Museum Week Offers Special Events at 17 Locations
Second annual event brings cultural giants together with overlooked institutions.
Sara Meaney (right) presents Mame Croze McCully with a check to support Milwaukee Museum Week. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Museum leaders gathered Friday morning to launch the second annual Milwaukee Museum Week.
“It’s a wonderful time to celebrate our city and all of the great treasures we have,” said Mayor Tom Barrett at a press conference held at Milwaukee School of Engineering‘s Grohmann Museum.
The event runs from January 18th through the 26th, with a variety of admission specials and special programming designed to highlight the 17 participating institutions. Organizations participating range from big groups like Discovery World and Milwaukee Art Museum on the lakefront to smaller and off-the-beaten-path organizations like the Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear and Wisconsin Black Historical Society.
“Any given week there are openings, workshops and events,” said Grohmann Museum director James Kieselburg. But Kieselburg said what makes this week special is the coordination to draw attention to the city’s many museums. He credited Milwaukee County Historical Society (MCHS) Executive Director Mame Croze McCully for bringing the group together.
All visitors age 18 or under, many of whom will be off school in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, will get in free at museums on Monday, January 20th. For the Instagram-inclined, National Museum Selfie Day is January 21st. A number of the participants have opened new exhibits, including MCHS, Grohmann Museum, Black Historical Society and the Haggerty Museum of Art, timed with the week.
Milwaukee Museum Week is sponsored by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Travel Wisconsin, Harley-Davidson Foundation and Guardian Fine Art Services.
State Tourism Secretary Sara Meaney attended the press conference, giant check in hand, to announce the state’s backing of the event. “Because of things like this, tourism in Wisconsin is alive and well,” said Meaney. She said the city’s cultural assets drew visitors to the state, creating a wave of spending. “All of this is one big circle of positive economic impact,” said Meaney. The state is providing an $18,000 Joint Effort Marketing grant that will fund Museum Week advertising.
“We had a very successful Milwaukee Museum Week in 2019 despite the polar vortex we had,” said Janel Hines of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation
A full list of events and offers can be found at MKEMuseumWeek.org.
Participating Institutions
- Betty Brinn Children’s Museum
- Charles Allis Art Museum
- Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear
- Discovery World
- Grohmann Museum at MSOE
- Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University
- Harley-Davidson Museum
- Jewish Museum Milwaukee
- Milwaukee Art Museum
- Milwaukee County Historical Society
- Milwaukee Public Museum
- Mitchell Park Domes
- North Point Lighthouse
- The Pabst Mansion
- Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
- The Warehouse at Guardian Fine Art Services
- Wisconsin Black Historical Society and Museum
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