MAM Events

Group Therapy (LGBTQIA): Black Space at MAM
2024-10-30 17:30 - 19:00 (America/Chicago) | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Open to BIPOC LGBTQIA individuals
Gather with your fellow community members for group therapy centered on nourishing one’s personal life by prioritizing mental-wellness and finding empowerment. This session is free to attend and led by licensed clinical professional counselor Dr. Lia A. Knox of Black Space.
Individuals are welcome to attend regardless of where they are on their mental wellness journey. For those new to therapy, this session provides an introduction to mental health services specifically tailored to Milwaukee’s BIPOC community.
Register here →

Attendees are encouraged to arrive 10 minutes early.
Black Space at MAM provides free group therapy experiences for BIPOC community members. See all Black Space at MAM sessions here.

Performance: Present Music Presents “Holy Lift Off!”
2024-10-31 19:30 - 21:30 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Windhover Hall
Extend your experience of Currents 39: LaToya M. Hobbs, Carving Out Time and Robert Longo: The Acceleration of History exhibitions with the Present Music concert “Holy Lift Off!,” a musical journey led by flutist Claire Chase in a concert featuring new, large-scale work by the legendary composer Terry Riley. Years in the making, this work sprang from the pages of Riley’s sketchbook, brimming with colorful drawings of angels, demons, and various mythologies where “all the energies rise up to a surreal skyscape.”
Event Lineup
10 a.m.–8 p.m. Ticket holders enjoy free admission to the Museum on the day of the event.
6:15 p.m. Doors and seating open for the performance.
6:30 p.m. Enjoy an Express Gallery Talk about Longo’s artworks.
Buy tickets →

Story Time in the Galleries
2024-11-02 10:30 - 11:00, 2024-11-09 10:30 - 11:00, 2024-11-16 10:30 - 11:00, 2024-11-23 10:30 - 11:00 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
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

Guest Gallery Talk: “Robert Longo: The Acceleration of History”
2024-11-02 13:00 - 14:00 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Join Shawnta Sayner for an in-depth exploration of the themes and topics in the exhibition Robert Longo: The Acceleration of History.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.
About Shawnta Sayner
Shawnta Sayner is an inclusive collaborator and innovative problem-solver who thrives on connecting people, resources, content, and ideas to help drive long-lasting relationships and strategic success. Shawnta has a master’s degree in human resource management, is the Executive Director of the Zeidler Group, and is a speaker, creator, and independent publisher.

The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

Image: Robert Longo (American, b. 1953), Untitled (Christmas Tree House from “The American Stories Cycle”) (detail), 2015. Charcoal on mounted paper. 91 × 124½ in. (231.14 × 316.23 cm). Courtesy of the artist

Drop-In Tours: Exploring Democracy
2024-11-02 14:00 - 15:00, 2024-11-09 14:00 - 15:00, 2024-11-16 14:00 - 15:00, 2024-11-23 14:00 - 15:00 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Art invites viewers into perspectives and ways of life different from their own. Join this guided tour of collection artworks that explore artist stories and foster a sense of empathy.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.

Group Therapy (Men): Black Space at MAM
2024-11-06 17:30 - 19:00 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Open to BIPOC men
Gather with your fellow community members for group therapy centered on nourishing one’s personal life by prioritizing mental-wellness and finding empowerment. This session is free to attend and led by licensed clinical professional counselor Dr. Lia A. Knox of Black Space.
Individuals are welcome to attend regardless of where they are on their mental wellness journey. For those new to therapy, this session provides an introduction to mental health services specifically tailored to Milwaukee’s BIPOC community.
Register here →

Attendees are encouraged to arrive 10 minutes early.
Black Space at MAM provides free group therapy experiences for BIPOC community members. See all Black Space at MAM sessions here.

