Message from the Director

Dear Donors, Members, and Friends of the Museum:

Over the past year, we have been heartened to see an overwhelming return of visitors to the Milwaukee Art Museum’s campus. Life has progressed closer to what we remember before the pandemic, and we were eager to welcome you throughout the year to enjoy many meaningful art experiences together. We continue the important work of inspiring and engaging guests of all ages through art, serving the community as a dynamic destination and celebrated icon for Milwaukee.

We were delighted to present exhibitions with a range of ideas and perspectives and to broaden their reach for local, national, and international audiences. This included the final iteration of the nationally touring exhibition An-My Lê: On Contested Terrain, the first survey of work spanning the celebrated photographer’s career, and Always New: The Posters of Jules Chéret, which highlighted James and Susee Wiechmanns’ generous gift of more than 600 works by the artist to the Museum and the idea, relevant today, that change is central to modern life. For the Museum’s On Site series, critically acclaimed artist Derrick Adams created Our Time Together, a site-specific installation that reframes historical Black narratives by commemorating rituals of everyday Black life and leisure in Milwaukee. From large feature presentations to more intimate collection-based rotations, our exhibitions fostered important dialogues and new modes of considering our history and shared humanity.

Through the remarkable work of our devoted team and trusted community partners, the Museum also hosted a robust calendar of dynamic programming. Visitor favorites such as Art in Bloom and curator gallery talks returned, and we premiered the Expert Series, which sparked conversations and created new opportunities for the community to engage more deeply with art.

At year’s end, we had a change in leadership in the Education Department. Brigid Globensky, Barbara Brown Lee Senior Director of Education and Programs, retired after 22 years with the Museum. Like her predecessor, Barbara Brown Lee (BBL), Globensky brought impassioned energy and an unparalleled dedication to ensuring all the Museum’s visitors experienced the wonder in art. We remain in exceedingly talented and competent hands as Amy Kirschke, who worked alongside Globensky and BBL and has served the Museum for 20 years, steps into the expanded role of Barbara Brown Lee Senior Director of Learning and Engagement.

I am profoundly grateful to the Museum’s dedicated staff and volunteers for ensuring the Museum continues to welcome and uplift audiences of all ages and backgrounds. In the year ahead, the team and I look forward to welcoming new and returning visitors through our doors to enjoy transformative art experiences, find inspiration, and connect with one another.

Thank you,

Marcelle Polednik, PhD Donna and Donald Baumgartner Director