Canned Food Sculpture Exhibit Returns to Milwaukee Public Museum for Final Time
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Public Museum’s (MPM) iconic exhibits are the inspiration behind this year’s Canstruction® canned food sculptures, which will be on display at MPM February 1-16, 2026. Eleven teams of Milwaukee-area architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms are participating in this annual exhibit, competition and charity event, where they’ll each design and build a larger-than-life sculpture made up of at least 1,000 canned and non-perishable food items inspired by the theme, “CAN’t Forget the Magic.” For the third year in a row, MPM, Women in Design, Wisconsin Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (Wisco NOMA), American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center (JCC) are partnering to showcase these impressive and imaginative works of art at the Museum, all in an effort to raise awareness about hunger in the community. The public can vote for their favorite sculptures as part of several awards the teams compete to win. Following the exhibit, the food will be donated to a local pantry.
“As we spend 2026 celebrating MPM’s last year open before our historic move in 2027, what better way is there to honor both the magic of the Museum and the final Canstruction® in this building than with 11 sculptures inspired by our beloved exhibits?” said Rebecca Ehlers, MPM’s Vice President of Marketing, Communication & Visitor Experience. “The Museum is grateful for our Canstruction® partners and the AEC firms who’ve participated over these three years, and we’re eager for our visitors to enjoy this fun spin on their MPM favorites from the area’s best architects, builders and engineers. Beyond the amazing designs, every sculpture also represents meals for local families facing food insecurity—a reminder of the impact of Canstruction® long after the exhibit comes down.” Canstruction® is included with MPM’s daily admission, which is 25% off on the first day of Canstruction, Sunday, February 1, as part of VISIT Milwaukee’s Museum Days promotion.
On Kohl’s Thank You Thursday, February 5, when admission is free for all thanks to generous support through Kohl’s Cares, the public is invited to attend the Canstruction® Awards Ceremony from 1 to 2 p.m. A panel of judges will present the teams with awards in the categories of Best Meal, Best Structural Ingenuity, Best Use of Labels, Most Cans and People’s Choice (determined by visitors’ votes). “We’ve thoroughly enjoyed bringing Canstruction® to the Milwaukee Public Museum over the past couple of years, and we’re thrilled to join the Museum’s final year’s celebration with our own tributes to the iconic exhibits,” said Ali Kopyt, co-founder of Women in Design and Managing Architect at KORB Architecture. “It’s always inspiring to watch the teams transform household items into structurally sound works of art that not only captivate visitors but also serve a greater purpose.” After the conclusion of the exhibit, the teams will “de-can-struct” their sculptures so that the food can be donated to the Jewish Community Pantry, a program of the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center. For 50 years, the Pantry has provided emergency food and community resources to Milwaukee residents in the Metcalfe Park and Amani neighborhoods on the city’s north side. “Canstruction® is a testament to the creativity and compassion of this community,” said Heidi Gould, Director of the Jewish Community Pantry. “Last year’s Canstruction® at Milwaukee Public Museum resulted in the donation of approximately 35,000 canned and non-perishable food items, which supplied meals to residents for more than six months. Each year, the need grows, and we’re grateful to once again be part of such a generous cause.”
The teams participating this year are AG Architecture, Engberg Anderson Architects + CG Schmidt, FGM Architects, Findorff + Thornton Tomasetti, Graef Engineering, HGA + Mortenson, Kahler Slater, KORB Architecture + Gardner Builders, Quorum Architects + Berghammer, VJS Construction Services and Zimmerman Architectural Studios + Boldt.
More information about the event can be found at https://www.mpm.edu/canstruction and https://www.widmke.com/canstruction.
About the Milwaukee Public Museum The Milwaukee Public Museum is Wisconsin’s natural history museum, welcoming over half a million visitors annually. Located in downtown Milwaukee, the Museum was chartered in 1882, opened to the public in 1884, and currently houses more than 4 million objects in its collections. MPM has three floors of exhibits that encompass life-size dioramas, walk-through villages, world cultures, dinosaurs, a rainforest, and a live butterfly garden, as well as the Daniel M. Soref Dome Theater & Planetarium. MPM is operated by Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc., a private, non-profit company, and its facilities and collections are held in trust and supported by Milwaukee County for the benefit of the public.
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.
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