On September 21, 1975, the David Kahler-designed addition to the Milwaukee Art Center opened to the public. Among its many draws were newly constructed galleries on the second floor to house Peg Bradley’s extensive collection of 20th-century painting, sculpture, and works on paper.
Bradley also maintained a private apartment on that floor, where she and Museum staff entertained donors and encouraged them to support the institution. Selections from the Bradley collection—visitor favorites like Georgia O’Keeffe’s Poppies, Alex Katz’s Sunny #4, Ellsworth Kelly’s Red Yellow Blue II, and Pablo Picasso’s The Cock of the Liberation—have been on view there ever since. Discover the full collection online here.
Now, 50 years later, those works are on the move. Beginning September 2, the Bradley Wing closes to the public while the Museum celebrates the 50th anniversary of the collection’s debut. But not to worry—many of your favorites will still be on view. Highlights of the collection are on view in the Baker/Rowland Galleries for The Bradley Collection of Modern Art: A Bold Vision for Milwaukee, September 26, 2025–January 18, 2026. Many works have been newly conserved or reframed, looking their best for the occasion. A team of scholars has unearthed new information, such as where and when she acquired every single work, and a comprehensive catalogue offers new essays and insights along with images of the entire collection.
I knew I had nice pictures . . . and that they meant a lot to me, but I didn’t realize they would mean so much to the people who have turned out to see them.
—Peg Bradley
After the exhibition closes, the artworks will return upstairs to a reimagined space that offers a fresh take on 20th-century art. The new installation will feature dedicated rooms for artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Gabriele Münter, with new narratives informed by recent research. The renovated Bradley Wing will be reopen in time for Art in Bloom in April 2026.
While many of these works may be familiar, I hope you’ll see them with fresh eyes—and discover new stories behind the treasures in our galleries. As Peg Bradley said when the galleries first opened fifty years ago: “I knew I had nice pictures . . . and that they meant a lot to me, but I didn’t realize they would mean so much to the people who have turned out to see them.”
Liz Siegel is the chief of curatorial affairs at the Milwaukee Art Museum, where she leads its curatorial and collections departments, spearheads its exhibitions program and scholarly publications, and oversees acquisitions.