Lecture: El Greco: Ambition and Defiance
2025-05-15 18:15 - 19:15 (America/Chicago) | Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee, WI, 53202, United States
Lubar Auditorium
Deepen your engagement with The Brilliance of the Spanish World in a lecture by Rebecca J. Long, the Art Institute of Chicago’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Curator of Painting and Sculpture of Europe. Since El Greco’s death, writers, critics, and other observers have struggled with how and where to situate him. Was he a Byzantine icon painter transformed by the artistic revolution of the Italian Renaissance? A social climber desperately seeking noble patronage? Was he Greek, Italian, or Spanish? This lecture looks to his works themselves for answers, providing new insights into El Greco’s legacy and including artworks featured in the exhibition The Brilliance of the Spanish World.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Museum admission is pay-what-you-wish on Thursday nights from 4 to 8 p.m.
This exhibition was organized by the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, with support from The Museum Box.

The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

About Rebecca Long
Rebecca J. Long is the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Curator in the Department of Painting and Sculpture of Europe at the Art Institute of Chicago, where she oversees Spanish and Italian art before 1750. Before joining the Art Institute in 2015, she served as Associate Curator of European Painting and Sculpture at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. She has held research fellowships from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, NYU’s Villa La Pietra, and Harvard University’s Villa I Tatti. She served as an adjunct professor of art history at Hunter College, Fashion Institute of Technology, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, University of Louisville, and Northwestern University. She was most recently the curator of the exhibition El Greco: Ambition and Defiance (Grand Palais, Paris, 2019–Chicago, 2020). Her next exhibition focuses on the career of Francisco de Zurbarán, in partnership with The National Gallery in London and Musée du Louvre (2026–7).

Program sponsor
Milwaukee Art Museum’s Fine Art Society

Image: El Greco (Doménikos Theotokópoulos) (Greek, 1541–1614, active in Italy and Spain), Saint Jerome (detail), ca. 1600. Oil on canvas. 80 × 65 cm. Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York

Story Time in the Galleries
2025-05-17 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-05-31 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-06-07 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-06-14 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-06-21 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-06-28 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-07-05 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

Member Month Tour: Nature and Art
2025-05-17 11:00 - 12:00
Open to all Members
Take a stroll through works in the collection connected to nature during a special Members-only tour. Join the tour in Windhover Hall, near the Museum’s main entrance and admissions desks. Capacity is limited. RSVP at membership@mam.org or by calling 414-224-3284.
Not a Member?
Join today →

Image: Carl Spitzweg (German, 1808–1885), Women Mowing in the Mountains (Harvest in the Tyrolean Alps) (detail), 1858. Oil on canvas. 22¼ × 17 in. (56.52 × 43.18 cm). Gift of the René von Schleinitz Foundation, M1962.54Photo credit: Larry Sanders

Kohl's Family Sundays: Strike a Pose!
2025-05-18 10:00 - 16:00
Gather together with family and friends to explore how movement, fashion, and expression can share a story.
Art Making with Local Artists
Meet and work with artists Nohemí Chavez, Katie Gamb, and Jovanny Hernandez. Ignite your creative side with hands-on art projects inspired by the exhibition The Brilliance of the Spanish World: El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbarán.
Student Art Exhibition
See an exhibition of works by student artists from ALBA Elementary School, Allen-Field Elementary School, Bruce-Guadalupe Community School, Edgewood Elementary School, Indian Community School, and Parkside School.
The Brilliance of the Spanish World: El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbarán
Explore the new feature exhibition together and see the artwork that inspired today’s projects. Gather for Story Time at 10:30 a.m. with local author Erin Berge as she reads her book Olive Takes to the Sea.
ArtPack Station
Check out sketching materials, costumes, storybooks, and more to keep hands and minds busy in the galleries. Filled with free, fun family activities, the ArtPack Station is always open during Museum hours.
Meet Local Organizations | 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Connect with Arts@Large, Artists Working in Education (AWE), Consulate of Mexico in Milwaukee, CTSI, Islands of Brilliance, and Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin.
Performances | 11 a.m., Noon, 1:15 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.
Experience the music of the Latino Arts Strings Program Guitar Orchestra, learn about Flamenco dance from Marija Temo, watch a performance from Studio K Flamenco, and celebrate the fashion designs and accompanying music by students from Indian Community School.
This event is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission is always free for kids 12 and under, thanks to an anonymous donor. Tickets are available at the door or online.
Supported by

Gallery Talk: “The Brilliance of the Spanish World”
2025-05-22 12:00 - 13:00
Join Tanya Paul, Isabel and Alfred Bader Curator of European Art, for an in-depth exploration of the themes and topics in The Brilliance of the Spanish World: El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbarán.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.
This exhibition was organized by the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, with support from The Museum Box.

