Milwaukee Art Museum Announces 2025 Art:Forward Gala, Celebrating 50 Years of the Bradley Collection

MILWAUKEE, WI—July 21, 2025—The Milwaukee Art Museum is proud to announce the 2025 Art:Forward Gala will take place on Saturday, September 20 in the iconic Quadracci Pavilion. The Museum’s annual fundraising event, the gala will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bradley Collection of Modern Art—a milestone rooted in Mrs. Harry Lynde “Peg” Bradley’s gift that made nearly 400 modern and contemporary works of art available to the public. The gala will bring together more than 300 art lovers, business and cultural leaders, and visionary philanthropists in tribute to the endurance of civic generosity and the power of art to inspire, connect, and elevate our community.

The evening will also feature premiere access to the special exhibition The Bradley Collection of Modern Art: A Bold Vision for Milwaukee, which officially opens to the public on Friday, September 26. The exhibition highlights nearly 100 works by renowned artists Barbara Hepworth, Wassily Kandinsky, and Georgia O’Keeffe, among many others, offering guests the opportunity to experience firsthand the resounding significance of Mrs. Bradley’s gift. Following an elegant dinner, guests will enjoy live music, as well as a live auction and a paddle raise in support of the Museum’s mission.

“This is more than a celebration—it’s a moment to recognize how one person’s vision changed the cultural landscape of an entire city,” said André Allaire, Chief Development Officer at the Milwaukee Art Museum. “Mrs. Bradley’s legacy is alive every day in our galleries, and the gala gives us a powerful opportunity to honor her gift while investing in the Museum’s future.”

In 1975, Peg Bradley’s bold act of civic philanthropy forever changed the trajectory of the Milwaukee Art Museum. Her remarkable gift established the foundation of the Museum’s modern art collection, placing it in the global spotlight as a leading cultural destination for modern art. Fifty years later, her legacy continues to serve as a powerful reminder of how one visionary donor can shape an institution—and a city—for generations to come.

Purchase tickets to the Art:Forward Gala at mam.org/art-forward. Proceeds from the event directly support the Milwaukee Art Museum’s mission to connect people with art, each other, and the world through its collections, exhibitions, and community and educational programs.

Event Details
Date: September 20, 2025
Location: The Quadracci Pavilion in the Milwaukee Art Museum
Visit mam.org/art-forward

Exhibition Details
Dates: September 26, 2025–January 18, 2026
Location: Baker/Rowland Galleries in the Milwaukee Art Museum
Member Preview: September 25, 2025
Visit mam.org/bold-vision

Exhibition Sponsors

Presenting Sponsors
Astor Street Foundation
David and Julia Uihlein
Lynde B. Uihlein

Leadership Sponsors
Donna and Donald Baumgartner
Anthony and Vicki Cecalupo
Milwaukee Art Museum’s Friends of Art
Jane Bradley Pettit Foundation

Supporting Sponsors
Geralyn Cannon
Rockwell Automation

Contributing Sponsors
Thomas Hesselbrock and Carl Spatz
Elizabeth Levins and Herbert Zien

The Milwaukee Art Museum extends its sincere thanks to the Visionaries
Mark and Debbie Attanasio
Donna and Donald Baumgartner
Murph Burke
The Helmerich Trust
Kenneth and Alice Kayser
Joan Lubar and John Crouch
Joel and Caran Quadracci
Sue and Bud Selig
Jeff and Gail Yabuki

About the Milwaukee Art Museum
The Milwaukee Art Museum is an essential destination for art and architecture and a vital cultural resource that connects visitors to dynamic art experiences and one another. Housed in iconic buildings by Santiago Calatrava, Eero Saarinen, and David Kahler on a 24-acre lakefront campus, the Museum is Wisconsin’s largest art institution and home to both broad and deep collections, with exceptional holdings in American painting, sculpture, and decorative arts; conceptual and minimalist art; prints and drawings; European art from the Renaissance through the nineteenth century; photography and new media; modern and contemporary design; folk and self-taught art; and twentieth-century Haitian art. A bold symbol of Milwaukee’s ambition and forward-thinking vision, the Museum is a place for community building, education, and celebration that fosters creativity, free speech, and critical discourse for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. For more information, visit mam.org.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.