Embark on an art adventure through southeastern Wisconsin! From Racine to Milwaukee and Sheboygan, discover a diverse collection of art museums, showcasing everything from renowned masterpieces to awe-inspiring outdoor sculptures.
So, gather your friends and set out on this artistic adventure, arranged south to north, with treasures awaiting around every turn.
Explore Milwaukee Museums
Milwaukee Art Museum
It’s iconic, photogenic, and nestled against the Lake Michigan coastline. Santiago Calatrava’s architectural brilliance cemented the Milwaukee Art Museum as a centerpiece of the Milwaukee skyline. See the beautiful Burke du Soleil open with the museum, flap at noon, and close at 5 p.m. (weather permitting). Spend the day exploring the sprawling galleries that house more than 32,000 pieces including works from Claude Monet, Kehinde Wiley, and Georgia O’Keeffe.
Now on View:
Check out the striking set of murals by Derek Adams, now through May 11, 2025, the latest in the MAM’s On-Site series. "Our Time Together” celebrates the rituals of everyday Black life and leisure and includes nods to Milwaukee staples like Gee’s Clippers and Coffee Makes You Black.
Charles Allis Art Museum
Found in Milwaukee’s East Side neighborhood, the Charles Allis Art Museum is home to a unique, world-class art collection. Once belonging to the Allis family, the Eschweiler-designed Tudor-style mansion now serves as a museum that showcases a priceless assortment of pieces from around the world, such as vases, paintings, and brass statues.
Now on View:
Through Feb. 23, 2025, Allis Artist-In-Residence Tracy Keller Nickolaus presents “left with your memories,” a poignant exploration of the people experiencing memory loss and the families supporting them.
Lynden Sculpture Garden
Make the short trip north of the city to Brown Deer to engross yourself in 40 acres of park, lake, and woodland at the Lynden Sculpture Garden. Beautifully coupling the scenic surroundings of nature with artistic expressions, the sculpture garden invites you to blaze your own tail and create an experience all your own.
Now on View:
Explore the exhibition, “Call & Response: Asmaa Walton and the Black Art Library,” through Feb. 28, 2025. The exhibit is dedicated to preserving cultural memory and creating a more complete and accessible cultural record of Black art and artists.
Grohmann Museum
Tucked away in the heart of downtown Milwaukee is the world’s most comprehensive art collection dedicated to the evolution of human work. The Grohmann Museum is a massive assortment of more than 1,700 paintings and sculptures, and it celebrates the many trades that have built society through centuries of work.
Upcoming Exhibit:
The Grohmann welcomes photographer Michael Schultz’s latest exhibit, “On the Edge: The Labor and Environment of Dimensional Stone Quarries,” excavating beauty from these artificial industrial canyons. It runs Jan. 17-April 27, 2025.
Haggerty Museum of Art
Located on the campus of Marquette University, the Haggerty Museum of Art has more than 10,000 pieces in its collection, including a wide selection of European art and modern and contemporary photographs.
Upcoming Exhibit:
The Haggerty Museum of Art celebrates its 40th anniversary with The Big 4-0, Vol. 2: New Views of the Collection, a showcase highlighting the museum’s growth and evolving collection. Featuring collection favorites such as Keith Haring and Salvador Dalí paintings and a selection of newly acquired works, the exhibition offers a fascinating glimpse into contemporary artistic expression. On display through May 19, 2024, this is a must-see for art enthusiasts and casual visitors alike.
Museum of Wisconsin Art
The Museum of Wisconsin Art’s (MOWA) primary location, known as the “Mothership,” is nestled along the Milwaukee River in West Bend. The stunning structure houses a two-story museum featuring clean lines and a triangular geometry that offers five permanent collection galleries and two exhibition galleries. MOWA has three satellite locations throughout the state, including one in downtown Milwaukee at Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel.
Now on View:
The MOWA-West Bend is exhibiting “Art Gebhardt: A Painter’s Painter" through Feb. 23, 2025, celebrating the work of Arthur “Art” Gebhardt, a businessman, philanthropist, and painter.
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
Head north along the lakefront to visit the historic and breathtaking Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum. The lavish Renaissance-style villa overlooking Lake Michigan houses a decorative arts wing as well as the Renaissance Gardens featuring stunning floral arrangements. Its architecture, beautifully manicured gardens, and decorative arts create a wholly encompassing artistic experience.
Now on View:
Its latest exhibition, “Disruptive Ecologies,” is a group show rooted in overcoming oppression and forging community and runs through May 11, 2025.
Make a Trip to Racine
Racine Art Museum (RAM)
Get crafty at the Racine Art Museum (RAM), North America’s largest contemporary craft collection. Featuring fine works of art from expertly blown glassworks to painstakingly designed textiles, the museum blurs the line between fine art and craft, emphasizing the concepts behind the pieces instead.
Now on View:
Through July 19, 2025, the exhibit “Low: René Amado” spotlights the world of lowrider culture and creativity through the camera lens of Racine’s own René Amado.
Cedarburg Must-See Spots
Cedarburg Art Museum
Head out to the charming village of Cedarburg for a collection of more than 260 paintings housed in a beautifully crafted 124-year-old mansion at the Cedarburg Art Museum. The three-story combination of Romanesque, Queen Anne, and classical architectural styles showcases a collection of outstanding Cedarburg and Wisconsin artists throughout its halls.
Upcoming Exhibit:
Its next exhibition, which runs from Jan. 18 to April 27, 2025, keeps its focus close to home – “A Vision for Cedarburg: The Legacy of E. Stephan Fischer.”
Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts
While you’re out in Cedarburg, stop by the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts for the only museum in Wisconsin dedicated to the rich tradition of fiber arts. The museum invites visitors to discover the artistic importance of quilts, traditional needle arts, and fiber arts in our community at an idyllic 1850s farm site.
Now on View:
Shin-hee Chin: Rootedness at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts showcases the artist’s rich fiber and mixed-media works exploring themes of nature, humanity and cultural identity. Drawing on feminist traditions, Christian spirituality and Eastern philosophy, Chin creates beautifully multilayered pieces that bridge the personal and universal - on view now through March 2, 2025.
Discover Sheboygan Museums
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center highlights work by self-taught and contemporary artists across the center’s eight galleries.
Now on View:
Now through April 27, 2025, the center is hosting the “Willie Cole: Home Assembly” exhibit, which showcases how the artist refigure's every day and oft-discarded objects into explorations of enslaved labor and grief. Another fascinating exhibit–”Lunch Break: Arts/Industry In Between”–celebrates the connection between Kohler’s artists and factory associates and is on display through May 4, 2025.
The Art Preserve
The Art Preserve, part of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, is the world’s first museum to focus on artist-built environments. With more than 25,000 works throughout the unique three-level architectural marvel, the collection spans a number of different disciplines, focusing on site-specific artist creations designed to significantly transform a space.
Even More Art to Uncover
Looking to dive deeper into Milwaukee’s art scene? Explore Sculpture Milwaukee’s annual exhibitions, peruse the outdoor mural gallery at Black Cat Alley, or visit local galleries showcasing emerging artists. Plan your own art itinerary and experience the creative spirit of Milwaukee!
