MAM Events

Unveiling Celebration: Bus Mural by ArtXpress Teen Interns
2025-08-24 15:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Windhover Hall and Baumgartner Terrace
Join us in celebrating the creativity and community advocacy of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s ArtXpress teen interns! Be among the first to view the mural they created during their four-week internship. Hear firsthand accounts of their creative journey and explore the galleries on their tours.

Lineup
3–3:30 p.m. Refreshments
3:30 p.m. Bus mural reveal
4:30–5 p.m. Remarks and closing

The ArtXpress Internship empowers Milwaukee teens to voice social issues through art. Over four weeks, the interns developed their artistic talents, received guidance from seasoned professionals, and participated in critical discourse around power, equity, and social justice. Following its debut, the Milwaukee County Transit System bus showcasing the mural will travel the city streets for four months, sharing their powerful message with the community.

Sponsored by

RBC Wealth Management
This program is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board, with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Haberman Local Luminaries: “Erin Shirreff: Permanent Drafts”
2025-08-28 18:15 - 19:15
Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts
Join notable Milwaukee voices from the fields of art, education, and language as they reflect on the works in Erin Shirreff: Permanent Drafts. Through their varied lenses, we’ll explore themes of transformation, perception, and the spaces between seeing and understanding. Rooted in mixed media, Shirreff’s work invites us to slow down, to notice what shifts across materials and moments, and to reflect on what is preserved, altered, or lost in translation. Together, we’ll consider how both art and language mediate our experience of the world and reveal the complexity beneath its surface.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.

Meet the luminaries
Amy Kirschke leads the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Learning and Engagement team to serve over 200,000 participants annually through family, teen, school, docent, and adult programs—at the Museum, in the community, and online. Since 2012, Amy has hosted Slow Art Saturdays in the Musuem’s galleries, exploring a single work of art in each hour-long session through close looking and facilitated dialogue. She holds her MSEd in Leadership in Museum Education from Bank Street College of Education in New York and her MS in Design Studies and Material Culture and BA in Cultural Geography/Sociology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Fatima Laster is a self-taught interdisciplinary visual artist, curator, and owner/operator of 5 Points Art Gallery + Studios. With a Black American vantage point, Laster’s independent and communal practice broaches social-political subject matter (i.e. racism, sexism, classism, cultural appropriation, housing/land appropriation/displacement also known as “gentrification”, etc.), producing resistance art imbued with humor or irony in an attempt to disarmingly reveal rejected or overlooked perspectives and people. Laster’s honors include the Museum of Wisconsin Art 2022 Biennial, the 2022 Wisconsin Triennial Guest Curator, the 2023 Mary L. Nohl Fellow, and the 2024 Milwaukee Arts Board Mildred L. Harpole Artist of the Year.
Lorena Terando is Professor of Translation & Interpreting Studies at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She was a staff member of the United Nations English Translation Service, taught in New York University’s translation program, and translates and interprets on a freelance basis. Terando earned her PhD in Comparative Literature and Translation at the State University of NY in Binghamton, and her Maîtrise en Traduction at l’Université de Mons-Hainaut in Belgium. She focuses on empathy, exploring representations of memory and pain in language. She has translated Spiral of Silence (2019) and My Life as a Colombian Revolutionary (2004), testimonies of Colombian women in situations of conflict. Her current projects include Stories of the Crossing, a collection of oral testimonials of immigrants’ journeys as they cross the border into the United States; and Smokescreens, a translation of Olga Behar’s testimonial account of the storming of the Palace of Justice in Bogotá

Haberman Local Luminaries takes place annually and honors the late F. William Haberman, former president of the Herzfeld Foundation.
The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

Sponsored by
Milwaukee Art Museum’s Photography Council
Image: Erin Shirreff (Canadian, b. 1975), Fig. 5 (detail), 2017. Archival pigment print. 43½ × 57½ × 3¼ in. Christine A. Symchych and James P. McNulty. Image courtesy of the artist and Sikkema Malloy Jenkins, New York. © Erin Shirreff

Story Time in the Galleries
2025-08-30 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-09-06 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-09-13 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-09-20 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-09-27 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-10-04 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
2025-08-30 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-08-31 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-09-06 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-09-07 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-09-13 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-09-14 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-09-20 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-09-21 14:00 - 15:00 and 4 more dates
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.

