Sculpture Milwaukee, the city’s annual outdoor art exhibition displayed along Wisconsin Avenue, announced that they will be expanding their 2020 exhibition into the Historic Third Ward.
The addition is being made possible through a partnership led by local public art champion, Black Box Fund. The Black Box Fund was founded in 2019 with the belief that art can be a positive unifying force to connect community. Their mission to support public art, music and performance aligns with Sculpture Milwaukee’s mission to leverage it’s annual exhibition for community engagement and economic development in the downtown. The partnership will create connectivity and enhance visibility and vibrancy for both organizations and both neighborhoods.
“Sculpture Milwaukee is about utilizing public art as a catalyst for energizing Wisconsin Avenue’s downtown corridor, contributing to its reemergence as a community and economic hub,” said Executive Director Brian Schupper. “Extending to the Historic Third Ward – an adjacent neighborhood that has an overlapping commitment to a creative engagement of our community – is a natural next step in our growth.”
The 2020 exhibition is shaping up to be the largest and most ambitious to date, in preparation for the global audience Milwaukee will have this summer. New sculptures will be installed in late May and early June, and the exhibition will run through mid-October.
“We are thrilled for the opportunity to partner with Sculpture Milwaukee,” said Doug McDonald, Vice President of the Black Box Fund. “Our goal, to support public art that inspires and educates, meshes perfectly with Sculpture Milwaukee’s world class programing. We’re very excited to see what works will be chosen for the Historic Third Ward extension to Sculpture Milwaukee.”
Sculpture Milwaukee is an annual outdoor exhibition of public sculpture in downtown Milwaukee that serves as a catalyst for community engagement, economic development and creative placemaking. The exhibit creates a free, open-air art gallery, wrapped in fun events and educational opportunities, which captivates residents, tourists, downtown employees, students and art lovers alike.
“As Milwaukee’s arts district, we are thrilled to have Sculpture Milwaukee include the Historic Third Ward neighborhood in this year’s event – especially with all eyes on Milwaukee for the Democratic National Convention,” said Jim Plaisted, Executive Director of the Historic Third Ward Association. “The neighborhood is the perfect complement to the overall mission of both Black Box Fund and Sculpture Milwaukee, and we are very appreciative of their efforts to enhance our visitor experience this summer.”
© Photo
Lee Matz
