Museum of Wisconsin Art: Announces location for new regional art museum

Contact: Joan Rudnitzki, Director of Development, 262.334.9638 ext.225

WEST BEND, WI — The Museum of Wisconsin Art is pleased to announce new developments regarding their plan for a new building. Five years ago initial plans for a new building were announced to the public and over the following years there have been numerous site and building options proposed. This has been a long journey interrupted by an unforeseen economic crisis which forced MWA to re-evaluate its plans last year. The MWA has had the help and support from all of its members, donors, Board of Directors, Site Selection Committee, Irgens Development and the West Bend Community. In making the announcement today, Executive Director Tom Lidtke said “The Museum will provide the greater Milwaukee area and all of Wisconsin with a new cultural venue. It will be the first and only institution to tell the comprehensive story of art in Wisconsin, both historic and contemporary.”

The site chosen is a parcel of land along the Milwaukee River just south of Highway 33. This site will be brought before the West Bend City Council for consideration on Monday night, November 16. This section of land is bordered by the Milwaukee River to the west, Highway 33 to the North, the Eisenbahm Trail to the east and finally to the South lies the Ozaukee/Washington Land Trust offices. Downtown West Bend’s Main Street is connected to this land by three pedestrian bridges that span the Milwaukee River. MWA Board Member and MWA Site Selection Committee member Prudence Pick Hway notes,” This will surely create a boon for West Bend’s Main Street economics. This is a win-win for the city and will significantly add to the revitalization [of the downtown]”.

Initially the Museum looked at rehabilitating its present facility on the corner of 6th and Poplar in the West Bend’s Cultural District. The plan was difficult, expensive and would not have solved all of the museum’s current issues. The MWA then looked at several options including existing buildings and a new building at the current location; this last plan launched the capital campaign. Last year, the economic downturn forced MWA to look at different options for the building.

One thing that has never changed throughout this process is the need for a new building. The Museum’s mission fulfills a critical need within the arts community statewide. A new facility will be an important tool in furthering the Museum’s mission to collect, conserve, document and exhibit Wisconsin Art. In addition, construction on a different site minimizes disruption in programming during the building phase and allows MWA to apply proceeds from the sale of the existing building and demolition cost savings to the new architectural plan.

Building a new museum as opposed to revamping the current structure, “will ensure seamless service to the community,” states Joan Rudnitzki, Director of Development. Seeking an alternative building site also preserves the current building that was built in the 1930s as the second home of West Bend Mutual Insurance and has become a beloved landmark in the city.

MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART

The Museum of Wisconsin Art is America’s newest regional art museum housing the state’s most comprehensive collection of Wisconsin art. Its Early Wisconsin Collection (1830-1960) is the finest anywhere and is complemented by the work of Milwaukee native and artist Carl von Marr (1858-1936). Contemporary in-state artists are regularly displayed through temporary exhibitions and the One from Wisconsin solo exhibition series. MWA is located at 300 South Sixth Avenue, West Bend, WI. For more information, call 262-334-9638 or visit our website at http://www.wisconsinart.org.