The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

Image: Sebastián Muñoz (Spanish, 1654–1690), Maria Luisa of Orléans, Queen of Spain, Lying in State (detail), 1689–1690. Oil on canvas. 207 × 252.5 cm. Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York

Layton Lecture: Chef Dan Jacobs
2025-05-22 18:15 - 19:15
Lubar Auditorium
Join Dan Jacobs—chef, co-owner of Milwaukee’s EsterEv and DanDan restaurants, and Top Chef runner-up—for a conversation on farming, food, and the art of culinary innovation. Inspired by the exhibition Farm to Frame, Jacobs will share how Midwest food traditions shape his cooking and the broader culinary landscape.
Farm to Frame features a selection of works from the historic Layton Collection, exploring how Wisconsin’s identity is intertwined with its agricultural roots. From rolling dairy farms to expansive crop fields, the state’s pastoral beauty has long inspired artists. The paintings and prints in Farm to Frame depict scenes of crop production specific to Wisconsin and give insight into the daily life of a farmer. Some works present romanticized views of the trade, while others showcase the harsh realities of rural life. Together, these works reflect agriculture’s vital role in shaping Wisconsin’s economy, culture, and artistic production.
This lecture is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.

About Dan Jacobs
Chef Dan Jacobs is the head chef and co-owner of acclaimed Milwaukee, WI restaurants EsterEv, a globally inspired tasting menu concept, and DanDan, a modern Chinese-American concept with Midwest sensibility. Jacobs and his business partner, Chef Dan Van Rite, are 5x James Beard Best Chef Midwest Semi-Finalists, and 2024 James Beard Best Chef Midwest Nominees, who extend their work far past the kitchen: Jacobs is an active member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC), was instrumental in the Restaurant Revitalization Fund’s $28.6B raise in 2021, and was one of four Americans to speak to President-Elect Biden on behalf of the independent restaurateurs. Dan is deeply involved in Main Street Alliance, World Central Kitchen, No Kid Hungry, and the James Beard Foundation’s Climate Solutions for Restaurant Survival Campaign.

Images:

Robert Von Neumann Sr. (American, b. Germany, 1888–1976), Apple Harvest in the Kickapoo Valley (detail), ca. 1943. Oil on board. 25 1/4 × 37 1/4 in. (64.14 × 94.62 cm). Gift of Gimbel Bros., Milwaukee, M1959.45
Photo of Dan Jacobs courtesy of Clay Williams

Bilingual Story Time in the Galleries: Mandarin Chinese and English
2025-05-24 10:30 - 11:00
Join us for a special bilingual Story Time in the Galleries with Lily Buschkopf from Mason’s Reading Space, a traveling education program that shares Chinese language and stories with the Milwaukee community. Meet in Windhover Hall near the admission desks at 10:30 a.m. and walk with the reader to the galleries. Hear a story in Mandarin Chinese and English, learn how to say words and sing a song in Mandarin Chinese, and create a drawing 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 always free, thanks to an anonymous donor.

Sponsored by
Four-Four Foundation
Anonymous donor

Member Month Tour: Sculpture
2025-05-24 11:00 - 12:00
Open to all Members
Join us for a special Members-only tour exploring sculptural works in the collection. Join the tour in Windhover Hall, near the Museum’s main entrance and admissions desks. Space is limited. RSVP at membership@mam.org or by calling 414-224-3284.
Not a Member?
Join today →

