Contact: Joan Rudnitzki, CFRE Director of Development 262.334.9638
RE: Plans for New Museum of Wisconsin Art to be Revealed
West Bend, WI—For Immediate Release—The design for the new home of the Museum of Wisconsin Art will be unveiled Sunday, May 23rd at 12:30pm during a presentation to be given just prior to the 7th annual Wisconsin Visual Art Lifetime Achievement awards ceremony. Architect James W. Shields of HGA Architects of Milwaukee, whose body of work includes Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin and the Butterfly Vivarium at the Milwaukee Public Museum, will be presenting his design for the new MWA location, which will be situated on Veterans Avenue on the Milwaukee River in the heart of downtown West Bend.
Shields has been an Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for the past two decades. He has received numerous awards for his work, including being named as a fellow by the American Institute of Architects, a recognition not given to another Wisconsin architect since 1995.
The MWA has been at its current downtown West Bend location since it was founded in 1961. In order to further develop the MWA’s ability to fulfill its mission and serve the community, the current structure has been expanded four times and remodeled once since its acquisition from West Bend Mutual Insurance Company. Moving to the new location will allow for further expansion and updating of operations to contemporary museum standards while preserving the current building as a much-beloved landmark of West Bend’s cultural district. The move will also require only minimal disruption in the day-to-day operations of the museum.
The new museum facility’s 32,000 square feet of contemporary dynamic space will provide for a comprehensive display of Wisconsin art that spans 1200 years and other amenities such as state of the art classrooms. Additional amenities common in most contemporary museums will also make space available for rentals and other public uses.
While multiple locations for the new facility were considered for the new art museum, the Veterans Avenue site was ultimately deemed the most cost-effective solution to the MWA’s expanding needs despite the constricting resources available in non-profit sector. It is expected that the new location will also help spur development in the riverfront area adjacent to downtown West Bend. Construction of the new facility is set to start within the year.
MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART
The Museum of Wisconsin Art, Inc. is located at 300 S. Sixth Avenue in downtown West Bend’s Cultural District. MWA is a regional art museum featuring the visual art of Wisconsin artists throughout the ages. Public hours are Wednesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Sunday 1:00-4:30 p.m. Admission: $5 for Adults, Students & Seniors $3, Children 12 and under are free. Members are always FREE. For more information, call 262-334-9638 or visit the website at http://www.wisconsinart.org.
