MAM Events

Teacher Night: WAEA 75th Anniversary Celebration
2025-10-23 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
$20 per educator
Join fellow Wisconsin Educators in celebrating 75 years of the Wisconsin Art Education Association (WAEA)! Enjoy a lively reception in the Museum’s stunning Windhover Hall overlooking Lake Michigan. Connect with art educators from across the state through engaging gallery activities and hands-on art making. Attendees will enjoy a drink ticket for the Thursday Nights at MAM bar, appetizers, music, special takeaways, and 10% off in the newly renovated Museum Store. Dress in your favorite WAEA decade to celebrate 75 years (1950s to today)!
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to explore, create and get inspired!
RSVP now →
Street parking is available along Lincoln Memorial Drive and near Veterans Park. Additionally, parking is available at regular rates in both the Calatrava Underground Parking Garage and the Museum Center Park Garage.

Photo by GM. Creative

MAM After Dark: Fright at the Museum
2025-10-24 19:00 - 23:00
Join us for Fright at the Museum—an after-hours Halloween party where art, music, and mystery collide. Step into the shadows of this haunted haven of live entertainment, eerie encounters, and plenty of spirited fun.

Event highlights

🎃 Costume contest with 4 ways to win
🍸 Spooky cocktails and seasonal treats
🔮 Tarot card readings and live magic
✨ Frightfully Wicked Drag Queen Bingo
💀 Sugar skull and paper marigold crafts with Milwaukee Rep
💃 Dance the night away with live music
🍾 Member lounge with a signature cocktail

Costume contest
Judging of the costumes takes place on the Baumgartner Terrace (weather permitting) at 9:30 p.m. Winners will be selected by a panel of judges from New Land Enterprises based on creativity, craftsmanship, and presentation! Contestants must be present when winners are announced to receive their prize. Judges’ decisions are final.

Best Overall Costume: The most outstanding costume of the night
Most Creative/Artistic Costume: The design that shows exceptional originality or flair
Spookiest Costume: A spine-chilling, spooky look worthy of Halloween
Masterpiece Award: A Museum-inspired or art-themed costume

Guidelines
To ensure a safe and enjoyable evening for all, please follow these guidelines:

Costumes must be family-friendly and respectful.
No weapons or lookalike props of any kind.
No full-face masks, helmets, or vision-obscuring gear.
Costumes should not be excessively large, inflatable, dragging, or include sharp/pointed items.
No glitter, balloons, organic matter, or materials that shed.
Guests who do not comply may be asked to modify their costume or denied entry. Thank you for helping us keep the event safe and fun!

Advance tickets are $35 for general admission and $15 for Members. At the door, tickets are $40 for general admission and $20 for Members. Not a Member? Join today!
Buy tickets →

Supporting sponsor

Contributing sponsor

Spirits sponsor

Story Time in the Galleries
2025-10-25 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-11-01 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-11-08 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-11-15 10:30 - 11:00
Every Saturday morning, join us in the galleries to hear a story and make art together. Meet in Windhover Hall near the admission desks at 10:30 a.m. and travel with the reader through the galleries. Then, listen to a story in front of a work of art before creating an artwork inspired by what you have seen and heard.
This event is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission for kids 12 and under is free. Tickets are available at the door or online.

Sponsored by
Four-Four Foundation
Anonymous donor

Drop-In Tours: Architecture and Collection Highlights
2025-10-25 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-10-26 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-01 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-02 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-08 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-09 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-15 14:00 - 15:00
Discover works in the collection and highlights about the Museum’s architecture during a one-hour tour with a Museum docent. Join the tour in Windhover Hall, near the Museum’s main entrance and admissions desks.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door and online.

Gallery Talk: “Reviving the Dance of Death”
2025-10-31 12:00 - 13:00
Join Nikki Otten, associate curator of prints & drawings, in gallery S202 for an in-depth exploration of the themes and topics in Reviving the Dance of Death.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.

