Milwaukee Art Museum to kick off the summer with new exhibitions and lakeside spaces

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) --- The Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) is kicking off the summer with new exhibitions, opportunities on the museum's green spaces overlooking Lake Michigan, and newly reopened spaces to explore.

On June 11, Americans in Spain: Painting and Travel, 1820-1920, will open. Officials say it is the first major exhibition to focus on the impact of Spanish art and culture on American painters. It is also the first exhibition to open in the museum's Baker/Rowland Galleries since closures due to COVID-19.

Officials say the exhibition highlights prominent American artists such as Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase, Robert Henri and John Singer Sargent, who traveled to Spain for training and to study the old masters at the Prado Museum in Madrid.

It will be open through Oct. 3 with more than 100 paintings, photographs, and prints. 

On Thursday, June 17, the museum will debut Lakeside at MAM on the east lawn. Throughout the summer during museum hours, the public can relax and enjoy snacks and refreshments while experiencing a variety of programming opportunities. 

The museum will also participate in Sculpture Milwaukee 2021's exhibition beginning in June. The sculpture Monumental Holistic III (1979) will be permanently installed on the museum's campus, south of the main entrance to the Quadracci Pavilion. 

“It feels wonderful to announce this range of new experiences for the summer,” said Robert Stein, Deputy Director and Chief Experience Officer. “The anticipation of welcoming more people back to the Museum as the weather warms is palpable. The addition of major exhibitions, expanded hours and more opportunities to be together again is something we’ve all been waiting for. Lakeside at MAM is an especially exciting new way for the public to connect with the Museum while enjoying safe time together outside.”

The annual event Lakefront Festival of Art will be virtual again this year beginning June 18. 

In mid-July, the museum plans to reopen the Mezzanine and Level 2 galleries to visitors, along with three new exhibitions, officials say.

For more information on events and programming, click here.