friday nights a year, celebrating the art and creativity, but also just as a fun thing to do with friends for less than the cost of regular Museum admission.”

On Feb. 15,  a night of old world Glitz and Glam at MAM After Dark makes for an unforgettable pal-entine’s or gal-entine’s evening, with luxury and fun inspired by Bouguereau & America in its first day of being open to the public.

March 15, MAM After Dark hosts a throwback edition of the popular Quiet Clubbing, with multiple DJs competing for the ears of the crowd under glowing wireless headphones.

Each MAM After Dark event features music, DIY stations, non-traditional art tours, Quizmasters team trivia, a photo booth from Front Room Photography, a scavenger hunt through the galleries and access to the Museum throughout the evening. Admission is $12 in advance, $14 at the door and free for Milwaukee Art Museum Members.

Yoga @ the Museum, presented by omTownYogis, continues on Feb. 16, March 16 and April 20. Yoga fans of any skill level can reserve a space under the wings, overlooking the waters of Lake Michigan, with a $15 donation.

Thanks to Meijer, admission to the Milwaukee Art Museum is free on the first Thursday of each month for individuals and families, excluding group and school tours. Meijer Free First Thursday takes place Feb. 7, March 7, April 4 and May 2, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

Throughout the spring, enjoy time with friends, family or that special someone, around a table with good food and one-of-a kind lake views.

On February 14, for Valentine’s Day, those who want a special experience can treat their Valentine to a three-course dinner at the Museum, while experiencing the romance of Bouguereau & America during Member preview. Reservations can be placed at mam.org/vday. Pricing is $150 per couple ($125 for Members), plus tax and gratuity.

April 21, visitors can enjoy a festive Easter brunch in Windhover Hall before exploring the Museum. Reservations can be made at mam.org/easter; pricing is $55 for adults ($45 for Members) and $15 for kids 7-12. Kids 6 and under are free.

On May 12, Moms will be spoiled with a sumptuous brunch in Windhover Hall. Reservations for Mother’s Day Brunch can be made at mam.org/mom; pricing is $55 for adults ($45 for Members) and $15 for kids 7-12. Kids 6 and under are free.

The 2019 Visionaries, supporting the exhibitions and artistic vision of the Milwaukee Art Museum throughout the year, include John and Murph Burke, Sheldon and Marianne Lubar, Joel and Caran Quadracci, Sue and Bud Selig and Jeff Yabuki and the Yabuki Family Foundation.

Milwaukee Art Museum Offers Free Admission to Furloughed Federal Employees

-Two adults plus any children 17 and under get free Museum admission with proof of Federal employment.-

The Milwaukee Art Museum announced today that it will offer free admission to the Museum for furloughed federal employees during the partial government shutdown.

“We know this is a stressful time for everyone impacted by the shutdown,” said Amanda C. Peterson, Senior Director, Audience Engagement. “The Museum is a great place for escape, inspiration, personal contemplation and time with friends and family and we hope having access to that provides even a little bit of help.”

The admission offer is good for up to two people, along with children 17 and under.

Kids 12 and under always get in free, thanks to Kohl’s Cares.

To receive free admission, visitors must show a current federal ID or badge.

General Admission Pricing
$19 Adults
$17 Students (w/ID), Seniors (65+)
Free for Kids 12 & under every day thanks to Kohl’s Cares
Free to Members
Free to Wisconsin K–12 teachers with valid school ID or pay stub
Free the first Thursday of every month, sponsored by Meijer

Participants in WIC (Wisconsin Infants and Children), FoodShare, BadgerCare, or Medicaid can receive an annual family membership for $20, good for all features of Membership, including free admission for two adults and children 17 and under.

Adult tour groups or school groups should call 414-224-3842.

Members Choose May’s MAM After Dark Theme at Milwaukee Art Museum

-As the Museum announces the next six months of its popular social event, Members can vote to choose the May theme.-

Milwaukee, Wis. – January 17, 2019 – The Milwaukee Art Museum has hosted MAM After Dark events sponsored by Northwestern Mutual for a decade, but as the Museum looks for fresh themes for the year ahead, Members will have the opportunity to pick a theme (and make suggestions for the upcoming year).