Image: Albert Besnard (French, 1849–1936), Demanding, from the series Elle (detail), 1900. Etching. Plate: 5¼ × 4¼ in. (13.34 × 10.8 cm); sheet: 14 3/8 × 10 7/8 in. (36.51 × 27.62 cm). Purchase, Schuchardt Fund M2017.16.1

Performance: Present Music's “All Souls Eve”
2025-10-31 19:30 - 21:30
Extend your experience of the exhibition The Bradley Collection of Modern Art: A Bold Vision for Milwaukee with Present Music’s All Souls Eve, a celebratory concert of remembrance inspired by Mexican Day of the Dead traditions. The evening features music by Gabriela Ortiz and Miguel del Aguila; The Old Burying Ground, an evocative song-cycle by Evan Chambers; and the world premiere of Music of the While, a new commission by composer Viet Cuong, honoring the memory of Cecile Chang. Deanna Tham conducts.
Come early to enjoy food from local specialty food trucks, view a traditional ofrenda created by artist Francisco X. Mora, and explore the featured exhibition before the concert. At 6:30 p.m., join a preconcert conversation with Cuong, Tham, and Mora, moderated by Milwaukee Art Museum Senior Director of Community Dialogue & Adult Programs, Dr. Kantara Souffrant.
Milwaukee Art Museum Members enjoy a 15% discount on Present Music tickets with the code PMMAM.
Buy tickets →

Sponsors
Suzanne and Richard Pieper
PieperPower

Yoga at MAM
2025-11-01 08:00 - 09:00
Find your calm in this 60-minute yoga class amid the serenity of the Quadracci Pavilion and stunning views of Lake Michigan.
Class begins at 8 a.m. Arrive as early as 7 a.m. with your yoga mat to settle into the space before the class starts.
After class, extend your visit to the café and store, which open early, at 9 a.m. Parking is available in the Calatrava underground garage; enjoy a $5 rate when you exit before 10 a.m.
Online in advance, general admission tickets are $20 and Museum Member tickets are $10. At the door, tickets are $25 for general admission and $15 for Members. Not a Member? Join today!
Buy tickets →

Drop-In Tour: Celebrating Native American Artists
2025-11-01 14:00 - 15:00
Celebrate Native American Heritage Month on this docent-led tour featuring works by Indigenous artists in the Museum’s galleries. This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.

Image: Truman Lowe (Ho-Chunk, 1944–2019) Feather Canoe, ca. 1993 Willow, turkey feathers, and copper wire 74 × 12 × 22 in. (188 × 30.5 × 55.9 cm) Gift of Jan Serr & John Shannon

Member Preview Day: “Looking Forward: New Gifts of Art”
2025-11-06 10:00 - 20:00
Open to All Members
Members enjoy early access to Looking Forward: New Gifts of Art before it opens to the public. Later in the evening, join us at 6:15 p.m. in Lubar Auditorium for an introduction to the Looking Forward exhibition from Liz Siegel, chief of curatorial affairs, as she kicks off this year’s Annual Members’ Meeting and Reception.
Questions? Contact the membership team at membership@mam.org or 414-224-3284.
Not a Member?
Join today →

Image: John Sloan (American, 1871–1951), Mountains, Santa Fe (detail), 1920. Oil on canvas. 20 × 24 in. (50.8 × 60.96 cm). Framed: 29 7/8 × 34 × 2 1/4 in. (75.88 × 86.36 × 5.72 cm). Gift of The David G. Meissner Family, M2024.6. Photo by John R. Glembin.

WPR Pint-Sized Concerts at the Milwaukee Art Museum
2025-11-06 17:00 - 19:00
Join us for live classical music by Peter J. Thomas, presented by WPR! Enjoy an evening of timeless classics, reimagined pop favorites, and great company amidst the Museum’s iconic architecture, with a pop-up bar open before and during the performance. This unique celebration of art and music is brought to the community by WPR and the Museum as part of Thursday Nights at MAM, the Museum’s weekly evening of art, music, and pay-what-you-wish admission. Bring a friend or the whole family and celebrate local music while supporting two of Wisconsin’s cultural institutions.
Peter J. Thomas is a member of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and has performed around the world as a multi-genre soloist, clinician, educator, and chamber musician. Peter enjoys the life of being a music ambassador and strives to spread awareness of the arts in the community through his many outlets. Peter performs on a fine English cello, circa 1813, by maker Thomas Kennedy. Also performing on an electric cello, playing pop covers along with vocals, Peter regularly performs a wide range of music outside of the symphony at solo shows or alongside various bands around the city of Milwaukee.

