Creating a Brand New Art Gallery on Vliet Street
Artist Matt Kuhlman seeks to recharge the neighborhood and Milwaukee's gallery scene.
Matt Kuhlman painting the exterior of 3718 W. Vliet St. Photo by Lauren Hafeman on Oct. 5, 2026.
Fine art has a reputation for prestige. It conjures ideas of traditional methods, expensive education and historic media, of galleries concentrated in pricey neighborhoods of major global cities.
In truth, fine art is a broad form also driven by artists breaking barriers, creating unconventional works and showing art not as a commodity but as an exploration and an experience. Consider, for example, the latest project of Milwaukee artist Matt Kuhlman.
In 2024, Kuhlman purchased a weathered property at 3718 W. Vliet St., a 116-year-old mixed-use commercial and residential building that sits along a business corridor Milwaukeeans like Kuhlman seek to revive. His plan: Open Oxbow Projects on the building’s first floor, a commercial art gallery and reception venue featuring Milwaukee’s unique fine art and artists.
To create his dream space, Kuhlman has spent the past two years updating the historic property to meet modern building codes. He is renovating everything from the walls, floors and ceilings to building ADA-compliant bathrooms. As this story is being written, Kuhlman is perched on a ladder outside, revitalizing the building’s exterior paint color from a deep red to a vibrant sunshine yellow.
“I think renovating this building demonstrates if you work hard, you can make something happen right where you are. You don’t have to wait for somebody else to do it,” Kuhlman said. “Artists don’t have to leave Milwaukee to make something happen; you can do it right here.”
Planning for a spring 2027 opening, Kuhlman aims to host rotating six-week shows with opening and closing receptions for artists and visitors.
Kuhlman is interested in partnering with artists who create immersive environmental and spatial works, such as large-scale installations, sculptural forms and projection art. He already has several artists lined up for the gallery’s opening shows.
Never resonating with 2D canvas paintings in his own career as an artist, Kuhlman said he wants the gallery to be a place for artists with a similar mindset.
“People expect canvas paintings at a gallery, which makes sense as an art commodity because they are easy to hang, look great and have market value, but I want to show things that excite people’s curiosity. I want to show art people don’t ordinarily see,” Kuhlman said.
While obtaining his Master of Fine Arts from UW-Milwaukee, Kuhlman said he was given “the time and space to explore” his thesis in an exhibition space, which shaped his outlook on what a gallery can be beyond a place to simply sell art.
“You can’t sell the environment you’re in; it’s something you create. I want to give people a space to do that. I want to hand over the space to artists and say ‘do what you want to do,'” he said. “I want the space to be somewhere they actively create an environment for people to walk into. I want guests to see art that is interesting and cool in its own right, and make it a space to get together and build community.”
In the coming months, Kuhlman is set to hang the drywall and continue spreading the word about Oxbow Projects. To stay up to date, follow the project’s Instagram.
Matt Kuhlman surrounded by Oxbow Projects’ drywall prep. Photo by Lauren Hafeman on Oct. 5, 2026.
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