Free Day + Celebration: Gatherings
2024-11-07 10:00 - 20:00 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Join us for a free day celebrating gatherings in all their forms: from quiet times for reflection to upbeat festivities. Bring along your family and friends to gather and connect through art, music, movement, and more.
Event Lineup
Art Making | 10 AM–6:30 PM
Ignite your imaginative side in two different art-making zones. In the Kohl’s Art Studio, make a weathervane sculpture inspired by artworks in the self-taught collection galleries. In the Milwaukee Room, create corn husk flowers with guest facilitator Eliza Skenandore (Oneida Nation, Wolf Clan), while exploring the rich heritage of Oneida craftsmanship and the importance of preserving cultural knowledge for future generations (activity ends at 4 p.m.).
Film Screening: PBS Wisconsin Spotlight: Native Voices | 10:30 AM–4:30 PM
Enjoy a series of animated and live-action stories that highlight Wisconsin individuals who have focused on teaching, gathering, and uplifting those around them. Learn about Electa Quinney, a Mohican educator and mentor who is known to many as Wisconsin’s first public school teacher; Chief Oshkosh, a leader who worked tirelessly to ensure the Menominee people could stay and gather on their homelands; and the Native Wellness Garden, an urban garden in Milwaukee run by the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center.
Community Engagement Fair | 10 AM–4 PM
Meet several Milwaukee organizations working to fight hunger, promote health and well-being, and support a strong and connected community.
Philippine Center Strummers Performance | 11 AM–NOON
Enjoy a performance by the Philippine Center Strummers, a group of multigenerational musicians who gather to play at events across our community.
Sound Bowl Healing | NOON–1 PM
Pause for a meditative and liberating experience with singing bowls led by Melissa Blue Muhammad.
Drop-In Tour* | NOON–1 PM; 3–4 PM
Discover a sense of belonging on this collection tour, which celebrates the theme of community and togetherness.
Live DJ | 1–6 PM
Groove to the music of DJ A-Biz (1–3 p.m.) and DJ Gemini Gilly (3–6 p.m.) in Windhover Hall.
Expert Series: Who Owns History? Issues of Provenance and Restitution* | 6:15–7:15 PM
Go behind the headlines and find out how the ownership history of objects affects art museum policy and practice today. This discussion is moderated by Tanya Paul, Isabel and Alfred Bader Curator of European Art, and features Victoria Reed, Senior Curator for Provenance at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Eden Burgess, a lawyer who specializes in restitution cases.
Yoga | 7–7:45 PM
Join Tom Chappelle, a yoga facilitator who weaves his Ojibwe ancestry with yogic traditions, to explore the essence of gathering together as a community.
*Includes ASL interpretation.

Visiting for the first time? Please follow these Museum guidelines.

Stay an arm’s length away from the art
Large objects are not permitted in the galleries. Store umbrellas, backpacks, and water bottles in a locker.
Finish food and drinks, including water, before entering the galleries.
Strollers are welcome in the galleries. Wagons must be stored in the coatroom.
Take photos without flash, stabilizers, or tripods.

Free Day + Celebration events welcome large crowds and feature lively activities, creating an atmosphere that some visitors may find overstimulating. Quieter seating areas are available throughout the Museum, including in the East End and the Haitian Gallery. Our friendly Museum staff are here to assist you throughout your visit.

Presenting sponsor

Supporting sponsor

Expert Series: Who Owns History? Issues of Provenance and Restitution
2024-11-07 18:15 - 19:30 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Lubar Auditorium
Go behind the headlines and find out how the ownership history of objects affects art museum policy and practice today with a discussion moderated by Tanya Paul, Isabel and Alfred Bader Curator of European Art, and featuring Victoria Reed, Senior Curator for Provenance at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Eden Burgess, a lawyer who specializes in restitution cases.
American Sign Language interpretation will be provided during this event. Museum admission is free on Thursday, November 7.
The Expert Series welcomes renowned artists, scholars, and cultural activators to the Museum for expansive dialogues that dive deeper into an exhibition, artist, or theme.
Meet the Experts
Victoria Reed has been conducting provenance research at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, since 2003. She is responsible for the research and documentation of the ownership history of the MFA’s encyclopedic collection. She has overseen the successful resolution of several ownership claims for the Museum, and has lectured and published extensively on provenance research, museum ethics, and restitution. Reed earned her BA in liberal arts at Sarah Lawrence College, and her MA and PhD in art history at Rutgers University.