Yoga at the Museum
2025-09-06 08:00 - 09:00
Begin your Saturday with a calming 60-minute all-levels 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 →

Gallery Talk: “Reviving the Dance of Death”
2025-09-12 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

Slow Art Saturday
2025-09-13 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.

Art:Forward Gala
2025-09-20 18:00 - 2025-09-21 00:00
Join us in celebrating 50 years of the Bradley Collection at the Milwaukee Art Museum. In 1975, Mrs. Harry Lynde (“Peg”) Bradley gifted her extraordinary collection of nearly 400 modern and contemporary works of art, forever changing the Museum and Milwaukee’s cultural landscape. Today, this formidable collection remains the cornerstone of the institution’s modern art collection and an inspiring example of how philanthropy can transform a community.

Image: Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866–1944), Fragment I for Composition VII (Center) (detail), 1913. Oil on canvas. 34 15/16 × 39 7/16 in. (88.74 × 100.17 cm). Gift of Mrs. Harry Lynde Bradley M1958.12

Member Preview Day + Celebration: “The Bradley Collection of Modern Art”
2025-09-25 10:00 - 20:00
Open to all Members
As a Member, you enjoy early access to The Bradley Collection of Modern Art: A Bold Vision for Milwaukee, a major exhibition that celebrates Peg Bradley’s extraordinary gift of modern and contemporary art and its long-lasting legacy at the Museum and in Milwaukee. In the evening, join us for live music, a cash bar, and the opening talk with Liz Siegel, chief of curatorial affairs.

Lineup
10 a.m.-8 p.m. | Member-only exhibition access
5 p.m. | Live music and cash bar with snacks available for purchase
6:15 p.m. | Opening talk in Lubar Auditorium. Seating is first come, first served.
4:30–8 p.m. | The Museum Café will have special hours with additional dishes and snacks to enjoy.
Let us know that you are joining the evening celebration below.
I’ll be there! →

Not a Member? Join today for access to this and other exclusive events. Call the membership team at 414-224-3284.
The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

Image: Wassily Kandinsky (French, b. Russia, 1866–1944), Fragment I for Composition VII (Center) (detail), 1913. Oil on canvas. 34 15/16 × 39 7/16 in. (88.74 × 100.17 cm). Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Harry Lynde Bradley, M1958.12

Doors Open Milwaukee
2025-09-27 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-09-28 10:00 - 17:00
During this city-wide celebration of Milwaukee culture, enjoy free admission to the Santiago Calatrava–designed Quadracci Pavilion to explore its iconic architecture. An admission ticket is needed to access the collection and exhibition galleries.
Doors Open Lineup
The following activities are free to enjoy; Museum admission is not needed.
10 AM–5 PM | See the film It Started with a Dream in Lubar Auditorium, and learn how architects, engineers, and construction teams worked with Museum leadership to transform Calatrava’s watercolor sketches into Milwaukee’s largest work of art.
11 AM–4 PM | Join a free docent-led tour to explore the architectural mastery of the Quadracci Pavilion. Tours begin on the hour, with the last tour embarking at 3 p.m.

WPR Pint-Sized Concerts at the Milwaukee Art Museum
2025-10-02 17:00 - 19:00
Join us for live classical music by Malik Johnson, 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.
Malik Johnson is a classically trained cellist, composer, and music producer based in Chicago and Milwaukee. Malik has worked with the Matt Jones Orchestra, which has opened the doors for him to appear on NPR’s Tiny Desk in 2017, record on John Legend’s Christmas album released in 2018, feature on Kirk Franklin’s Grammy award-winning album Long Live Love, and work with countless other professional and local recording artists. In Milwaukee, he recently wrote and produced the official theme song of the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum at his 2025 residency.

