Built to Inspire

Shoshana Resnikoff, Demmer Curator of 20th- and 21st-Century Design, on experiencing the Quadracci Pavilion anew.

A new installation invites visitors to look beyond Milwaukee’s most recognizable landmark and discover the stories, ambitions, and community connections that continue to shape it today.

Most Milwaukeeans know the Quadracci Pavilion by sight.

For twenty-five years, the Pavilion has welcomed millions of visitors to the Milwaukee Art Museum. While its architecture is instantly recognizable, the story of how it came to be, and the impact it has had on Milwaukee since then, is less widely known.

Built to Inspire offers a new perspective on a place that feels familiar. Located in the Windhover Hall Rotunda, the installation invites visitors to look beyond the iconic architecture and explore how the Pavilion became a symbol of civic pride, creativity, and community. Through historic photographs, construction timelapse, an architectural model, and moments drawn from the last twenty-five years, visitors can discover the vision behind the building and reflect on what it has made possible.

At its heart, Built to Inspire is an invitation. Whether you remember the excitement surrounding the opening, visit regularly, or are discovering this remarkable space for the first time, we hope the installation encourages you to pause, look closely, and consider the many ways the Quadracci Pavilion has shaped our city and continues to inspire what comes next.

Learn more at mam.org/built-to-inspire. Discover the hidden stories behind the Pavilion and fall in love with this Milwaukee icon all over again.

Celebrate Beyond the Galleries

Share Your Inspiration
The Quadracci Pavilion stands as a testament to what a community can build together. And this celebration belongs to all of us! Commemorate 25 years of this Milwaukee icon by sharing your favorite photo with the wings on social media and tagging @MilwaukeeArt for a chance to be featured.

See How It Began
Continue the celebration in Lubar Auditorium with two original films from 2001, offering a rare glimpse into the vision and excitement surrounding the opening of the Quadracci Pavilion. It Started With a Dream tells the story of the visionaries who made it possible, while The Story of the Burke Brise Soleil reveals the remarkable engineering behind the Pavilion’s most iconic feature.

Continue the Inspiration Online
Your visit doesn’t end when you leave the Museum. Continue exploring the Quadracci Pavilion through an interactive online experience featuring stories, behind-the-scenes moments, and the people who keep this Milwaukee icon inspiring at mam.org/built-to-inspire.