Milwaukee Art Museum Unveils New Lights

Milwaukee Art Museum lighting. Image by Front Room Studios, courtesy of the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Milwaukee’s most iconic building now looks different, at least at night. The Milwaukee Art Museum unveiled a new exterior lighting system Thursday evening.

The lights, which project a dynamic range of colors, illuminate the wings of the white Quadracci Pavilion, 700 N. Art Museum Dr. The lakefront building now has a touch of exterior color for the first time.

The new light system will operate every evening in which the museum is open until the New Year, and then every Thursday evening until spring. The display currently lasts until 8 p.m.

The building, with its movable wings like a bird, has become a symbol of the city. It is used as VISIT Milwaukee‘s logo and is commonly featured in the center of skyline images of the city. A campaign has received more than 10,000 votes to make a LEGO kit of the structure, and it was used as a filming location for Transformers 3.

“It’s been a source for hope, for inspiration, for joy for Milwaukee,” said museum director Marcelle Polednik Thursday evening,

Constructed in 2001, it was the first U.S. building for Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava. The famed architect returned to Milwaukee last year as part of a pandemic-delayed 20th anniversary celebration.

“About four years ago, we started the process of, in a sense, rejuvenating this building in anticipation of the 20th anniversary of the Quadracci Pavilion in 2022. And it was really the vision and the generosity of several individuals who I would like to acknowledge that made all of that work possible,” said Polednik.

The lights are part of a $3 million maintenance and improvement project that has taken place in recent years. The project was funded by the Windhover Foundation and Donna and Donald Baumgartner. Polednik also thanked Joel and Caran Quadracci.

The wings, which boast a 247-foot wingspan, are formally known as the Burke Brise Soleil. The $142 million building also includes a grand reception hall, auditorium, exhibition space, store, cafe (formerly known as Cafe Calatrava) and an underground parking structure. The 142,050-square-foot pavilion is attached to the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center, which houses most of the museum and was itself overhauled in 2015.

Polednik said it is important that the museum care for the Quadracci building just like it cares for the art in its collection, with love and a steadfast commitment. She said the pandemic-induced closure allowed for much of the maintenance work to take place, including replacing ball bearings in the movable wings, refurbishing marble floors and calibrating the HVAC system.

“The new capability will also allow us to participate in collaborative citywide events, which we weren’t able to do until now,” said MAM chief experience officer Scott Schwebel.

Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 director Beth Weirick called the lights “welcoming and inspiring” and a strong addition to the lighting program the BID coordinates. “In my humble opinion, they will absolutely enhance the skyline of one of the most beautiful cities and coastlines for the entire world to see.”

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