Milwaukee Art Museum Explores Collections in New Season of Exhibitions and Events

Milwaukee, Wis. – September 10, 2019 – In its new season of exhibitions and events, the Milwaukee Art Museum will explore the vision behind, importance of and connections across public and private collections. The season of collections will examine the themes and juxtapositions within collections—from those that establish the reputation of institutions to rarely seen archives—offering additional ways to contextualize art.

“The practice of collecting has a long history,” said Marcelle Polednik, PhD, Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director, Milwaukee Art Museum. “Collections say something about the objects, the era, and the collectors more than any one single item can. This season, the exhibitions, gallery displays and programs at the Museum bring a different context to how we look at art, as well as give us an opportunity to dig more deeply into—and have a greater appreciation for—the collections in the Museum’s care.”

Now open, Portrait of Milwaukee reveals a deep connection between the city of Milwaukee and its residents through photography. On view in the Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts, the exhibition highlights some of the people, movements, businesses and neighborhoods that have helped make Milwaukee what it is today, through photos mostly taken between the 1920s and 1980s. Drawn from the collections of the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Milwaukee Public Library, the Harley-Davidson Museum and the Milwaukee Journal and Sentinel archives, many of these images have rarely been on public view.

Also open in the Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts, James Benning and Sharon Lockhart: Over Time explores the work of two contemporary artists who both cite the influence of the other’s work on their films.

Beginning Oct. 3, the Museum will present Landfall Press: Five Decades of Printmaking in the Bradley Family Gallery. The exhibition honors the 50th anniversary of the renowned printing and publishing workshop Landfall Press, founded in Chicago by publisher and master printer Jack Lemon. As home to the Landfall Press Archive, the Milwaukee Art Museum is the ideal place to celebrate and explore this experimental and collaborative wellspring for hundreds of influential artists.

A selection of the most iconic paintings from The Phillips Collection, America’s first museum of modern art, will be on view in A Modern Vision: European Masterworks from The Phillips Collection. Opening Nov. 15, the exhibition will feature 50 masterworks by some of the best-known figures of European modernism including Édouard Manet, Gustave Caillebotte, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Pierre Bonnard, Wassily Kandinsky, Amedeo Modigliani and Pablo Picasso.

Additional materials will allow visitors to explore the connections between The Phillips Collection and the collection of Peg Bradley, an influential local collector of modern works whose gifts helped form the backbone of the Museum’s modern art collection. Artists including Marc Chagall, Gabrielle Münter and Georgia O’Keeffe are among those represented by the beloved works in the collection.

In Four Seasons of American Landscapes, on view in Gallery K230, paintings and prints by 19th- and 20th-century artists highlight the cycles of the year, in depictions of the American landscape that are often serene and bucolic, sometimes tumultuous and deadly.

In the Collection rotation, Experimental Ink: Nineteenth-Century French Prints from the Hockerman Collection, opening Nov. 22, prints by artists such as Félix-Hilaire Buhot, Eugène Delacroix, and Félix Vallotton demonstrate the extensive experimentation that was central to printmaking during the 19th century.

“We are very proud of the exhibitions on view, and the collection of events and activities this season is sure to delight,” said Amanda C. Peterson, Senior Director, Audience Engagement, Milwaukee Art Museum. “From Dia de los Muertos celebrations and Thursday night happy hours to thoughtful lectures and scholarly programs—there’s always something to learn, do, and explore for every mood.”

Milwaukee’s artiest party, MAM After Dark, sponsored by Northwestern Mutual, continues on one Friday evening almost every month with live music, dancing, drinks and themes tied to art and exhibitions.

On Sept. 20, visitors can party in honor of Robert Indiana’s and Mark di Suvero’s September birthdays with classic games and cake thanks to evening sponsor Sculpture Milwaukee and supporting sponsor Door Peninsula Winery.

On Oct. 18, scavenger hunts and exciting discoveries await during the mystery-themed edition of the event with evening sponsor Ernst & Young.

Friendsgiving on Nov. 15 celebrates good friends and Native American Heritage Month with evening sponsor Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.

Admission is $12 in advance, $14 at the door and free for Museum Members.

Kids and families will take over the Museum on Oct. 13 at the popular Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays: Día de Los Muertos. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors can celebrate loved ones through art making, music and more. The annual cultural event will feature hands-on art activities that allow guests to explore the colors and symbols of Day of the Dead and folkloric dance performances by Dance Academy of Mexico. Guests can bring a picture or write the name of someone special who has passed away to add to the community ofrenda (altar).

On Nov. 2, 7–10 p.m., celebrate Day of the Dead with the Dia de los Muertos Costume Contest and Dance, presented by El Conquistador Latino Newspaper. The evening will feature a Catrina (costume) contest, an authentic Mexican dinner and a night of dancing.

At Kohl’s Art Generation Family Sundays: Artful Holiday on Dec. 8, visitors can discover the art of printmaking inspired by the exhibition Landfall Press: Five Decades of Printmaking. Families can meet area printmakers, watch demonstrations and create prints to take home as gifts, all while enjoying the sounds of the season.