Starting Jan. 18 at MAM After Dark: Salsa & Spice, Members can vote in-person for May’s MAM After Dark theme, choosing from a list of 10 options. All Museum Members will receive an invitation to vote for May’s theme via email, with voting running through March 15 at the MAM After Dark: Quiet Clubbing event.

“We’ve always valued the feedback we receive from our Members and tried to incorporate their ideas into events and programming,” said Rachel Bellmer, Membership Manager, Milwaukee Art Museum. “But choosing a MAM After Dark theme really allows this trend-savvy crowd to make the Museum their own, even more than they ever have before.”

MAM After Dark is an after-hours party that caters to Milwaukee’s young professionals, held on the third Friday of almost every month, with hiatus in July and December, after the Museum closes for regular admission hours.

“Whether you want to learn to salsa dance under the wings, do a scavenger hunt through the Collection or have a cocktail with an inspiration chaser, it’s always a one-of-a-kind event,” said Krista Renfrew, Director of Special Events, Milwaukee Art Museum. “It’s an arty party for someone looking for a fun night out that may not have visited the Museum before and a brand new way to experience the Museum for our regular visitors.”

Every event features music, cocktails, DIY crafts, a photo booth from Front Room Photography, team trivia from Quizmasters Trivia and unconventional art tours, in addition to activities that correspond to the month’s theme. This year’s schedule has returning favorites, including Quiet Clubbing and Lakefront After Dark, as well as new themes that relate to feature exhibitions.

MAM After Dark is sponsored throughout the year by Northwestern Mutual.

Media sponsors include MKE Lifestyle, 88Nine Radio Milwaukee and OnMilwaukee.

For more information, visit mam.org/afterdark.


Upcoming MAM After Dark Parties

Salsa & Spice

Friday, January 18, 7 p.m.–11 p.m.

Things are heating up with music from De La Buena, professional salsa dancers from Mezclando Milwaukee, hot sauce tasting, tequila sampling from Stand Eat Drink, and more.

Admission is $14 at the door, $12 in advance and free for Members.

Glitz & Glamour

Friday, February 15, 7 p.m.–11 p.m.

Guests are invited to bring their gal-entines and pal-entines for a night of old-world glam with Alliance Francaise, paired tastings from Kilwins chocolates and Balzac wines and more, while exploring Bouguereau & America on its first day open to the public.  

Admission is $14 at the door, $12 in advance and free for Members.

 

Quiet Clubbing

Friday, March 15, 7 p.m.–11 p.m.

Oops, we did it again—guests can choose their favorite throwback tunes on wireless headphones at this popular event with diverse DJs Bizzon, Why B and Kenny Perez.

Admission is $14 at the door, $12 in advance and free for Members.

 

Local Talent

Friday, April 19, 7 p.m.–11 p.m.

Guests join Summerfest on-site while discovering a new favorite MKE musician, exploring Wisconsin art, and turning up the hometown pride.

Admission is $14 at the door, $12 in advance and free for Members.

 

Members’ Choice

Friday, May 17, 7 p.m.–11 p.m.

Members pick the theme!

Admission is $14 at the door, $12 in advance and free for Members.

 

Lakefront After Dark

Friday, June 21, 5 p.m.–10 p.m.

An outdoor party under the glow of the Museum’s wings, with live music, food carts, and a lakeside beer garden. Presented in partnership with Friends of Art.

Included with Friday admission tickets to Lakefront Festival of Art

 

NYC

Friday, August 16, 7 p.m.–11 p.m.

Guests can sample the urban playground that inspired artist James Nares and the ‘70s and ‘80s no wave scene.

Admission is $14 at the door, $12 in advance and free for Members.

Milwaukee Art Museum Receives $300,000 Grant from Mellon Foundation in Support of Art-Related Information

-The Milwaukee Art Museum joins group of museums exploring ways  to connect information for visitors and scholars.-

Milwaukee, Wis. – January 10, 2019 – The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded the Milwaukee Art Museum a grant of $300,000 to support museum efforts in making art information more easily accessible. The grant will be used to assess current information-sharing practices, learn from the industry and create a plan for making a wide range of information available to visitors, scholars and the world.

