Milwaukee Art Museum Launches Yearlong Celebration of the Santiago Calatrava-Designed Quadracci Pavilion’s 25th Anniversary

Illustration by James Steeno, courtesy of the Milwaukee Art Museum

MILWAUKEE, Wis.,— August 6, 2026—Twenty-five years after the Santiago Calatrava-designed Quadracci Pavilion transformed Milwaukee’s skyline and helped redefine the city’s identity, the Milwaukee Art Museum is launching Built to Inspire, a yearlong celebration honoring the building’s enduring impact on Milwaukee and the millions of people who have made it their museum.

Beginning August 27 the celebration invites Milwaukeeans and visitors alike to rediscover the Quadracci Pavilion not simply as an architectural icon, but as a place where art, community, and civic life come together.

At the center of the celebration is Built to Inspire: The Quadracci Pavilion at 25, a new installation in the Museum’s rotunda that traces the Pavilion’s evolution from an ambitious architectural vision to one of Milwaukee’s defining civic spaces. The installation reflects the Museum’s broader campaign vision: this anniversary is not simply about looking back, but about reaffirming why the Pavilion continues to matter today.

Curated by Shoshana Resnikoff, Demmer Curator of 20th- and 21st-Century Design, Built to Inspire brings together architecture, photography, film, and community participation to reveal how the Pavilion became woven into Milwaukee’s story.

“The installation was designed as a journey,” said Resnikoff. “Visitors begin by discovering the remarkable ambition behind the building’s construction. As they move through the Pavilion, the story becomes increasingly personal, revealing not only how the building came to life, but how it has become part of Milwaukee’s story. By the end, the dramatic interior spaces of the building itself become the final gallery.”

Visitors begin on parking level, where large-scale construction photography captures the extraordinary effort behind the Pavilion’s creation. As they ascend through the building, they encounter an original architectural model situating Calatrava’s work within the Museum’s existing architecturally significant campus, a cinematic time-lapse documenting construction, milestones that reveal the Pavilion’s impact over the last 25 years, and opportunities to explore its history further and share personal stories. By the time they reach the Museum level, the architecture itself becomes the final experience, reinforcing that the story of the Quadracci Pavilion is still unfolding.

The installation also invites visitors to become part of the story.

Through an interactive community response, visitors will be encouraged to share their own memories of the Milwaukee Art Museum, from family traditions and first encounters with art to celebrations, quiet moments of reflection, and unforgettable experiences beneath the Burke Brise Soleil. These stories will become part of the ongoing celebration, demonstrating how the Pavilion’s legacy lives not only in its design, but in the people whose lives it has touched.

As part of the anniversary, the Museum is also launching a commissioned illustration series featuring original works by Milwaukee artists including James Steeno, Whitney Anderson, Gabriela Riveros, and Laura Farahzad Mayer. Rather than creating architectural renderings, each artist has been invited to interpret the Pavilion through their own visual language, exploring what the building represents, evokes, and continues to inspire. The resulting works will appear throughout the year in advertising, throughout the Museum, and across digital platforms.

The Museum also invites artists throughout the community to share their own creative interpretations of the Quadracci Pavilion on social media using #Calatrava25. Selected works will feature on the Museum’s social media channels, expanding the conversation and showcasing the many ways the Pavilion continues to inspire creativity.

“For twenty-five years, the Quadracci Pavilion has welcomed millions of people to the Milwaukee Art Museum and has become one of the defining symbols of our city,” said Dr. Kim Sajet, Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director of the Milwaukee Art Museum. “Built to Inspire celebrates not only the extraordinary vision that created this place, but the countless moments of creativity, connection, and community that continue to unfold here every day. We hope visitors will see their own stories reflected in this celebration and be inspired to create new ones.”

Through Built to Inspire and a yearlong series of programs, partnerships and celebrations, the Milwaukee Art Museum invites the community to discover not only how the Quadracci Pavilion was built, but also what it continues to make possible.

To learn more, visit https://mam.org/exhibitions/built-to-inspire/

PRESS IMAGES AVAILABLE HERE.

Celebration Highlights:

August 27 – Built to Inspire: The Quadracci Pavilion at 25 opens

September 19 – Art: Forward Gala, The Museum’s signature fundraising event celebrates 25 years of the Quadracci Pavilion while supporting the art, education, and community programs that inspire Milwaukee.

December 19–January 3 – Winter Break Fun! Built to Inspire, Enjoy family-friendly programs that celebrate the Quadracci Pavilion’s 25th anniversary.

January 14 – Artist Talk: Michael Pink of the Milwaukee Ballet, Join Milwaukee Ballet Artistic Director Michael Pink for a behind-the-scenes look at how the Museum’s collection inspired the original choreography of MKE MIX: Art Moves.

February 4 – Director’s Talk, Hear from Kim Sajet about the ideas shaping the Museum’s future and the role creativity plays in building community and connection.

February 18 – Free Day + Celebration: Built to Inspire, Celebrate the Quadracci Pavilion’s 25th anniversary with free Museum admission and a day honoring the creativity, community, and civic spirit that continue to shape Milwaukee.

March 4 – Artist Talk: Chris Cornelius, Award-winning architect Chris T. Cornelius (Oneida) explores how architecture can express identity, foster belonging, and strengthen the connections between people and place.

May 21 – MAM After Dark: Turn of the Millennium, Experience the Quadracci Pavilion after hours with an evening of music, performances, art, and architecture inspired by 2001—the year the building opened to the public.

July 31 – Quadracci Pavilion Birthday Celebration, Everyone is invited to celebrate 25 years of the Quadracci Pavilion with art, music, hands-on activities, and community inspired festivities.

Visit

Built to Inspire: The Quadracci Pavilion at 25 is on view beginning August 27, 2026, in the Museum’s Rotunda. This installation is free for visitors to experience.

Admission to the Museum’s collection galleries and special exhibition spaces:

Adults: $27

Students, seniors (65+), military: $20

Kids 12 and under: Free, thanks to an anonymous donor

Wisconsin K–12 teachers: Free with valid school ID or pay stub

Members: Free

Thursday Nights at MAM:

Every Thursday, admission is pay-what-you-wish from 4 to 8 p.m.

Special Offer:

From August 26–November 22 the Museum will offer 25% off admission after 3 p.m.

Museum admission includes access to the Kohl’s Art Studio, which is open Thursday, 4–7, Friday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Beginning September 3, the studio will be open Saturday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Membership:
Members enjoy free admission, exclusive programs, and special access throughout the year. Learn more at mam.org/membership.

Experience the Burke Brise Soleil:
Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the Museum’s iconic wings open daily with the Museum, close and re-open at noon, and close at 10 p.m. The wings are illuminated nightly from sundown to 10 p.m.; movement is weather permitting.

Support

Leadership sponsors
CG Schmidt
Eileen and Barry Mandel
Milwaukee Art Museum’s Friends of Art
Contributing sponsor
GRAEF

The Milwaukee Art Museum extends its sincere thanks to the Visionaries for their support of the exhibition program:

Mark and Debbie Attanasio
Donna and Donald Baumgartner
Murph Burke
Bill and Sandy Haack
Chris Harned and Elizabeth Quadracci Harned
The Helmerich Trust
Kenneth and Alice Kayser
Joan Lubar and John Crouch
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; global contemporary art, with a strength in minimalist and conceptual 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.

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