Performance: Present Music Presents “Baroque POP!”
2025-05-25 19:30 - 21:30
Extend your experience of the exhibition The Brilliance of the Spanish World: El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbarán with Present Music’s “Baroque POP!”, featuring singer Julia Holter in her first hometown performance.
Baroque composer François Couperin time travels to the present to meet Alex Temple’s extraordinary suite for voice and string quartet, Behind The Wallpaper.  Julia Holter performs her own unique blend of baroque pop and experimental music with members of Present Music, and LA-based avant-garde composer Tashi Wada brings bagpipes, ecstatic drones, and unconventional tunings to the mix in the iconic Santiago Calatrava–designed Quadracci Pavilion.
Milwaukee Art Museum Members enjoy a 15% discount on Present Music tickets with the code PMMAM.
Get tickets →

Sponsors
Shepherd Express
WMSE

Member Preview Day + Opening Conversation: “Erin Shirreff: Permanent Drafts”
2025-05-29 10:00 - 20:00
Open to All Members
As a Member, enjoy early access to Erin Shirreff: Permanent Drafts in the Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts. Renowned for her boundary-crossing collages, photographs, sculptures, and videos, Erin Shirreff features in her most comprehensive exhibition in a decade. Join us in the evening for a conversation between the artist and Kristen Gaylord, Herzfeld Curator of Photography and Media Arts.

Lineup
10 a.m.–8 p.m. Member-only exhibition access
6:15 p.m. Erin Shirreff in conversation with Kristen Gaylord, Herzfeld Curator of Photography and Media Arts
After the opening conversation, continue your visit at Thursdays at MAM, featuring live music and a cash bar in Windhover Hall.
RSVP for the evening celebration:
RSVP now →

Not a Member? Join today for access to this and other exclusive events.
The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

Image: Erin Shirreff (Canadian, b. 1975), Paper sculpture (detail), 2024. Dye sublimation prints on aluminum and latex paint. 7⅜ x 102¼ x 5¾ in. Courtesy of the artist and Sikkema Malloy Jenkins, New York. © Erin Shirreff.

Member Month Tour: Self-Taught Artists
2025-05-31 11:00 - 12:00
Open to all Members
Join us for a special Members-only tour focusing on works in the collection by self-taught artists. Join the tour in Windhover Hall, near the Museum’s main entrance and admissions desks. Space is limited. RSVP at membership@mam.org or by calling 414-224-3284.
Not a Member?
Join today →

Image: American, Optician’s Sign, late 19th century. Painted cast iron 8⅝ × 23 in. (21.91 × 58.42 cm). Purchase, M1965.4. Photo by P. Richard Eells

Guest Gallery Talk: “Erin Shirreff: Permanent Drafts”
2025-05-31 13:00 - 14:00
Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts
Join John Riepenhoff, Executive Director of Sculpture Milwaukee and founder of The Green Gallery, for an in-depth exploration of the themes and topics in the exhibition Erin Shirreff: Permanent Drafts.

About John Riepenhoff
John Riepenhoff was born in 1982 in Milwaukee, WI where he lives and works. He earned a BFA from the Peck School of the Arts at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, founding The Green Gallery while still a student there. His artistic practice and roles curating and directing projects were intertwined from the beginning, each role informing the others. Riepenhoff currently runs The Open Fund and the Beer Endowment to create revenue streams for artist-run projects. He is Executive Director at Sculpture Milwaukee. He co-founded the Milwaukee International and Dark Fairs, advises collections, and is an inventor of artistic platforms for the expression of others. His exhibitions and curatorial projects have been presented at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Tate Modern, London; Crystal Bridges, Bentonville, Arkansas; Poor Farm, Wisconsin; Lynden Sculpture Garden, Milwaukee; Inova, Milwaukee; Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis; Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta; and John Michael Kohler Art Preserve, Sheboygan, Wisconsin among others. He was the 2015 Milwaukee Arts Board Artist of the Year and is a frequent collaborator on food and design projects.

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: Erin Shirreff (Canadian, b. 1975), Fig. 4 (detail), 2017. Archival pigment print. 43½ × 57½ × 3¼ in. Courtesy of the artist and Sikkema Malloy Jenkins, New York. © Erin Shirreff

Free Day + Celebration: Community
2025-06-05 10:00 - 20:00
Join us for a free day with family and friends to connect through art, music, movement, and more. During this daylong themed celebration, we’re highlighting communities we’re born into, we choose, that choose us, that embrace us for who we are, that challenge us—community in all its forms and all the love and richness the people who are a part of it bring into our lives. Our tours on this day will feature artists and artworks connected to Pride Month and Juneteenth.

