Programs Announced for a Spring Season of Commemoration and Reflection

MILWAUKEE — The Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University is pleased to announce programming to accompany its upcoming spring season commemorating special anniversaries: 250 years of America, Robert Rauschenberg’s 100th birthday, and an artist’s 10th anniversary project with local community members. All four exhibitions, with ties to history and social issues, open to the public on January 23, 2026.

This Side of the Stars: Rauschenberg’s Stoned Moon in the Company of Kite, Paglen, & Yi explores the intersection of art, technology, and environment. Defying Empire: Revolutionary Prints from Britain and America challenges traditional, nationalistic narratives of the American Revolution. Contemporary prints and zines in Declaration of ____ draw parallels between the circulation of print media during the American revolutionary period and today’s creative resistance. Let the Real World In imagines different scenarios for building a more just world through the lens of young adults from Milwaukee.

Celebrating the centenary of Robert Rauschenberg’s birth, This Side of the Stars: Rauschenberg’s Stoned Moon in the Company of Kite, Paglen, and Yi pairs his iconic Stoned Moon prints with works by three contemporary artists: Kite, Trevor Paglen, and Jason S. Yi. Rauschenberg’s lithographs, inspired by witnessing the 1969 Apollo 11 launch, utilized NASA imagery to capture a transformative moment of human and technological possibility.

Today, that dialogue continues as these contemporary artists scrutinize the ethics and outcomes of innovation. Kite’s embroidered deer hides utilize Lakȟóta geometric semiotics to create meditations on black holes that double as sonic scores. Trevor Paglen’s photographs of unidentified objects in the atmosphere raise urgent questions regarding surveillance and non-human agency. Jason S. Yi’s installation of Red-crowned Cranes, cast from mulberry pulp, highlights the resilience of endangered wildlife thriving within the Korean Demilitarized Zone. See full exhibition description here.

This Side of the Stars: Rauschenberg’s Stoned Moon in the Company of Kite, Paglen, and Yi was curated by Jennifer Johung, PhD, Professor of Contemporary Art and Architecture, and Director of the Center for 21st-Century Studies, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and Kirk Nickel, PhD, Haggerty Museum Curator of European Art.

Support for this exhibition is generously provided by Friends of the Haggerty Museum of Art Forward Funders and the Martha and Ray Smith, Jr. Endowment Fund.

———–

Let the Real World In is the latest installment of a decade-long collaboration between Chicago-based artist Kirsten Leenaars and a group of Milwaukee youth. Originally launched as a Haggerty Museum of Art summer camp in 2016, the project followed immigrant and American-born students as they navigated personal histories amidst growing political divisiveness. Leenaars has continued documenting these participants as they transition from youthful idealism to informed political agency.

As the nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary Era, this exhibition brings these national themes to a local level. By focusing on this intimate journey toward adulthood, the project invites the community to participate in a momentous chapter of American history through the eyes of its newest voters. See full exhibition description here.

Let the Real World In was organized by Lynne Shumow, Haggerty Museum of Art Curator for Academic Engagement.

 

Support for this exhibition is generously provided by the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation; DutchCultureUSA, a program of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the United States; the Hoke Family Foundation; and the Joan Pick Endowment Fund.

 

———–

On the eve of America’s 250th anniversary, Defying Empire: Revolutionary Prints from Britain and America explores how eighteenth-century prints shaped public opinion and fueled a participatory Revolution. Drawn from the Haggerty Museum of Art and the Chipstone Foundation, this exhibition features over twenty prints, transfer-printed ceramics, and period furniture to frame the era as a transatlantic political exchange.

Works by William Hogarth, Josiah Wedgwood, and Charles Willson Peale illustrate how images influenced debates on sovereignty and democracy. By highlighting voices ranging from George Washington to politically active women, the exhibition demonstrates how visual media spurred political action and defined the struggle over imperial authority. See full exhibition description here.

Defying Empire: Revolutionary Prints from Britain and America was curated by J. Patrick Mullins, PhD, Associate Professor of History and Public History Director at Marquette University, in collaboration with the Chipstone Foundation and coordinated by Jessica A. Cooley, PhD, Postdoctoral Curatorial and Teaching Fellow, Haggerty Museum of Art.

 

Support for this exhibition is generously provided by the John P. Raynor, S.J. Endowment Fund and in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.

———–

To mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Declaration of ____examines contemporary print culture and modern calls for liberty. The exhibition features accessible media like zines and prints from Upper Midwest collectives, highlighting works by Aaron Hughes, Art Build Workers, and Nicolas Lampert.

These pieces explore direct democracy, labor rights, and environmental solidarity, demonstrating how grassroots graphics signal broader movements. By featuring diverse voices—including immigrants, veterans, and activists—the exhibition reflects on the evolving identity of the United States. It situates DIY print practices within ongoing debates about representation and the legacy of the Revolutionary era. See full exhibition description here.

Declaration of ____ was curated by Rose Camara, Assistant Curator, The Chipstone Foundation and coordinated by Jessica A. Cooley, PhD, Postdoctoral Curatorial and Teaching Fellow, Haggerty Museum of Art.

This exhibition is presented in partnership with the Chipstone Foundation. Support for this exhibition is generously provided by Dr. Mary Anne Siderits; the Hoke Family Foundation; and the Stackner Family Endowment Fund.

———–

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

The Haggerty Museum of Art’s exhibitions and programs are free, open to the public, and take place on Marquette University’s campus unless otherwise noted. Additional program details and registration information on the Museum’s Events page.

Spring 2026 Public Program Highlights include:

Spring 2026 Exhibition Opening Reception
Thursday, January 22, 2026, 6 p.m.

