Milwaukee Art Museum Blog

From the Collection: An Illuminated Manuscript

Post author By Catherine Sawinski
Post date May 14, 2019
2 Comments on From the Collection: An Illuminated Manuscript

French, Leaf from a Liturgical Psalter, early 14th century. Tempera, ink, and gold leaf on parchment. 6 3/8 × 4 7/16 in. (16.19 × 11.27 cm). Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Paula Uihlein M1932.108. Photo credit: John R. Glembin — French, *Leaf from a Liturgical Psalter*, early 14th century. Tempera, ink, and gold leaf on parchment. 6 3/8 × 4 7/16 in. (16.19 × 11.27 cm). Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Paula Uihlein M1932.108. Photo credit: John R. Glembin

French, *Leaf from a Liturgical Psalter*, early 14th century (detail). Tempera, ink, and gold leaf on parchment. 6 3/8 × 4 7/16 in. (16.19 × 11.27 cm). Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Paula Uihlein M1932.108. Photo credit: John R. Glembin

Before the invention of the printing press in the fifteenth century, books were handwritten. Imagine…every time a copy of a text needed to be made, someone had to do it painstakingly by hand. In our world of quick reproductions and the ease of hitting “print”, this can be hard to believe!

The exhibition The Art of Devotion: Illuminated Manuscripts from Local Collections, on view at the Milwaukee Art Museum through June 16, 2019, aims to provide an introduction to these handwritten texts—called manuscripts—that were made in the middle ages and early Renaissance. A good number of those manuscripts are also illuminated, or decorated with gold, silver, and bright colors that make them literally look like they shine from within.

Tags European art, French Art, From the Collection, Illuminated Manuscripts, Medieval art, middle ages, works on paper

Art

All The Ways to Play at MAM

Post author By Erin Aeschbacher
Post date May 14, 2019
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Because many museums house precious objects and valuable artworks, they tend to have a “look, but don’t touch” and “keep quiet” reputation. Doesn’t sound too fun, does it?

We often hear the misconceptions that museums aren’t spaces for children, that art museums are boring, or that older art objects lack relevance—when in fact, at MAM, there are countless opportunities for visitors to engage with and connect to art, make your own masterpiece, play games, get active, and even enjoy a beer (or two!). Read below for all the ways to play at the Museum.

Art

Mom & MAM

Not sure what to give Mom for Mother’s Day? From creative gifts to inspiring experiences, the Milwaukee Art Museum has you covered. Here are five ways to spoil Mom at MAM this year.

20th and 21st Century Design Art Collection

Functional Fashions

Installation view, “Functional Fashions,” Milwaukee Art Musuem, 2019.

*Within the disability community today, some may prefer identity-first language (e.g., “disabled person”), or person-first language (e.g., “person with a disability”). Because the curators do not know the preferences of the historical subjects in the “Functional Fashions” display, they chose to use identity-first language based on the recommendations of collaborators.

The mistaken belief that there is no history of clothing designs for disabled users has had a number of repercussions. Among them: nearly all designers treat their own iterations as inaugural, there has been a dearth of innovation as designs are continuously repeated, and disability-led innovation is written out of the historical record [1]. Not only is there a long history of clothing designed by and for disabled persons, but in some cases it sets a higher standard than the efforts that followed. “Functional Fashions,” a display in the 20th- and 21st-Century Design Galleries at the Milwaukee Art Museum, introduces the largest collaborative clothing line for disabled persons in American history.

Art

May Is Member Month

Man and woman looking at a sculpture made of buttons

Members—May is all about you! The Milwaukee Art Museum is so thankful for your support throughout the year, and to show our appreciation, we are giving you a full month of added benefits, special offers, and extra Member-only events.

Art

How Can You Support MAM? Nine Ways to Make a Difference

Post author By Erin Aeschbacher
Post date May 1, 2019
1 Comment on How Can You Support MAM? Nine Ways to Make a Difference

How did we maintain 65,340 square feet of granite plazas, fill 39,913 square feet of exhibition space, and inspire 355,878 visitors in the past year? With your help! As a private nonprofit, the Milwaukee Art Museum relies on the generous support of its Members, donors, visitors, and volunteers.

No matter what you’re able to do, there are so many ways to help the Museum remain a source of learning, inspiration, and creativity—from a one-time donation to year-long membership. Read below to learn all the ways you can show your support (and have fun at the same time).

20th and 21st Century Design Art Collection Curatorial

20th-Century Tools for Measuring Time and Bodies

Post author By Hannah Pivo
Post date April 19, 2019
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Isamu Noguchi for Measured Time, Inc., *Clock and Kitchen Timer*, ca. 1932 (detail). Bakelite, metal, glass, and painted metal. Gift from the George R. Kravis II Collection M2018.246. Photo: Sotheby’s, © Sotheby’s, Inc. 2016, © 2017 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Isamu Noguchi for Measured Time, Inc., Clock and Kitchen Timer, ca. 1932. Bakelite, metal, glass, and painted metal. Gift from the George R. Kravis II Collection M2018.246. Photo: Sotheby’s, © Sotheby’s, Inc. 2016, © 2017 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. — Isamu Noguchi for Measured Time, Inc., *Clock and Kitchen Timer*, ca. 1932. Bakelite, metal, glass, and painted metal. Gift from the George R. Kravis II Collection M2018.246. Photo: Sotheby’s, © Sotheby’s, Inc. 2016, © 2017 The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Clocks, calculators, measuring tapes, and scales—tools for measurement and calculation have long been important for people to accomplish tasks at work, school, and home. A new display in the 20th- and 21st-Century Design Galleries considers the role designers played in shaping such devices in the twentieth century, with examples from the 1920s-1980s. On one hand, these objects demonstrate how many designers aimed to make tools that are simple to use and easy to read, such as the streamlined kitchen clock and timer that Isamu Noguchi designed for Measured Time, Inc. in the early 1930s. At the same time, these designs bring to light how measurement and calculation have been closely linked to the human body in the twentieth century, as this post explores.

Art Collection

The Herzfeld Center: Championing Women Artists

Post author By Erin Aeschbacher
Post date March 28, 2019
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Since its opening in 2015, the Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts has proudly featured many world-renowned female artists working in photography, film, video, and digital media, specifically through solo exhibitions and special programming. These initiatives contribute to an institution-wide effort to highlight more women artists, challenging the art world’s male-dominated past.

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we are looking back at some of the most recent Herzfeld Center exhibitions that have focused on women artists. Read below to learn more.

Art Collection

Wisconsin Women Artists Featured at Milwaukee Public Library

Post author By Erin Aeschbacher
Post date March 28, 2019
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In 2016, the Milwaukee Art Museum partnered with Milwaukee Public Library to present Wisconsin Women Artists, an exhibition of paintings on view through September 2019 in the Central Library Art Gallery.

From cultural leaders to art educators, women have played a pivotal role in the development of the arts in the city of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin. This selection of paintings by Wisconsin women artists spans more than one hundred years and highlights the breadth of their artistic contributions and output, from early realist landscapes and portraits, to abstract and modernist canvases.

Below are just a few of the works featured in the exhibition—stop by the library to see them all!

Art Collection

Women in Design

Female designers: shattering the glass ceiling, while creating glass masterpieces (among other innovative objects)

Though not often recognized as prominently as their male counterparts, female designers have had a significant impact on the world of design, using their creativity and inventiveness to push boundaries and marry the concepts of beauty and practicality. Read below to learn about some of the inspiring female designers featured in the Museum’s Design Galleries.