Photo Courtest Dave Reid, Flickr CC
Big things are afoot at one of Milwaukee’s most unusual and delightful museums. Milwaukee School of Engineering’s (MSOE) Grohmann Museum—already boasting the world’s most comprehensive art collection tracing the history of human work—has added yet another jewel to its crown. Joining the collection of more than 1,000 paintings and sculptures dating back to 1580 is Lee Frederickson’s The Welder, a painting completed in 1934 under the aegis of the Public Works of Art Project branch of FDR’s New Deal. Milwaukee is a fitting home for The Welder given that Frederickson lived and worked nearby in Clinton, Wis., and considering that the painting originally graced the wall of the Milwaukee Vocational School, a predecessor of MATC.
Saturday, March 12 is a fine day to drop by the Grohmann. Not only can you check out the new painting, visitors can join in a workshop from 12-4 p.m. called “Future Transportation and the Railroad of Tomorrow.” No engineering knowledge or experience is required for this family friendly event. Wauwatosa architect John Peine and educator Sylvia Peine will provide guidance and LEGO/K’nex while participants imagine and construct the transportation systems of the future. The workshop is included with regular museum admission (general admission $5; students/seniors $3; children under 12 free).
“Super Natural”
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
608 New York Ave., Sheboygan
“Super Natural” finds 24 Wisconsin artists enchanting our perception of the ordinary with a titillating dash of the super natural. At the heart of this major group exhibition are several paintings by the venerable John Wilde (1919-2006, pronounced “WILL-dee”), widely regarded as the founding father and inescapable touchstone for Wisconsin magic realists. Wilde’s children transform reality with a variety of media, including print, painting, video, sculpture, and fiber-based works. “Super Natural” is at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center March 13 through Sept. 11.
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“Tropicalísimo”
Latino Arts, Inc.
1028 S. Ninth St.
“Tropicalísimo” collects 40 photographs snapped by John Sevigny between 2012 and 2014 throughout Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador. Sevigny’s eye is attracted to people and places that appear on the edge of collapse, whether due to the unrelenting sun, humidity or abject poverty. The focus of the photos, however, is on the beauty and adaptability of cultures that flourish despite punishing conditions. “Tropicalísimo” opens with a reception from 5-7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 11 and is on display through June 3.
