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Milwaukee Art Museum
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Wed. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Thu. 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Fri-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
53 reviews for Milwaukee Art Museum
Walking around Milwaukee we noticed a really cool looking building, and it required further inspection, and we realized it's the Art Museum! It was too late on Saturday to go in and see all the works of art so we returned Sunday for a few hours.
We walked in and I personally was taken aback by how incredibly high the ceiling was, thus completely distracting me from noticing the admission booths...which really were just small desks anybody could pass up. $22 later both me and friend were walking into the exhibits, first up was a room with ancient armor, ancient time clocks, and random other thing such as drinking cups and trunks and whatnot.
The pieces here vary from ancient to modern, covering every era and every style of art. My favorite piece was a statue called "The Kiss" in which a man and woman are naked on a rock partaking in a very passionate kiss. But I also very much enjoyed various other painting and photographs that are housed here at MAM.
The rooms seem to just to go on and on, some which are a bit bland for my tastes and others that I am sure I spent 15 minutes in, really soaking up the paintings. They have a few rooms for Georgia O'Keefe, which really got me excited because I loved her pieces growing up.
The admission is good all day long, so I suggest going for a little bit in the morning, leaving for lunch, and then coming back and looking at everything else you didn't see. They also have themed tour brochures, grab one of those and use them to see a bit of everything!
Be there at noon when the clam opens. Andy Warhol exhibit worth seeing. Surprisingly good modern art exhibits. New portion of the building reminds me of the Denver Art Museum addition and the setting on Lake Michigan is breathtaking. If you like modern art and want to see a dynamic museum that will make you wonder if you somehow landed in NYC, SFO, or the Second City, you should visit this place.
As a professional museologist, I must judge this art museum on the shores of Lake Michigan. Yes, today's museum buildings tend to overpower the contents of the interior, but one can't be amazed at this wonderful piece of architecture...whether it is a museum or not is unimportant. The architect Santiago Calatrava is one of the masters working today and let's hope we get his Spire design in Chicago. This dude is incredible. Make sure to stay for the closing of the wings, what a sight to see. But let's get to the inside. Yes, the architecture is still candy for the eyes but the overall presentation of the art pieces is very good, even though it might be best to consult a map for first-time visitors. See, this is what happens when you build a new addition...the layout tends to get confusing. I personally liked the Arts and Crafts section full of Frank Lloyd Wright furniture and the like. The museum also has a decent enough modern art section. One more thing...the shop is where all other shops go to die. I've worked in my fair share of museum shops and you would think I had seen it all, but this is absolute perfection. Again this shows that architecture and commerce win over art, but that's not stopping me from being a fan of this museum.
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Overall, this is a nice art museum. I'm not a huge art fan, but I really enjoyed myself here. They have a nice, albeit small, exhibit of blown glass artwork which I found really interesting. Otherwise, their collection is an eclectic mix of sculpture and painting.
The obvious must do of this museum is to watch the Calatrava wings open/close and to check out the atrium of the main hall. If you aren't a huge art lover, I would pass on the museum - there are more interesting tourist attractions in Milwaukee.
Come here for the architecture, stay for the inexpensive admission.
Not a bad art museum, one of the highlights of Milwaukee for sure. It is a lot bigger than it seems from the outside. A friend had her wedding here, and it was a fantastic space for a wedding and reception, the room had an amazing view and they got to watch the fireworks from one of the weekly festivals to top off the evening.
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What new life the Santiago Calatrava wing, (or "wings"), has breathed into the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Lakefront, and the City of Milwaukee itself! The space is amazingly open, showcasing the lakefront location and welcoming to art patrons.
Do yourself a favor and park on the third level in the parking ramp across the street, then you can walk across the bridge and take in the stunning Calatrava addition at eye level. The museum itself is not too expensive. Show your student I.D. for 1/2 price admission. Children are free! There are lots of kid-friendly programs, such as the Scavenger hunt book that my son received. The book talked about "Patterns" in the art, and gave a small portion of pieces of art he had to recognize and write or draw about. Then each page also talked about something relating to the piece such as movement, trick of the eye, drumming patterns that one might hear in a West Indie market painting. Very cool. Besides the special programs, the MAM is very kid-friendly, and it's not too crowded.
My son really liked the "Infinity Space", the light box you walk into that seemed to not have a floor and go on forever. The best art starts a dialogue in my opinion, and my son asked "what's 'infinity'?" Living in Chicago, and having the Art Institute and Museum of Contemporary Art, the Milwaukee Art Museum selection definitely is not yet at that caliber. But what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality.