Members’ Annual Meeting and Reception
2025-11-06 17:00 - 19:30
Join us at the Milwaukee Art Museum’s 2025 Members’ Annual Meeting and Reception as we welcome Dr. Kim Sajet, the Museum’s new Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director, and hear about her exciting vision for the Museum’s future. Held on Member Preview Day for Looking Forward: New Gifts of Art, the meeting will start with a special introduction to the exhibition by Liz Siegel, chief of curatorial affairs, and members of the curatorial team.
Ahead of the meeting, we hope you’ll join us in Windover Hall for a celebratory beverage and live music by Peter J. Thomas as part of WPR’s Pint-Sized Concert Series at MAM.
5 p.m. Members’ Reception in Windhover Hall
6:15 p.m. Annual Meeting in Lubar Auditorium
If you have any questions, please contact our membership team at membership@mam.org or 414-224-3284.

Play Date with Art: Red Yellow Blue
2025-11-07 10:00 - 12:00
Ages 5 and under, with a caregiver
Windhover Hall
It’s never too early to learn to love art! Discover the possibilities of what you can make with just the primary colors as you make your own artwork inspired by Elsworth Kelly’s Red Yellow Blue II. Then join in the sing-alongs at 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. This monthly program is designed especially for visitors ages five and under (with an adult).
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Kids 12 and under always receive free admission, thanks to an anonymous donor. Tickets are available at the door or online.

Sponsored by
Four-Four
Anonymous donor

Drop-In Art Making: Kohl’s Art Studio
2025-11-07 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-08 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-09 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-14 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-15 10:00 - 16:00
Drop in for family art-making activities inspired by the Museum’s collection and exhibitions. The studio project changes each month to highlight new mediums and techniques.
Access to the Kohl’s Art Studio is included with Museum admission, which is free for kids 12 and under. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.

Support by

Slow Art Saturday
2025-11-08 10:30 - 11:30
Explore a single work of art from the Museum’s collection in depth with Amy Kirschke, Barbara Brown Lee Senior Director of Learning and Engagement, during this program that encourages presence and promotes well-being.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.

Museum Store: Member Private Shopping + Ornament Launch
2025-11-11 16:00 - 19:00
Kick off the holiday season in the Museum’s two-level store with an evening of shopping just for Members. Enjoy the first double discount day of the season—20% off the non-Member price—and shop everything from stunning jewelry and stylish apparel to fair-trade finds, artful books, unique kids’ gifts, and more.
Artist Olivia Lombardi will be in the store to sign this year’s annual ornament, her exclusive design for the Museum—an ideal addition to your collection or a thoughtful gift. As you shop, enjoy live classical guitar, wine and light hors d’oeuvres, free parking, and complimentary gift wrap to make your purchases holiday ready.
A gift from the Museum Store is meaningful in more ways than one. Every purchase supports the Museum’s mission to connect people with art, each other, and the world.
RSVP now →
Not a Member?
Join today →

Free Day + Celebration: Homelands
2025-11-13 10:00 - 20:00
Join us for a free day inspired by the Homelands: Mnë’nának, Māēnāēwah, Tešišik gallery in the American Art collection. During this daylong themed celebration, we’re amplifying Indigenous knowledge, past, present, and future, while honoring how Native communities are central to the protection and safekeeping of the land and city we call home.