Event lineup
Art Making | 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Ignite your imaginative side and celebrate community in two different art-making zones. In the Kohl’s Art Studio, make “collaged celebrations” inspired by works in Brilliance of the Spanish World. In the Milwaukee Room, enjoy creating portraits on aluminum led by CK Ledesma of Villa Arco and Milwaukee Artist of the Year (2022) (activity ends at 4 p.m.).
JustUs and Books + Babbling Babes Story Time and Community Gathering | 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Gather to hear a story time with Danette Justus of JustUs and Books, 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 Wisconsin Pride: Parts One and Two.
Food Trucks | 11 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Grab a bite at a food truck right outside the museum—great eats just steps away!
Performance | Noon–1 p.m.
Enjoy a performance by Malik Johnson.
Community Engagement Fair | Noon–7 p.m.
Meet several art organizations from across Milwaukee that are centering community and working to build a thriving Milwaukee for all.
Live DJ | 3–6 p.m.
Groove to the music of HYFIN on-air personality/podcast host DJ A-Bizz.
Drop-In Tour | 3–4 p.m.*
Discover works in the collection that highlight community, including artworks by LGBTQIA+ and Black artists. Tours will be joined by an ASL interpreter.
Screening + Talk Back | 6–7:45 p.m.*
Enjoy the Milwaukee premiere of the award-winning documentary Africa: A Kung Fu Story an engaging and unique look into Kung Fu in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, that follows one Master as he teaches Kung Fu and filmmaking while helping give the next generation a better future. The film will feature a talkback between the film’s scorer, Milwaukee-born and raised musician and film scorer Arnold Cifax Jr. and Carlos Leon-Roman, co-host of the podcast Heroes Three: Adventures in Asian Cinema.
*Includes ASL interpretation

SOLD OUT | Yoga at the Museum
2025-06-07 08:00 - 09:00
Begin your Saturday with a calming all-levels yoga class amid the serenity of the Milwaukee Art Museum 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 $15 and Museum Member tickets are $5. At the door, general admission tickets are $20 and Member tickets are $10. Not a Member? Join today!
This event is sold out. Join us on July 5 and August 2!
Buy tickets →

Guest Gallery Talk: “The Brilliance of the Spanish World”
2025-06-07 13:00 - 14:00
Baker/Rowland Galleries
Join Dr. Tanya Tiffany, professor and chair of the Department of Art History at UW–Milwaukee, for a guest gallery talk exploring The Brilliance of the Spanish World: El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbarán.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.
This exhibition was organized by the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, with support from The Museum Box.

The Milwaukee Art Museum is grateful to its exhibition sponsors.

About Tanya Tiffany
Tanya Tiffany is professor and chair of the Department of Art History at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Her first book, Diego Velázquez’s Early Paintings and the Culture of Seventeenth-Century Seville, was published in 2012 and received an honorable mention for the Eleanor Tufts Book Award from the American Society for Hispanic Art Historical Studies. Among her other publications, she has co-edited a collection of essays, Velázquez Re-Examined: Theory, History, Poetry, and Theatre (2017). In collaboration with Laura Bass, Tiffany is currently completing a translation and bilingual edition of the manuscript Vida of the painter-nun Estefanía de la Encarnación (ca. 1597–1665): the only known autobiography by an early modern woman artist. The project has been awarded a Scholarly Editions and Translations Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the book is slated to be published as part of The Other Voice in Early Modern Europe series. Tiffany is also a member of a research project funded by the Spanish government and headed by María Cruz de Carlos Varona, which focuses on artistic agency among Habsburg women (AGENART, La agencia artística de las mujeres de la Casa de Austria 1532–1700 [ref. PID2020-116100GB-I00]).