Their art signage and explanations are excellent. A fan of the Marino Marini horse sculptures I saw in D.C., MAM had one of his sculptures and an accompanying painting and description. It was awesome to learn that Marini's hesitant horses equated to People bucking against dictatorships, and government restraints in general. Way to stick it to the Man, Marino!
The MAM has an extensive Folk Art and Outsider Art collection. I was ecstatic that they had two pieces of James Hampton's Revelations-inspired "The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly"! Much of the Outsider art is religious in tone (a big impetus for creating) and also much of it is painted wood carvings.
The Mrs. Bradley collection and Bradley wing was really impressive in its focus. The current showing focuses on paintings by Gabriele Münter with a concentration on German Expressionists and the Ashcan school, including her five summers spent in the Swiss Alps with Kandinsky. Many of the artists that influenced each other during this short period were included. And although their art may have differed greatly from each other, it showed what a shrewd and intelligent collector Mrs. Bradley was. There is also a Bradley lounge area, left just as Mrs. Bradley decorated it for her daily visits and frequent entertaining she did at the Museum.
Oh, and psst...they have a favorite piece of mine by Robert Irwin. This should definitely be on your tourist agenda in Milwaukee, and if you're a resident, frequent visits should be your agenda for the coming year!
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This stunning Santiago Calatrava "sailing ship" addition is definitely worth the trip and is a welcome sight on the waterfront. I love great architecture like this and am pleased to see that downtown Milwaukee is improving from previous years.
And it is easy to forget about the art when you're paying more attention to the moving metal sails. But do come inside and look around the exhibits and experience the calmness of the spacious interior hall and the white marble flooring.
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It's been a while since I have been, but I wanted to add this to my list of favorite museums. I used to drive up here from Chicago when I wanted to get out of the city and hang out in a more human friendly location. It was always worth the drive to see what was going on at this unique museum located right on the lake. The building itself is worth contemplating for a few hours. Natural light adjusted by minimalistic utilitarian sail streams into this futuristic cultural cathedral that floats harmoniously over the boundless lake backdrop.
The last time I was here was for the Pizarro exhibit. It was splendidly laid out and directed, and was extremely informative. In the original wing my favorite pieces are the small collection of Barbara Hepworth sculptures on the the third floor. These (like the Shapiro on the same floor) are illuminated against the windows looking over the lake. It's a truly unique clean and peaceful experience to look at these pieces 'levitating' over the lake.
We like to check out art museums when we travel. And this one was, well, okay. Better than I expected, actually. They did a nice job of trying to cover a lot of ground, a sort of "one of everything" approach, but that is okay. The write-ups next to the paintings were good, and the paintings were well organized and well-lit; it looked like the curator is very thoughtful and skilled. If you're in Milwaukee, it's worth a visit.
Though I've only been to the museum twice since the Calatrava addition opened a few years back, and my 2nd time was just last weekend, I always have a great time each trip I take to MAM. The permanent collection of this museum appears to me for the most part, probably a little bit newer than at the Art Institute. Regardless, both museums have interesting artwork in their collections, so I don't think I have a collection preference either way.
However though, I think I prefer the temporary exhibits that MAM gets over Art Institute, since for whatever reason, the ones here are more interesting to me. If you come here before October 2009(which I know is more than plenty of time before this closes), definitely check out the Sensory Overload exhibit, which was definitely the highlight of my most recent visit. Especially check out Matrix XV(2007) and Walk-In Infinity Chamber(1968) within this exhibit, and the latter which is being shown for the first time in 15 years. Finally(an important tip), make sure to show your college ID to get $4 admission, otherwise you will have to pay double to get in!
Sensory Overload info:
http://www.mam.org/sen...
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Nice roof. If you don't count tipis, wigwams and yurts, it's probably one of the best roofs I've seen. An OK place to eat sausage.
The art museum is probably the best place to visit in Milwaukee ... if you stop at Usinger's first ... Usigner's is the famous Milwaukee sausage place within walking distance from the lake. Feed your sandwich crumbs to seagulls while you're trying to figure out the roof ... this might be how Native American's figured out how to build tipis.
The museum building itself is an interesting architectural piece - nestled next to a park, it's nice to go in (you don't have to pay the iffy admission if you just want to take pictures by the window that overlooks the water as well as going into their gift shop). If you can going during their free days, take advantage of it. If not, it doesn't hurt to see their 'free' sculptures around the main floor.