Meet the curators and artists, enjoy seasonal refreshments, and be the first to view freshly interpreted works commemorating 250 years of America, Robert Rauschenberg’s 100th birthday, and an artist’s 10th anniversary project with local community members.

Making Zines, Making Change: A Conversation about Collaborating, Publishing, Selling, and Archiving DIY Art
Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 5 to 7 p.m.

Scholar-teacher Jason Luther will be in conversation with local, Chicago- and Milwaukee-area artists, authors, publishers, and archivists, including Marc Fischer, Kirsten Leenaars, Liz Mason, and Milo Miller.

Land Matters: Sites of Technology and Ecological Restoration

Thursday, February 5, 2026, 6 to 8 p.m.

Join us for a conversation inspired by the new exhibition This Side of the Stars addressing technology, place, and human impact with co-curators of the exhibition Jennifer Johung and Kirk Nickel, artist Jason S. Yi, and Indigenous scholar Mark Freeland. Haggerty curator Kirk Nickel will introduce Robert Rauschenberg’s Stoned Moon print series and the intersection of land and technology at Cape Canaveral that sparked Rauschenberg’s imagination at the time of the Apollo 11 lunar mission. Jason S. Yi will discuss his new work on the Red-crowned Crane in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, and how it extends into broader thematic issues about place, memory, and the environment. Mark Freeland, Director of the Electa Quinney Institute at UW-Milwaukee, will discuss local land restoration efforts and partnerships. The conversation will be moderated by Jennifer Johung, Director of UW-Milwaukee’s Center for 21st Century Studies.

President’s Day Lunchtime Art Talk with Dr. Patrick Mullins

Monday, February 16, 2026, 12:30 to 1 p.m.

Please join us for a 30-minute lunchtime art talk by Dr. Patrick Mullins about a selection of works on view in Defying Empire: Revolutionary Prints from Britain and America. Dr. Mullins is the guest curator of Defying Empireand Associate Professor of History and Public History Director at Marquette University.

Aesthetics, Art, & AI: Kite
Thursday, March 12, 2026, 5:30 to 7 p.m.
UW-Milwaukee Arts Center Lecture Hall at UWM (2400 East Kenwood Blvd, Milwaukee, WI 53211)

Exploring how AI-generated aesthetics reshape creative production, authorship, and interpretation.

The Haggerty Museum of Art is pleased to share information about this program organized by UW-Milwaukee’s Center for 21st Century Studies and the Center for the Humanities at UW-Madison featuring Kite (a.k.a. Suzanne Kite) whose work will be on view at the Haggerty in the exhibition This Side of the Stars.

Community Zine Festival: Declarations in Print
Saturday, March 21, 2026, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Join us for a hands-on celebration of DIY publishing, revolutionary print culture, and community storytelling. Inspired by the exhibitions on view, this creative festival brings together a dynamic artists’ conversation, community talkback, drop-in zine-making studio, and a live printmaking demonstration. Explore how prints—from 18th-century political cartoons to contemporary zines and cosmic imagery—have shaped ideas of identity, democracy, resistance, and belonging. Come make your own declaration, craft a zine, and add your voice to a growing community gallery. Activities are adaptable for all ages and skill levels; all materials provided.

The Bloody Massacre: A Lunchtime Talk with Dr. Serena Zabin
Tuesday, April 14, 2026, noon to 1 p.m.

Join historian Dr. Serena Zabin for a conversation about Paul Revere’s 1770 engraving The Bloody Massacre, currently on view in the Haggerty Museum of Art’s exhibition Defying Empire. Boxed lunch provided.

Dr. Zabin is the Stephen R. Lewis Jr. Professor of History and the Liberal Arts at Carleton College. Her research focuses on families, gender, and politics in the era of the American Revolution. She is the author of Dangerous Economies: Status and Commerce in Imperial New York (Penn Press, 2009) and the prizewinning The Boston Massacre: A Family History (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2020)

Civic Dialogues Dinner: Featuring Hahrie Han

Thursday, April 16, 2026, 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Marquette University’s Civic Dialogue Dinner Series offers an opportunity for the campus and public to enjoy a dinner while discussing the complex causes of public problems, what we should do to address them, and how we might promote the common good. The evening will begin with a conversation by Dr. Hahrie Han, a political scientist at Johns Hopkins University and recent MacArthur ‘Genius’ Award recipient, along with Marquette Professor Julia Azari. This conversation will be followed by small group discussions.

Additional free public programs continue with lunchtime talks, artist conversations, engaging lectures, and more. All events, festivities, and educational programs are listed with details and registration information on the Museum’s Events page.

About

The Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University is a place where art and ideas come alive—free of charge and open to all. Through innovative exhibitions, arts education experiences, and thought-provoking public programs, we invite both the university campus and the broader Milwaukee community to discover, question, and connect.

Working with regional and national artists, collaborating with distinguished faculty across all disciplines, partnering with community organizations, and advancing collections inquiry, the museum is a vital forum for dialogue—to spark reflection, inspire action, and encourage positive change for the greater good.

Banner images: (left) Paul Revere, American, 1735-1818 / Henry Pelham, American, 1749-1806; Bloody Massacre 1770; Boston, Massachusetts; Engraving in black with hand coloring in blue, black, red, turquoise, green, brown, purple, orange, and yellow on paper; 10 1/4 x 8 7/8 inches; Collection of The Chipstone Foundation (center) Robert Rauschenberg, Trust Zone (Stoned Moon), 1969, Lithograph, 40 x 33 inches, Ed. 22/65, published by Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, Collection of the Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University (right) Fatherless Print Posse, USA and UK, founded in 2010, Javier Jimenez, Greg Lang, David Menard, Ben Rider, Elections Not Auctions, 2023, Monoprint on wood panel, 34 x 48 inches, courtesy of the artist

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.