Eden Burgess is Of Counsel in SCH’s Art Law Group. She has focused her legal career on cultural heritage, the arts, and historic preservation. Eden represents a diverse array of clients, including museums, auction houses, collectors, foreign states, artists, nonprofits, Holocaust victims and their heirs, and Native American tribes. Eden has litigated and resolved complex claims involving Nazi seizures, wartime looting, forced sales, and thefts, and also assists clients with the maintenance and management of their collections and advises on the purchase, sale, and auction of cultural objects. Eden obtained her JD from The George Washington University Law School and her BA with Distinction from the University of Virginia, where she was an Echols Scholar.

Sponsored by
Milwaukee Art Museum’s Fine Arts Society

Image: Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (Italian, 1609–1664), Noah and the Animals Entering the Ark (detail), ca. 1650. Oil on canvas. 74½ × 111 in. (189.23 × 281.94 cm). Centennial Gift of Friends of Art, Myron and Elizabeth P. Laskin Fund, Fine Arts Society, Friends of Art Board of Directors, Francis and Rose Mary Matusinec, Burton and Charlotte Zucker, and the Milwaukee community, M1988.182. Photo by John R. Glembin

Play Date with Art: Homecoming
2024-11-09 10:00 - 12:00 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Ages 5 and under, with a caregiver
Windhover Hall
It’s never too early to learn to love art! Celebrate author Lois Ehlert’s birthday by building birds and their nests from clay, feathers, and twigs. Then join Story Time in the Galleries with Mr. Steve at 10:30 a.m. for a reading of Ehlert’s Feathers for Lunch. This monthly program is designed especially for visitors ages five and under (with an adult).
From September through November, Play Date with Art takes place on Saturdays. Play Dates will return to Friday mornings in December.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Kids 12 and under always receive free admission. Tickets are available at the door or online.

Sponsored by
Four-Four
Anonymous donor

Member Preview Day: “True Story: Photography, Journalism, and Media”
2024-11-14 10:00 - 20:00 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Open to All Members
Members enjoy access to True Story: Photography, Journalism, and Media before the exhibition opens to the public.
Join us at 5:30 p.m. in Lubar Auditorium for an introduction to the True Story exhibition from Ariel Pate, assistant curator of photography, 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 →

The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

Image: Wayne Forest Miller (American, 1918–2013), Migrant workers (detail), December 1949. Gelatin silver print. Image: 10 3/8 × 13 1/2 in. (26.35 × 34.29 cm) Sheet: 10 15/16 × 14 in. (27.78 × 35.56 cm). Gift of Wayne F. Miller Family, M2023.230

Gallery Talk: “Robert Longo: The Acceleration of History”
2024-11-14 12:00 - 13:00 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Join Margaret Andera, senior curator of contemporary art, for an in-depth exploration of the themes and topics in the exhibition Robert Longo: The Acceleration of History.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.
The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

Image: Robert Longo (American, b. 1953), Untitled (The Cauldron) (detail), 2021. Charcoal on mounted paper. 70 × 120 in. (177.8 × 304.8 cm). Private collection

Members’ Annual Meeting and Reception
2024-11-14 17:30 - 19:30 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Celebrate all that we’ve accomplished over the past year with Marcelle Polednik, PhD, Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director, highlighting recent successes and new initiatives. Ariel Pate, assistant curator of photography, will kick off the meeting with an introduction to True Story: Photography, Journalism, and Media.
Members will receive additional event details and proxy by email. If you do not receive emails and would like to, please reach out to membership@mam.org or call 414-224-3284.
Not a Member?
Join today →

Image: Wayne Forest Miller (American, 1918–2013), Migrant workers (detail), December 1949. Gelatin silver print. Image: 10 3/8 × 13 1/2 in. (26.35 × 34.29 cm) Sheet: 10 15/16 × 14 in. (27.78 × 35.56 cm). Gift of Wayne F. Miller Family, M2023.230 © Wayne F. Miller Estate

Slow Art Saturday: “Robert Longo: The Acceleration of History”
2024-11-16 10:30 - 11:30 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Join us in the exhibition Robert Longo: The Acceleration of History to explore a single work of art in depth. This program is led by Amy Kirschke, Barbara Brown Lee Senior Director of Learning and Engagement, and 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.