“One thing we hear from visitors regularly is that they want more information about the art,” said Amanda C. Peterson, Director of Marketing, Communications and Visitor Services. “We have Collection tours, archive materials and works that aren’t currently on view, as well as details documented from education programs, scholarly writing and research from our curatorial team. So there are remarkable opportunities to let people learn and explore for themselves, if we can digitize, categorize, connect and share it all.”

This grant kicks off the Museum’s multiyear information management initiative, expected to take between two and three years to complete. In 2019, the Museum will evaluate ways information can be shared publicly and determine how to most effectively connect Collection information, taking digitization needs, archive materials, visitor and academic uses, as well as industry best practices into consideration.

“What the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has given us is more than just financial support,” said Marcelle Polednik, Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director, Milwaukee Art Museum. “It is the opportunity to be part of a movement across museums to activate our Collection and archives to address the public’s desire to know more, explore for themselves and engage with art in new ways.”

This is the first grant that the Milwaukee Art Museum has received from the Mellon Foundation and the first funding established for a Museum-wide look at content sharing. The Museum is one of only three institutions in the country to be chosen by the Mellon Foundation to pilot this initiative.

Milwaukee Art Museum Invites Community to Contribute to Artwork for Children’s Hospital

-Families will create art for collage to hang at new Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin clinic in Kenosha-

Milwaukee, Wis. – January 9, 2019 – Families who visit the Kohl’s Art Generation Studio during the month of January will have the opportunity to paint, draw, and make prints inspired by art in the Museum’s Collection to become part of a giant collage. The resulting community-created art piece will be installed at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s new Kenosha clinic.

“We’re inviting all kids to help create this unique artwork for the children and families at Children’s Hospital to enjoy,” said Brigid Globensky, Barbara Brown Lee Senior Director of Education and Programs for the Milwaukee Art Museum. “Families and children making art for families and children: it’s a wonderful way to connect the community through art, but it’s also a great platform for grownups to discuss the importance of giving and community with their kids.”

Families may contribute to this community project every day the Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (until 7 p.m. on Thursdays) through the end of January.  The completed collage will be presented to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in February.

The Kohl’s Art Generation Studio is open every day the Milwaukee Art Museum is open, and the cost for programming is included with museum admission. Thanks to Kohl’s Cares, museum admission is always free for kids age 12 and under. For more information, visit mam.org/artgeneration.

New Bouguereau Exhibition at Milwaukee Art Museum Explores Artist’s Popularity in Gilded Age America

– More than 40 canvases by William-Adolphe Bouguereau are presented in the first major exhibition showcasing the painter since the 1980s.    –

Milwaukee, Wis. – January 8, 2019 – The work of French academic painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905), who enjoyed remarkable popularity throughout America’s Gilded Age, is the focus of a new exhibition opening Feb. 15, 2019, at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Bouguereau & America is the first major exhibition of the artist’s work in nearly 30 years.

“Bouguereau is a defining figure in the history of French art, and an extraordinary painter whose masterful canvases evoke delight and wonder,” said Tanya Paul, Isabel and Alfred Bader Curator of European Art, Milwaukee Art Museum. “The story of Bouguereau is the story of the way art rises and falls in popularity, as well as the role dealers, collectors and patrons play in shaping art and taste.”

On view through May 12, 2019, at the Milwaukee Art Museum, Bouguereau & America will include more than 40 canvases by the French artist, whose renown peaked in America between the late 1860s and the early 1900s. Bouguereau’s works form the backbone of many museum collections, including Homer and His Guide, a painting purchased by Milwaukee industrialist Frederick Layton in 1888, and which now resides at the Milwaukee Art Museum as part of the Layton Art Collection.

The exhibition pulls together large-scale canvases from museums and private collections in North America, and shares the stories of the people who collected them, in order to examine their popularity and cultural relevance in America. The exhibition is co-organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.  

Revealing the stories of Bouguereau’s American collectors, the exhibition sheds light on how the history of collecting mirrors the religious beliefs, sexual mores and social problems of the period, as well as how the artist’s popularity influenced his subject matter.