Lineup
Basket Weaving | 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Try your hand at basket weaving inspired by Truman Lowe’s Feather Canoe on view in Homelands: Mnë’nának, Māēnāēwah, Tešišik. The activity was created in collaboration with Liandra Skenandore, a black-ash basket weaver, enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, and member of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Native Advisory Group.
Portrait Pop-Up | 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Have your portrait taken by local photographer Clarissa Friday of the Forest County Potawatomi. Then experience a pop-up exhibition of select pieces from her body of work.
Story Time with Kaluhya| 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Gather to hear a story read by Oneida language and culture teacher Kaluhya Muscavutch VanEvery. Then create a drawing inspired by what you have seen and heard, and build meaningful connections and community with other parents of children ages 5 and under.
Film Screening | 10:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Watch the PBS Wisconsin documentary series Tribal Histories, a series of half-hour programs that present the histories of all eleven federally recognized tribes and bands of Wisconsin, plus one community seeking to regain its federal status.
Community Engagement Fair | Noon–7 p.m.
Meet several art organizations from across Milwaukee that are centering Indigenous communities and knowledge and protecting the lands we call home. Donations of non-perishable foods are accepted to support the community.
Live DJ | 1–6 p.m.
Groove to the music of DJ B-TRAX.
Drop-In Tour | 3–4 p.m.*
Tour the reinstalled gallery Homelands: Mnë’nának, Māēnāēwah, Tešišik with Chyna Bounds, assistant curator of American decorative arts and design. Tour will be joined by an ASL interpreter.
Satellite Teen Intern Spotlight | 5:30–6 p.m. and 7:20–7-50 p.m.
Meet the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Teen Interns as they welcome you at check-in, give spotlight talks, and lead tours of Homelands: Mnë’nának, Māēnāēwah, Tešišik they’ve designed just for this event. See the Museum through their eyes and discover new ways of looking at art!
Artist Talk: Monica Rickert-Bolter | 6:15–7:15 p.m.*
Join Monica Rickert-Bolter, co-founder of the Center for Native Futures, for a conversation about her work at the intersection of art, community, and Indigenous identity. Drawing from her experiences in the arts ecosystem, she will explore themes such as collaboration with tribal communities, engagement with public and gallery spaces, and the Center’s mission to advance Native fine arts, support contemporary artists, and uplift Indigenous Futurisms.
*Includes ASL interpretation.

Presenting sponsor

Image: Truman Lowe (Ho-Chunk/American, 1944–2019), Feather Canoe, ca. 1993. Willow, turkey feathers, and copper wire. 12 × 24 × 74 in. (30.48 × 60.96 × 187.96 cm). Gift of Jan Serr & John Shannon, M2025.5

Artist Talk: Monica Rickert-Bolter
2025-11-13 18:15 - 19:15
Join Monica Rickert-Bolter, Chicago-based visual artist and co-founder of the Center for Native Futures, for a conversation about her work at the intersection of art, community, and Indigenous identity. Drawing from her experiences in the arts ecosystem, she will explore themes such as collaboration with tribal communities, engagement with public and gallery spaces, and the Center’s mission to advance Native fine arts, support contemporary artists, and uplift Indigenous Futurisms.
This event is presented in conjunction with Free Day + Celebration: Homelands and is free to attend. ASL interpretation is included.

About the artist
Monica Rickert-Bolter is a Chicago-based visual artist of Potawatomi and Black heritage. Her artwork uses traditional mediums, such as charcoal and pastels, graphic design, and digital coloring to create expressive characters and tell diverse stories. After her undergrad, Monica became involved with Native nonprofits, combining her love of art and education to develop youth programs and resources, including illustrating children’s books. Monica is a co-founder and the Director of Operations at the Center for Native Futures, a Native fine arts gallery that opened in September 2023. Her artwork has been featured in exhibitions at The National Museum of the American Indian, The Field Museum, the University of North Carolina Stone Center, Watershed Art & Ecology, the National Public Housing Museum, and the Center for Native Futures. Her upcoming collaborative projects include a public art piece with the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights and an Afro-Indigenous Futurist graphic novel with her brother Joel Rickert.

Sponsored by
Milwaukee Art Museum’s African American Art Alliance