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Well, the Santiago Calatrava addition was a turning point for the entire city of Milwaukee, wasn't it? Now, the city is a destination. The waterfront is stunning, Downtown is being redeveloped. New loft developments are popping up. Is Milwaukee in a renaissance? It's amazing what great architecture can do.
Hey, what about the art? Oh, yeah, the art. I almost forgot because I got caught up watching the moving metal sails of the Calatrava building. The art here shouldn't be overlooked as the permanent collection, while certainly much smaller than that of the Chicago Art Institute to the south, deserves its own attention, especially regarding late 19th and early 20th century works.
There is a wonderful calm here that allows you to really breathe in the experience. Leave your blood pressure medicine at home and let the Milwaukee Art Museum cure your ills for an afternoon.
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Well, as the French say: "a chacun son gout"*, or each to his own. And that could not be more true than in matters of art and architecture. But I like Milwaukee, and I love their art museum. My first visit was after the Calatrava addition, and was largely prompted by that fact. The things I love most about the museum are A) that addition and B) the private (Is it Bradley?) collection of art. After viewing that most eclectic collection, I decided if I were filthy rich, and could have my own famous art collection, it would look a lot like this one. Kind of makes me wish I had known these people. They would have me over, make me a scotch and soda with a lemon twist. We'd talk art and philosophy. (Come on, they say an active fantasy life is very healthy!)
The day I visited, I got to see the "wings" on the buiding open in the a.m. and close around 5 p.m. It was worth hanging out all day in Milwaukee. Makes such a great day trip from Chicago. Hangin' with the cheeseheads and away from all the F.I.B.'s....:-)
*hey, where can a guy find an accent grave or a circumflex around here?
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Beautiful from the outside, beautiful from the inside.
This building is breathtaking from so many angles. On a lovely sunny day, the bird with its wings open over the water is a fabulous sight. I went to an exhibit in the museum a while ago and it is still just as awesome as the day I first saw it.
There are lots of things to love about Milwaukee (in the summer time!) and this building tops the list.
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I feel bad writing what seems to be a bad review for this place, but I must be missing something. The architecture is by far the best part of this place. The art inside is decent, but it is still probably only a top 20 museum in the US.
Its hard to say to skip it seeing as there aren't many other attractions in Mil, but I would have been better off just checking out the free atrium part of the building.
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What a great museum! And the architecture!! OMG!!!
We got to go to the Art Museum for a wedding reception, and they had the "permanent" section open for viewing. Then saw other areas, and went back. We got to see it with the "wings" open and closed.
The Bradley section was interesting too, and got to watch a few videos about the woman behind the art.
A great place to see for sure!!
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Sadly, we missed the opening and closing of the sails since it was very windy and there was an impending thunderstorm, but despite that small letdown, I still found my visit to the art museum very enjoyable. True, we turned right instead of left upon entering the Collection Galleries making it so that we went from Antiquities straight to Minimalist art as opposed to progressing from Antiquities to Renaissance to Baroque, etc. and ending up at the Minimalist exhibit, but hey - it was still a good time =P I've even posted a couple pics of a couple pieces I really liked.
The building itself is awe inspiring and filled with impressive collections (both special and permanent). We spent several hours just wandering around and playing with the interactive pieces (yay for shiny objects that make funny noises!).
As everyone else says, a must see when in Milwaukee.
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If you've never been, you've probably seen it on TV. I'm pretty sure they shot the cholesterol/heart drug ads with Dr. Jarvic in here- all white and high tech spaceship looking inside. Big Pharma has plastered the airwaves with those brainwashing ads for months now- I watch 'em for the architecture... But in real life they thankfully don't have the cheesy green "laboratory" sign hung over a doorway, or the clear model of the human ;-)
The museum has a pretty interesting collection- a day well spent exploring. But most people are most struck by the art of the museum building itself! It juts out beautifully up to the lake shore and makes for a great view. And it's worth it to catch the flapping of the Burke Brise Soleil wings over the building too- cool to see and all your fellow museum goers will be there with their jaws open looking up at the sky above too. It moves sloooooowly.
I especially like the little seating area downstairs with all the various chair styles to choose from- a great, hands-on (or butt-on) chance to consider the merge of art/design/human interface in the form of iconic chairs- I get the Eames chair!
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the MAM has art that inspires.
the building itself was love at first sight for me. modern architecture and building design are my cup of tea.
all of the exhibits were superb. i was left wanting to see more but didn't get a chance due to my tight tourist schedule.
my favorite was the never ending light chamber. i took video inside of it and its posted on my flickr.
if possible, i'm getting married here. no joke. take a look at the pictures. the building has these wings that open up at 10, 12 and 5pm. I won't need doves! http://www.yelp.com/bi...