Bouguereau delights and confounds us,” said Stanton Thomas, former Curator of European and Decorative Arts, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, now Curator of Collections and Exhibitions, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Florida, and co-curator of the exhibition. “This exhibition is a brilliant chance to revel in Bouguereau’s paintings and to look a little more carefully at those luscious and perennially popular works.

Bouguereau & America will be on view at the Milwaukee Art Museum from Feb. 15 through May 12, 2019. The exhibition will then travel to the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and be shown from June 22 to Sept. 22, 2019. It will close at the San Diego Museum of Art, where it will be on view from Nov. 9, 2019, to March 15, 2020.

“With this exhibition, we are inviting visitors to look at these paintings not only as historically significant works but also as products of their time, allowing us to contemplate our values today,” said Marcelle Polednik, PhD, Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director, Milwaukee Art Museum. “By looking at Bouguereau and his role in the development of the American art collector, we are seeking to spark important conversations about the history and future of art and collecting.”

Bouguereau & America is the Layton Art Collection Feature Exhibition for 2019, part of a series of exhibitions that focuses on bringing fresh scholarship to works that are a part of the Layton Art Collection Inc., one of the founding collections of the Milwaukee Art Museum.

An activity-filled family guide accompanying the exhibition will be available free of charge with Museum admission.

A full-color exhibition catalogue is being published by Yale University Press with essays by the Bouguereau & America co-curators, as well as a group of distinguished scholars of the subject. The catalogue is sponsored in memory of Dr. Russel Lee Wiener by Dr. Joy Brown Wiener and family, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Needham Horton, Mr. and Mrs. Bailey Wiener and Mr. and Mrs. Lee Russel Wiener.

The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities.

Supporting sponsors include The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, The Laskin Family in memory of Myron Laskin, Jr., In memory of Dr. Russel Lee Wiener, Anonymous, Four-Four Foundation, Samuel H. Kress Foundation, Kenneth R. Treis, and the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Fine Arts Society.

Exhibitions throughout 2019 are made possible by the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Visionaries including John and Murph Burke, Sheldon and Marianne Lubar, Joel and Caran Quadracci, Sue and Bud Selig and Jeff Yabuki and the Yabuki Family Foundation.

 

Programming

Gallery Talks
Tues, 1:30 p.m.
Feb 19, March 26, April 23, May 7
With Tanya Paul, Isabel and Alfred Bader Curator of European Art, Milwaukee Art Museum
Sat., April 6, 1:30 p.m. (in French)
With Béatrice Armstrong of the French Institute of Milwaukee
Free with Museum admission, free for Members

Express Talks
Thurs, noon and 5:30 p.m.
March 7, April 4, May 2 (Meijer Free First Thursdays)

Book Salon: The Age of Innocence
Sat, March 16, 10:30 a.m.
Quadracci Suite
Transport yourself to Gilded Age New York with Edith Wharton’s classic novel The Age of Innocence, a selection inspired by the exhibition. RSVP to lilia.banrevy@mam.org or 414-224-3886. Books are available in the Museum Store and at mam.org/store.

Gilded Age Tours
Sun, March 24, 1–4:30 p.m.
Milwaukee Art Museum & Pfister Hotel
Delve into the Gilded Age in Milwaukee with tours of Bouguereau & America and the art collection at the Pfister Hotel, where afternoon tea also will be served. Participants will travel between the two destinations by coach bus.
$125/$105 Member/$95 Fine Arts Society Member
RSVP to Catherine Sawinski at 414-224-3293.

Lecture: The Pride of the Frontier: Milwaukee’s Gilded Age Art Collectors
Thurs, May 9, 6:15 p.m.
Lubar Auditorium
Discover nineteenth-century Milwaukee’s internationally known collectors of art, including Martha Mitchell, William Metcalf, and Louis Petit, with John Eastberg, executive director of the Pabst Mansion.
Optional reception to follow in Café Calatrava, $35/$30 Member/$25 Fine Arts Society Member.
RSVP for the reception to Catherine Sawinski at 414-224-3293.