On Nov. 20, 5–8 p.m., Museum Members can shop the Museum Store during the private, after-hours Holiday Shopping Party, which will include the debut of this year’s ornament, live music, complimentary wine and appetizers, free gift wrapping and free parking in the underground garage.

During Museum Store Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., on Dec. 1, shoppers will receive a special gift for their patronage during the international day highlighting the unique offerings of museum stores. All purchases support Museum exhibitions and programming, and Members receive double their discount.

On Dec 5, at Teen Night, the evening event created by teens for teens, the Museum will feature teen-led tours through the galleries and exhibitions, hands-on art making and live performances to welcome teens from all over the area. Admission is free, thanks to Meijer as part of Meijer Free First Thursdays.

For more information on these exhibitions and events, as well as additional programs, visit mam.org.

Exhibitions are made possible by the Milwaukee Art Museum Visionaries Debbie and Mark Attanasio, Donna and Donald Baumgartner, John and Murph Burke, Sheldon and Marianne Lubar, Joel and Caran Quadracci, Sue and Bud Selig and Jeff Yabuki and the Yabuki Family Foundation.

Opening Exhibitions:

Portrait of Milwaukee
September 6, 2019–March 1, 2020
Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts, Milwaukee Art Museum
Organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum
Curated by Ariel Pate, Assistant Curator of Photography
Presenting Sponsor: Johnson Financial Group
Exhibitions in the Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts are sponsored by the Herzfeld Foundation and Madeleine and David Lubar.

James Benning and Sharon Lockhart: Over Time
September 6, 2019–March 1, 2020; April 17–August 2, 2020
Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts, Milwaukee Art Museum
Organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum
Curated by Lisa Sutcliffe, Curator of Photography and Media Arts
Supporting Sponsors: Christine A. Symchych and James P. McNulty

Landfall Press: Five Decades of Printmaking
October 3, 2019–February 9, 2020
Bradley Family Gallery, Milwaukee Art Museum
Organized by the Milwaukee Art Museum
Curated by Nikki Otten, Associate Curator of Prints and Drawings
Sponsors: Milwaukee Art Museum’s Print Forum and Russ Jankowski

A Modern Vision: European Masterworks from The Phillips Collection
November 15, 2019–March 22, 2020
Baker/Rowland Galleries, Milwaukee Art Museum
Organized by The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC
Coordinated by Tanya Paul, Isabel and Alfred Bader Curator of European Art, Milwaukee Art Museum
Presenting Sponsor: Johnson Financial Group
Leadership Sponsor: Wendy Sleight
Supporting Sponsor: Four-Four Foundation
Contributing Sponsor: Suzy B. Ettinger Foundation

Continuing exhibition: 

Nares: Moves

Through October 6, 2019

Supporting Sponsors: Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Donald W. Layden, Sr., in honor of Donald W. Layden, Jr., Joan Lubar and John Crouch, and Kasmin Gallery, New York

Additional Events:

Sept. 3: Museum returns to winter hours and is closed on Mondays. Open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Thursdays, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

Oct. 7–10: The Quadracci Pavilion, Café Calatrava, and the Calatrava underground garage will be closed to the public, although the Museum will remain open. Visitors can enter through the Group Tour entrance off Lincoln Memorial Drive or the East End entrance near the War Memorial parking lot. The Museum Center Park parking lot will remain available for parking with automatic discounts for Museum Members with their membership cards. The East End will be open for lunch and Thursday evening happy hour.

Meijer Free First Thursdays: Admission is free for all visitors thanks to Meijer. Sept. 5, Oct. 3, Nov. 7, Dec. 5, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

2020 Free First Thursdays: Admission is free Jan. 2, Feb. 6, Mar. 5, 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

Yoga @ the Museum with OmTown Yogis: Yoga appropriate for all skill levels with a lake view. Sept. 21, Oct. 19, Nov. 16, Dec. 14, Jan. 25, 8:15–9:30 a.m. $15 suggested donation.

Story Time in the Galleries: Educators read a story while surrounded by art every Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m., sponsored by Kohl’s Cares. Free with Museum admission.

Happy Hour at the East End: Beer, wine, and drink specials with a lake view. Every Thursday night, 5–7:30 p.m.

Drop-in Tours: Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and on Sundays at 2 p.m., free with Museum admission

Kohl’s Art Generation Studio: Open every day the Museum is open, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., 7 p.m. Thursdays, featuring educational and engaging hands-on activities with a different project every month.

About the Milwaukee Art Museum

Home to a rich collection of more than 30,000 works of art, the Milwaukee Art Museum is located on the shores of Lake Michigan. Its campus includes the Santiago Calatrava–designed Quadracci Pavilion, annually showcasing three feature exhibitions, and the Eero Saarinen–designed Milwaukee County War Memorial Center and David Kahler‒designed addition.In 2016, after a yearlong renovation, the Museum reopened its Collection Galleries, debuting nearly 2,500 world-class works of art within dramatically transformed galleries and a new lakefront addition. This reimagined space also allows for the presentation of additional changing exhibitions. For more information, please 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.