Image: Diego Velázquez (Spanish, 1599–1660), Portrait of a Little Girl (detail), ca. 1638–1642. Oil on canvas. 51.5 × 41 cm. Courtesy of The Hispanic Society of America, New York

Lakefront Festival of Art
2025-06-13 10:00 - 19:00, 2025-06-14 10:00 - 17:00, 2025-06-15 10:00 - 17:00
Celebrate 60 years of the Lakefront Festival of Art! A summertime tradition, the three-day event brings together established and emerging artists with festivalgoers of all ages at the Milwaukee Art Museum’s lakeside campus.
With 30 more artist booths this year, there’s even more to explore and enjoy. Discover and purchase one-of-a-kind art from 145 jury-selected artists from across the country and Wisconsin; enjoy live performances by local acts; dine on delicious food; relax in the wine and beer gardens; and try your hand at fun art projects.
Festival admission includes access to the Museum—stop in to explore the galleries and join a drop-in tour.

Drop-In Tour: Celebrating Father's Day
2025-06-15 14:00 - 15:00
Bring the father figure in your life to the Museum during Lakefront Festival of Art to explore artworks that relate to fatherhood. Whether your special person enjoys spending time with family, participating in certain hobbies or activities, staying at home, or traveling, we’ve got an artwork they’re sure to love. 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 or online.
Image: Jules Bastien-Lepage (French, 1848–1884), Le Père Jacques (The Wood Gatherer) (detail), 1881. Oil on canvas 77 1/2 × 71 1/2 in. (196.85 × 181.61 cm). Layton Art Collection, Inc., Gift of Mrs. E. P. Allis and her daughters in memory of Edward Phelps Allis L102. Photo by John R. Glembin

Slow Art Saturday: “Homelands: Mnë’nának, Māēnāēwah, Tešišik”
2025-06-21 10:30 - 11:30
The Ross-Pain Gallery, Level 2, Gallery K223
Join us in Homelands: Mnë’nának, Māēnāēwah, Tešišik to explore a single work of art in depth in this program that encourages presence and promotes well-being. A reinstallation of the former “American West” gallery, Homelands reinterprets historical works and foregrounds contemporary Native art, centering Indigenous voices and honoring the region’s cultural roots through themes of land and water.
Slow Art Saturday is facilitated by Amy Kirschke, Barbara Brown Lee Senior Director of Learning and Engagement at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Special guests include the co-curators of Homelands, Kendra Greendeer, PhD, Ho-Chunk Nation Ihlenfeld Curator of Collaborative and Community Exhibitions at the Weisman Art Museum, and Chyna Bounds, Assistant Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the Milwaukee Art Museum.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.
Homelands is made possible through support from the Terra Foundation for American Art.

Drop-In Tour: Music and Art
2025-06-21 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-06-28 14:00 - 15:00
While the lakefront comes alive during Milwaukee’s favorite music festival, stop into the Museum for a tour of artworks with musical connections. This tour will satisfy the senses while you visit our comfortably air-conditioned galleries. This tour embarks from Windhover Hall, near the admissions desks.
This drop-in experience is included with Museum admission and is free for Members. Admission tickets are available at the door or online.
Image: Raoul Dufy (French, 1877–1953), Red Orchestra (Le concert rouge) (detail), 1946–49. Oil on canvas. 39 3/8 × 31 7/8 in. (100.01 × 80.96 cm). Gift of Mrs. Harry Lynde Bradley, M1959.379. Photo by John R. Glembin ©2010 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris

Gallery Talk: “Erin Shirreff: Permanent Drafts”
2025-06-26 12:00 - 13:00
Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts
Join Kristen Gaylord, Herzfeld Curator of Photography and Media Arts and the exhibition curator, for an in-depth exploration of the themes and topics in the exhibition Erin Shirreff: Permanent Drafts. This is the most comprehensive exhibition in a decade of works by Shirreff and showcases more than 40 recent works, including installations specific to the Museum.
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: Erin Shirreff (Canadian, b. 1975), Cuttings (detail), 2018. Cyanotype photogram and muslin over panel. 80 × 70 in. Christine A. Symchych and James P. McNulty. Image courtesy of the artist and Sikkema Malloy Jenkins, New York. © Erin Shirreff

Yoga at the Museum
2025-07-05 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.
Doors open at 7 a.m. and class begins at 8 a.m. Arrive early 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 $15 and Museum Member tickets are $5. At the door, tickets are $20 for general admission and $10 for Members. Not a Member? Join today!
Buy tickets →