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MAM is one of the best museums in nation. In fact, I really like this place and wanna say it's the best museum to me so far.
I can't never get enough taking photos here. I have no clue about history and how famous it is but it's just beautiful and it is a must see for milwaukee visitors. (I am from Chicago...hmm originally from Thailand)
Tips: Nice old guy who works in the museum told me to go to parking lot to see something awesome....and it was!
When you go down there, you go near the mirror..look up and you will see the reflect of entire Milwaukee downtown.....and let me know how you like it :)
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I am a fan of Calatrava buildings and was about as happy that he designed the museum's "brise soleil" [ie, blinds/shades] as I am about the high speed rail funding coming down the pipeline. Urbanists unite!
This is the best museum I have ever been to. The architecture is Art in it's self. It is modern, substantial, amazing and doesn't take away for the art collection.
As far as the collection goes....
This was curated perfectly. Where the art is positioned, hung, how it flows, everything is just perfect and enjoyable. The collection has many important pieces and one's i never thought i'd get to see in person.
I cam across this by an accidental trip to Milwaukee, but feel the need to go back just for this museum alone.
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One of Milwaukee's greatest landmarks of all time! It is gorgeous. The architecture is pretty amazing inside and out. It is right on the lakefront and in summertime this is a great area to just hang out. As far as the art collection goes, I would say they have a lot of stuff worth checking out. I really enjoy being there just walking through the museum.
A visit to Milwaukee isn't complete with a stop at the MAM and the new(ish) Calatrava addition. The addition isn't a great place for displaying art, but it is a true work of art unto itself. I'm surprised and disappointed how few Milwaukeans have made the time to visit since the Calatrava opened years ago.
Very good art exhibits, great architecture, and a terrific view of downtown and the lake.
This is a solid art museum, both because of the architecture by Santiago Calatrava and its collection. It's certainly not the Louvre, or a handful of other truly amazing museums, but all around this is a definite place to visit while in Milwaukee.
I'm not quite as jazzed by all the works of Calatrava, this one included. It seems much more appreciable from the interior than the exterior to me. It worries me that something so futuristic looking will in fifty years seem laughingly trite then, much as the quasi-futuristic post-modernist buildings of the 70s and 80s emit a sort of dull, what-were-they-thinking drabness today. Then again, what do I know? It's all subjective anyway.
Their permanent collection here is manageable, which is a plus if you want to tour the whole museum in a day. Of course, if you go there in the middle of the afternoon like me, you'll need to go back unless it's a Thursday when they stay open until eight.
The old wing of the museum is not nearly as pretty architecturally as the new wing, and it seems like most of the collection is still in the old building. There's a smell of decay and mold in the old wing, which makes it a bit of a shame that the sleek and polished new wing is juxtaposed so starkly against its tired sister.
For a real thrill, don't forget to ride the cool circular elevator up to the dinky pedestrian bridge that connects the entrance to the Starburst sculpture leading you back to downtown!
Many of the arts were hard to understand.... guess I do not really need to understand ;P The building is so beautiful and unique. If I remember correctly, the designer is the same person who designed Chicago Spire... It was in Dec. when I first visited. It was foggy outside but I am pretty sure the view over the lake from the museum will be awesome!
Milwaukee always had a good art museum. When the Santiago Calatrava-designed addition opened in 2001, the city gained a great art museum, in fact one of the best art museums in the US.
The main focal point of MAM is, of course, the building itself. Living in Milwaukee, and being a regular visitor to the museum, I can honestly say the building never gets old. Every time I see it, it grabs me. Only the truly great architecture can do that: become part of the landscape, not sticking out like a sore thumb, but always open to new interpretation and contemplation. I have a feeling that when I bring my grandkids into this soaring building one day, it will have the same effect.
About the art: Like I said, even before the addition, Milwaukee's art museum was good. The permanent collection is solid. But Calatrava's addition has put MAM on the national art map. So now we have touring exhibits which, before the addition, would have never come through Milwaukee. The current special exhibit, a retrospective on Martin Ramirez, the outsider artist, is superb. With the addition, MAM has revitalized itself into being a major player on the national art scene. So we get to see exhibits of truly world quality right here in Brew City.
If I could give it ten starts, I would. It's a local treasure.
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This is definately my favorite place in the city. The museum itself is the most amazing building I have been in. I've traveled around the country and have been to many museums and this is by far my favorite (ok, living here I'm sure I'm biased).
