Our Ramada Inn City Center is in the most remarkable location. Early in the morning, when there was a lot of fresh light, I went exploring with my iPad, not for the mapper, but for the video camera. Our hotel is practically under a freeway at one of those giant interchanges where one freeway connects to the other. Seconds from the hotel I passed under the freeway and onto a pretty white two-lane bridge with pedestrian walkways. The bridge went over a street and some nondescript area and eventually the Menomonee River. On the other side of the river was St. Mary's Cement, a favorite of the numerous seagulls in the area. Beyond that is the Lonestar Brewing company, with its big grain elevators. I crossed the street to the corner of the Harley-Davidson Museum; I observed the spacious and well-tended grounds but did not approach the museum. I went back across the bridge observing that a central sorting office for the Post Office was right near the railroad tracks; Amtrak and Greyhound have stations there as well. This area is a churning hub of activity.
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| Onramps next to our Ramada Inn |
I walked down the hill to Silver Creek Coffee Roasters; a pleasantly off-beat place with very bad latte. Then I walked up to the Hilton hotel, a huge brick building that probably started in a different era with a different name. Dan had told me that it had 700+ rooms and that, like our little motel, it was completely booked. I walked through the lobby and admired the crystal chandeliers and the gold filigree decorations. I found the Starbucks on the other side, for future reference. A policeman was planted outside Starbucks as though he had no intention of moving. I wondered if he were a beat cop or something. I said, "So you're just hanging out here?" He explained that there was a Governors' Conference in the convention center across the street—a blocks-long brick building with faked up old-time architecture. He didn't seem inclined to chat, so I came back to the motel.
The Milwaukee Art Museum is charming both for its structure and for its collections. The structure has two parts. The art is exhibited in the War Memorial building, which is actually quite modern and stylish, because it was designed by Eero Saarinaan, who is most famous for the Arch in St. Louis, in the 1950's. The exterior of this building is barely visible from the usual entrance to the museum. The entrance is in the spectacular new building designed by Santiago Calatrava for the purpose of housing guest services. This building is unique in having a huge, wing-shaped sunscreen that opens in the morning and closes in the evening—the only building I know with major moving parts. This is the sort of extravagance that critics love to hate, but it is beautiful to observe, and it put Milwaukee on the map for fans of architecture and art. The structure extends toward Lake Michigan and its shape recalls both a ship and a sea bird. Inside, the swooping curves and cathedral-like spaces prepare you for Art.
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| Milwaukee Art Museum |
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| Sunshade beginning to lower |
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| Sunshade almost closed |
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| The Entrance hall |
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| Corridor to the War Memorial Building, where the art is exhibited. |
The collections wowed me because they feature some of my favorite artists. There were two rooms full of works by Georgia O'Keeffe, who was born in Wisconsin. The selection showed the various stages her work went through in her long career. Around 1920 she did an exquisite, and very innovative, series of abstractions.
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Georgia O'Keeffe, 1887-1986
Series I, No. 3, 1918 |
By the 1930s she had turned to nature as her primary subject, especially the desert of New Mexico.
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Georgia O'Keeffe, 1887-1986
The Cliff Chimneys, 1938 |
In the 1940s she got into close-ups of bones she had found in the desert.
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Georgia O'Keeffe, 1887-1986
Pelvis I, 1944 |
Many of O'Keeffe's paintings bring out the abstract form of flowers. This one comes from the middle of the 20th century.
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Georgia O'Keeffe, 1887-1986
Poppies, 1950 |
There was a gallery devoted to Gabriele Munter, the largest group I have seen. She is a German artist who was famous during the first few decades of the 20th century.
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Gabriele Münter, 1877-1962
Portrait of a Young Woman, 1909 |
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Gabriele Münter, 1877-1962
Portrait of Mrs. von Hartmann, 1910 |
There were several works by English sculptor Barbara Hepworth located in a small gallery with a view of the beautiful lake.
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Barbara Hepworth, 1903-1975
Two Piece Marble, 1969 |
A similar gallery had several works by Harry Bertoia.
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| Harry Bertoia, 1915-1978 |
Several black artists were represented, including Loïs Mailou Jones from the 1930s, Robert Colescott from the 1970s, and the contemporary painter Kehinde Wiley.
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Loïs Mailou Jones, 1905-1998
The Ascent of Ethiopia, 1932 |
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Robert H. Colescott, 1925-2009
Hardhats, 1987 |
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Kehinde Wiley, b. 1977
St. Dionysus, 2006 |
They have quite an extensive collection of German 19th century painting. These quaint works feature "naturalistic" narratives in a detailed realistic style.
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Peter Heinrich Lambert von Hess, 1792-1891
French Soldeiers Plundering a Farm, 1826 |
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Eduard von Grutzner, 1846-1925
The Card Players, 1883 |
Donald Judd, Dale Chihuly and Alexander Calder were represented by major works.
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| Dale Chihuly |
Their special exhibit was called "30 Americans." It was a very extensive and very exciting collection of work by modern and contemporary African American artists. Some of the most liberated and experimental contemporary art is coming out of the black community. We were very impressed. No photography allowed.
The cafe is located in the "hull" of the building's "prow"—glass walls give wonderful views of mighty Lake Michigan. My salad was so good that I was tempted to order a second one.
When the museum closed we went outside to take photos of the sunshade closing; the movement is slow and majestic. A couple of different wedding parties arrived and moved off. Once the sunshade was closed, it immediately began opening again for a special event, perhaps a wedding party.
From there we took a lovely ride along the shore of beautiful Lake Michigan. The City of Milwaukee has done an admirable job of developing the coastline for the benefit and entertainment of its citizens. Several miles of shoreline have parks of different types and sizes on both sides of the lakeside road. Marinas, public beaches, bike paths—everything clean and inviting—as well as museums of different types with great views of the lake.