Social and Family Programming
MAM After Dark
Fri, 7–11 p.m.
$14/$12 in advance/free for Members
Ten times a year, the Museum stays up late on a Friday night to offer the artiest party in town, with dancing, unconventional tours, cocktails, food, photo booths, DIY and more. Sponsored by Northwestern Mutual

February 15 – Gilded Age Galentine’s
Celebrate the opening of Bouguereau & America, and experience glitz, glamour and the perfect evening out with friends. It’s time to party like it’s 1899.  

March 15 – Quiet Clubbing: Throwback
Meteoric popularity is worth revisiting, whether you’re Bouguereau or Britney. Explore the pop hits of the 1880s in art and the 1980s, ’90s, and ’00s in music with headphones that let you pick the soundtrack.

Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays: Every Picture Tells a Story
Sun, March 10, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Explore portraits, myths and scenes of life. Play dress-up and sketch your family, mix paint colors and tell your story on canvas. Find inspiration in the exhibition Bouguereau & America. Watch a portrait artist at work and a performance by a storyteller. Welcome graduates from more than 40 years of the Museum’s Junior Docent School Program as they share their stories.

 

 

About the Layton Art Collection, Inc.
The Layton Art Collection, Inc., an independent not-for-profit organization, honors the legacy of  English-American Frederick Layton (1827–1919), a prominent businessman, philanthropist and art collector, by supporting and promoting exhibitions and other programming based on the works in the Layton Art Collection. The Layton Art Collection is a founding collection of the Milwaukee Art Museum, a gift to the people of the City of Milwaukee from Mr. Layton that began with a single-patron art gallery known as the Layton Art Gallery in Milwaukee in 1888. Since the mid-1950s, a representative portion of the Layton Art Collection, including substantially all of the core works in the Layton Art Collection, has been on display at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

 

Community Leaders Support the Milwaukee Art Museum as “Visionaries”

 – New level of giving directly supports the annual artistic vision across the Museum.  –

Milwaukee, Wis. – January 3, 2019 – The Milwaukee Art Museum starts 2019 by adding a new top individual giving level to its philanthropic support program, the Visionaries. Founding Visionaries include John and Murph Burke, Sheldon and Marianne Lubar, Joel and Caran Quadracci, Sue and Bud Selig and Jeff Yabuki and the Yabuki Family Foundation.

As the leading philanthropic circle of the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Visionaries support the overall artistic vision of the Museum through annual sponsorship of the full year of exhibition programs, as well as connections between exhibitions and with the community.

“This group is united by their generosity and their ability to see the potential in what they have helped build for the Museum and the community,” said Marcelle Polednik, PhD, Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director, Milwaukee Art Museum. “We are grateful for their leadership, their support and their involvement in shaping the year, and the future of this Museum. With their help, we truly will be able to take program excellence to new heights.”

The Visionaries’ level of support helps ensure financial sustainability as the Museum builds a cohesive artistic perspective across its three rotating gallery spaces and Collection rotations, and in the programming that connects the variety of exhibitions across seasons and the year.

The Museum identified the need for a higher level of recognition for long-term donor commitment and involvement during the early research it gathered for its strategic plan. The strategic plan is currently underway and expected to be completed in phases throughout 2019.

“The addition of multiple rotating exhibition spaces in 2015 created the opportunity to look not just at a single exhibition, but also at how all the exhibitions work together,” said Margaret Andera, interim chief curator and contemporary curator, Milwaukee Art Museum. “Establishing this bigger artistic vision takes more than intelligence and passion. It requires the kind of steadfast support and broad perspective that these Visionaries bring.”

The founding group of Visionaries helped shape the program, guiding Museum leadership in new ways to connect with donors and involve them in directly supporting the artistic exhibition portion of the Museum’s mission. The founding Visionaries are also part of the 2019 Visionaries group, making the exhibitions on view throughout the 2019 calendar year possible as well. Additional Visionaries are likely to join the program in 2019.

Exhibitions in 2019 at the Milwaukee Art Museum include Bouguereau & America, Sara Cwynar: Image Model Muse, Charles Radtke: Contained, and James Nares: Moves.