The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

Image: Robert Longo (American, b. 1953), Untitled (Snow Storm Forest) (detail), 2023. Charcoal on mounted paper. 93¼ × 140 in. (236.86 × 355.6 cm). Private collection

Gallery Talk: “True Story: Photography, Journalism, and Media”
2024-11-16 13:00 - 14:00 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Join Ariel Pate, assistant curator of photography, in the Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts for an in-depth exploration of the themes and topics in True Story: Photography, Journalism, and Media.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.
The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

Image: Danny Lyon (American, b. 1942), Cairo, Illinois. SNCC field secretary, later SNCC Chairman, now Congressman John Lewis, and others pray during a demonstration (detail), 1962, printed 1993. Gelatin silver print. Image: 8 11/16 x 12 15/16 in. (22.07 x 32.86 cm) Sheet: 10 15/16 x 13 15/16 in. (27.78 x 35.4 cm). Gift of Virginia Drexler Clark, M1995.539.3

Member Shopping Preview: Expanded Museum Store
2024-11-20 09:00 - 10:00 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Open to all Members
Enjoy this private shopping hour for Members and be among the first to shop the newly expanded Museum Store! Toast the reopening with a complimentary mimosa and enjoy a 20% discount (double your usual 10%!), plus free gift wrap.
Expanding into the once-private Quadracci Suite, the new two-floor shopping experience offers twice the shopping and striking views of Santiago Calatrava’s organic signature architecture. Shop a robust collection of the art-inspired designs you know and love, plus even more designer pieces, Museum-exclusive treasures, and stunning new collections of exquisite jewelry—showcased once again in the original Calatrava-designed pearwood cases.
Not a Member?
Join today →

Museum Store: Member Double Discount Day
2024-11-20 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-11-21 10:00 - 20:00, 2024-11-22 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-11-23 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-11-24 10:00 - 17:00, 2024-11-29 10:00 - 17:00 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Open to all Members
Shop unique gifts and holiday décor—with a 20% discount (double your usual 10%!) and free gift wrapping. Now spanning two floors, the Museum Store offers an expanded collection of the art-inspired designs you know and love, plus even more jewelry, designer pieces, and Museum-exclusive treasures.
Shopping online? Enter promo code “doublediscount” at checkout.
Shop now →

Not a Member?
Join today →

Artist Talk: Robert Longo and John Ridley + Screening: "Johnny Mnemonic"
2024-11-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Oriental Theater, 2230 N Farwell Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Join us at the Oriental Theatre for a film screening and post-film talk with artist and director Robert Longo on his only major studio film to date: 1995’s Johnny Mnemonic. Set in a dystopian 2021, Johnny (played by Keanu Reeves), is a data courier, literally carrying a data package inside his head, that he must deliver before he dies from the burden. After the screening, Longo and Academy Award-winning director John Ridley will talk about how the film’s 2021 rerelease enables a new examination of the film and connects to his current studio practice.
Buy tickets →
Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Robert Longo: The Acceleration of History and in collaboration with Milwaukee Film.
The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

Gallery Talk: “Currents 39: LaToya M. Hobbs”
2024-11-22 12:00 - 13:00 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Bradley Family Gallery
Join Nikki Otten, associate curator of prints and drawings, for an in-depth exploration of the themes and topics in Currents 39: LaToya M. Hobbs, Carving Out Time.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.
The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

Image: LaToya M. Hobbs (American, b. 1983), printed by BIG INK (founded 2012), Scene 4: Bedtime for the Boys (detail), from the series Carving Out Time, 2020–2021. Purchase, with funds from the Lucia K. Stern Trust, Kevin Fahey and Ray Grzebielski Fund, Cory and Michelle Nettles, the African American Art Alliance, Brewers Community Foundation, Angela and Virgis Colbert, Print Forum, and Gregory and Lisa Wesley, M2023.282.4a-c. Image courtesy of LaToya M. Hobbs, artist, and Ariston Jacks, photographer

Museum Closed on Thanksgiving
2024-11-28 10:00 - 20:00 | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
The Museum and its offices are closed on Thursday, November 28. Regular hours resume on Friday, November 29. Join us for the Holiday Shopping Weekend, from November 29 through December 1, to shop the newly expanded Museum Store and find unique art-inspired gifts for everyone on your list.