Member Mingle + Expert Series
2025-10-09 17:00 - 19:15
Open to all Members
Please note this Member Mingle was originally scheduled for October 16.
Join your fellow members for an evening of good company and creative connections in celebration of Peg Bradley’s extraordinary gift of modern and contemporary art and its long-lasting legacy at the Museum and in Milwaukee. Following the Member Mingle, hear from several scholars whose research brings new insight to The Bradley Collection of Modern Art at the Expert Series in Lubar Auditorium.
5–6 p.m. Member Mingle in Windhover Hall
Cash bar, one complimentary beverage for Art Advocate Members and above
6:15-7:15 p.m. Expert Series in Lubar Auditorium
Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP for the Mingle →
Questions? Contact Membership at membership@mam.org or 414-224-3284.
Not a Member?
Join today →
The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

Image: Photo by Front Room Studios

Expert Series: “The Bradley Collection of Modern Art”
2025-10-09 18:15 - 19:15
Celebrate 50 years of Peg Bradley’s extraordinary gift of twentieth-century masterpieces that shaped the Museum’s collection and Milwaukee’s cultural landscape. Learn more about how Mrs. Harry Lynde (“Peg”) Bradley built this collection and the role of color, sculpture, and works on paper in creating a world-class art collection.
Join a panel of art historians for a conversation about the collection’s impact moderated by Margaret Andera, senior curator of contemporary art and co-curator of The Bradley Collection of Modern Art: A Bold Vision for Milwaukee.
This drop-in program is included with Museum admission and free for Members. Tickets available at the door or online.
The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

Meet the experts
Marin R. Sullivan, PhD, is a Chicago-based art historian, curator, and consultant. She specializes in the histories of modern and contemporary sculpture, especially its interdisciplinary, intermedial dialogues with photography, design, and the built environment. Sullivan is the author of Alloys: American Sculpture and Architecture at Midcentury (Princeton University Press, 2022) and Sculptural Materiality in the Age of Conceptualism (Routledge, 2017) as well as numerous catalogues, essays, and articles. Sullivan is currently at work on a biography of Claire Falkenstein and is co-curating Isamu Noguchi: “I am not a designer,” scheduled to open at the High Museum in 2026. She is also Director of Research and Programs for the George Rickey Foundation, and a lecturer at DePaul University.

Caitlin Haskell serves as the Gary C. and Frances Comer Senior Curator in Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago, a post she has held since 2018. An expert on the art and criticism of the historical avant-gardes in Europe and the Americas, Haskell’s recent exhibitions and publications include Frida Kahlo’s Month in Paris: A Friendship with Mary Reynolds (2025); Remedios Varo: Science Fictions (2023); Cezanne (2022); Ray Johnson c/o (2021); and René Magritte: The Fifth Season (2018), among others. She holds a PhD in art history from the University of Texas at Austin and a BA in art from Davidson College.

Nikki Otten is the associate curator of prints and drawings at the Milwaukee Art Museum, where she is responsible for works on paper from the 15th to the 21st century. Since joining the Museum in 2018, Otten has curated Landfall Press: Five Decades of Printmaking (2019), Always New: The Posters of Jules Chéret (2022), and Currents 39: LaToya M. Hobbs, Carving Out Time (2024), in addition to several rotations of American and European art drawn from the collection. Her recent projects include Reviving the Dance of Death (2025) and an upcoming exhibition on German Romantic prints and drawings.

Sponsored by
Milwaukee Art Museum’s Contemporary Arts Society
Milwaukee Art Museum’s Fine Arts Society
Image: Maurice de Vlaminck (French, 1876–1958), The Wheat Field (Champs de Blé) (detail), ca. 1906. Oil on canvas. 25 15/16 × 32 3/16 × 1 3/16 in. (65.9 × 81.8 × 3 cm); framed: 24 1/4 × 41 in. (61.6 × 104.14 cm). Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Harry Lynde Bradley, M1953.12 © 2025 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris
