A sneak peek

The Milwaukee Art Museum unveils two new shows this week.

The NAMES Project: The AIDS Memorial Quilt opened June 8 and will remain on view until June 20, featuring selections from the AIDS Memorial quilt. The quilt began the in late 1980s as a tribute to those who died from HIV/AIDS. The quilt itself is comprised of approximately 91,000 names across 45,000 panels, making it the world’s largest community folk art project.

The MAM show is free to the public and displays nine specially selected panels, featuring the work of fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Helmut Lang, Oscar de la Renta and more. The panels are stunning , with their rich textures, intricate threadwork and colorful appliques. But they are also sorrowful as a stark reminder of the lives lost to the disease.

The museum’s Contemporary Galleries will host Warrington Colescott: Cabaret, Comedy & Satire, a selection of the eclectic printmaker’s works from 1948-2008. Managing Editor Erin Petersen had a chance to speak with the artist about the 60-year retrospective and TCD also got a sneak peek of the show in construction, which opens Thursday June 10 and runs through September 26,2010.

TCD’s newest photo intern Nicole Braunsdorf captured a few images from each show to give our readers a taste of what’s to come at the MAM this week.

Enjoy!