I'm a member and always go for the special exhibits which for the most part are very good. I also like to bring people from out of town here and wander around the permanent collection. I've even convinced my husband, who usually dreads my museum visits when we are in other places on vacation, has become a big fan.
Overall, it's a great way to spend the day getting a dose of culture and enjoy a beautiful view of the lake.
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Amazing. Beautiful. Breathtaking architecture by Calatrava himself.
The art is displayed in an easy manner that doesn't feel snobby to a casual observer. Take the quick drive or train ride from Chicago and experience MAM.
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Its amazing how much one building can transform a city: I lived in Milwaukee through the construction and opening of this place, and it really made Milwaukee more of a destination and beautifies the lakefront even more. I am only disappointed that it isn't bigger; it seems that there is more public space than there is actual space for the artwork, making it more about the building. But it is worth it with such a building! Concerts inside are not as ideal since it is really an echo chamber, but you couldn't have a better visual atmosphere. The Gilbert and George exhibit was great. The old part of the museum is nice too, but a bit dated.
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A really, really beautiful and unique space and affordable ($4 general admission with a student ID). We were a little thrown off how jammed together each section of art was- 18th century French in one room, ultra-modern in the next. It was kind of jarring the first time.. I need a little more of a transition. If you're at all on the fence about visiting I would absolutely recommend it because of the unique space, the fantastic location and price. It's pretty "average" in terms of art museums, however.
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I adored the museum. The Modern Art section rocked my face off. I'm slightly spoiled by the free St. Louis Art Museum, but I'd pay to get into this museum any day. A pleasant surprise in my trek through the state. This museum made me want to come back to Milwaukee.
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This museum is so architecurally interesting - it just blows my mind.
Its so beautiful. Magnificent. Set against the lake - wow.
They have wonderful collections & exhibits. A great gift shop.
For a very fair price.
Apart from the architecture, and beautiful views of the lake, the collection within the museum is impressive. Having lived in both Washington DC and San Francisco I wasn't sure how the permanent collection would stack up against the museums I'd been to, but I was very impressed.
Saw the Pissaro exhibit here which was nice, but the most interesting piece I found was the giant 15 ft. by 15ft. video installation by Nam June Paik, tucked away on back wall on the bottom floor of the museum. The installation is comprised of dozes of 50s-style retro TVs stacked on top of each other, displaying patterns of flashing images mixing political, social and commercial messages and noise/sound, in typical Nam June Paik fashion. Pretty sweet.
Have you seen this thing?
I had a hard enough time with my Tinker Toys as a kid!
This is probably the most beautiful building I've been in all my life. It's breathtaking to walk in from the street. Do stay around for the wings to open/close.
The art collection is also very nice, and I've always enjoyed the special exhibits. I'm partial to museums with small collections/exhibits, because its really easy for me to go into art overload.
Don't let the astonishing design of Calatrava's addition obscure the very decent collection of art housed inside the museum itself. While Eero Saarinen's bunker-like box forms a forbidding northern edge to the museum, it houses a fine collection of art well worth visiting. So be sure to reserve some time and visit all the floors and areas of the museum, even the collection of "outsider" art. Luxuriate in some impressionist art, Haitian art, Georgia O'Keeffe, and many other highlights of the collection. There is a pleasant little restaurant downstairs where you can sit and look out onto the lake.
The construction of the Calatrava-designed addition touched off a renaissance of building and beauty along the lakefront, so also reserve some time to enjoy the beauty of Lake Michigan and Milwaukee's lakefront that is right outside.
Okay, so of all the places i never thought i would someday be driving from Chicago to Milwaukee to attend a three day seminar regarding life insurance from American General (AIG). But i did and on the last day they hosted an extravagant dinner for us at this museum.
OMG!! man, was it well worth the trip!! You don't really appreciate the artistry of the architectural design until it's explained to you the true vision and story of Santiago Calatrava; the design architect.
The museum is huge and has this white reminiscent brightness of light that flows through it with the amazing textures and historical art it really is a masterpiece. It's definitely an adventure worth visiting. A place where you can really appreciate the artwork and be inspired.
With the exquisite artwork and beautiful view of the lake it's a perfect museum experience! Best of all the unlimited free drinks and incredibly delicious dinner we had alongside the private dining area downstairs with beautiful views of the museums popular "wings" and lake view made for a memorable visit. It's a must see!!
This is one of those situations in which it is difficult to separate the museum's collection from the museum's building and location. However, I give the collection and visiting exhibits 4 stars, the building and location (on Lake Michigan...hello...does not get much cooler than this, especially not in the Midwest!) 6 stars, so that averages out to 5 stars.
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