The Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design’s Brooks Stevens Gallery of Industrial Design (273 E. Erie St.) is celebrating its twentieth birthday. It may be another year before the gallery can legally break out the champagne, but that is no reason to postpone the festivities.
Named after a towering figure of 20th-century design, Brooks Stevens—inventor of the wide-mouthed peanut butter jar, force behind the robin’s egg-blue kitchen appliances of the 1950s and seminal influence on the style of modern Harley-Davidson motorcycles—the gallery is honoring its namesake as well as the rich tradition of modern design that he helped inaugurate, as exemplified by five global design firms.
On Thursday, Oct. 10, at 4 p.m., there will be a panel discussion on “The Evolution of Revolution: A Century of Design,” followed by an opening reception from 6-8 p.m. “The Brooks @ 20” is on view until Feb. 8.
Laura Weber Basket-Weaving Demonstration
Cedarburg Cultural Center
W62 N546 Washington Ave.
Mother Nature did not see fit to anoint humans with the marsupial’s pouch nor the capacious cheeks of the chipmunk. To compensate for this lack, we humans have developed the art of basket weaving. Laura Weber, this month’s artist in residence at the Cedarburg Cultural Center, will give free demonstrations of her basket-weaving prowess and field questions on Oct. 10 and 15, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Check back in early November for a workshop to learn the skill yourself.
Afternoons with Art
Walker’s Point Center for the Arts
839 S. Fifth St.
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“Idle hands are the devil’s playthings,” warns the proverbial “they.” Afternoons with Art at Walker’s Point Center for the Arts nips temptation in the bud by offering kids a creative outlet when Milwaukee Public Schools are not in session. For a small fee ($20 Non-Members, $10 WPCA Family Members, $5 Residents of Walker’s Point) from 1-5 p.m. kids get the attention and assistance of certified instructors and a healthy snack. To register for the upcoming session on Friday, Oct. 11, visit wpca-milwaukee.org or call 414-672-ARTS ext. 12.
“From Hugo to Houdini: The Art of Brian Selznick”
Kenosha Public Museum
5500 First Ave.
You are invited to a Steampunk, Neo-Victorian, Post-Industrial Monster Bash! In celebration of the opening of “From Hugo to Houdini: The Art of Brian Selznick,” the Kenosha Public Museum is giving you the opportunity to give your Halloween costume a trial run. The exhibition displays works by celebrated children’s book writer/illustrator, Brian Selznick, whose whimsical creations will rekindle a state of childlike wonder. The exhibition opens with the bash on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013, from 6-8 p.m. and runs until Jan. 7, 2014.
