In Full View
June 29, 2015Feature Story
Todd Mrozinski photo courtesy of the Pfister Hotel.

In Full View

Where to get your art fix while the MAM’s permanent collection is closed for repairs this summer.

BY Debra Brehmer

The Pfister Hotel
This historic grand dame at 424 E. Wisconsin Ave. houses a sexy (lots of lechery and stolen kisses) turn-of-the-century collection sprinkled throughout its palatial promenades. Meanwhile, current artist-in-residence Todd Mrozinski paints golden fields of light and shadow, and soft portrait silhouettes. His studio is open 30 hours a week.

Performing on Stage, courtesy of BurlyQNell/Charles Allis Museum.
Performing on Stage, courtesy of BurlyQNell/Charles Allis Museum.

Charles Allis Art Museum
Little gems abound in this Tudor house, 1801 N. Prospect Ave., such as the exquisite painting of a deer by French artist Rosa Bonheur hung in the stairwell. But through July 5, there’s a sassy exhibition that traces the history of burlesque in America.

Japanese Object (1941), by Kevin J. Miyazaki/INOVA.
Japanese Object (1941), by Kevin J. Miyazaki/INOVA.

Institute of Visual Arts 
At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s contemporary art center (INOVA), there’s a handshake of a show called Pacific Midwest 2.0 this summer. Photographers from Milwaukee and Portland, Ore., unite in this great commingling of conceptual trends. 2155 N. Prospect Ave., June 26-Aug. 8.

An American Interior by John Wilde, courtesy of the Museum of Wisconsin Art.
An American Interior by John Wilde, courtesy of the Museum of Wisconsin Art.

Museum of Wisconsin Art
The permanent collection in MOWA’s glassy digs tells a chronological story of Wisconsin art history. For its summer show, work by Wisconsin’s preeminent magic realist, John Wilde, emerges from his wife Shirley Wilde’s private collection. Delectable visions of death, sex, vanity and nature swirl into impossibly fragile compositions. 205 Veterans Ave., West Bend, June 13-Sept. 6.

Lynden Sculpture Garden
This summer at the Lynden features the work of Dan Torop, a New York-based artist who has been visiting the garden for more than a year, making seasonal photos while exploring the design, nature and history of the grounds. 2145 W. Brown Deer Rd., June 14-Sept. 20.

Poor Farm
Jump into a river while visiting Wisconsin’s premiere summer conceptual, contemporary art camp in Little Wolf. Free and open to the public, a series of artist projects, screenings, discussions and picnics are slated for the first weekend of August. E6325 County Hwy. BB, Manawa.

Ash 2 artwork by Shane McAdams/The Haggerty Museum of Art.
Ash 2 artwork by Shane McAdams/The Haggerty Museum of Art.

The Haggerty Museum of Art
Current Tendencies IV, a biennial survey of Wisconsin art, runs June 18-Aug. 30. This year, six regional artists create site-responsive projects both inside and outside the Marquette University museum. Keith Haring’s Construction Fence provides the centrifugal force. 530 N. 13th St.

Construction Fence, by Keith Haring, courtesy of Haggerty Museum of Art.
Construction Fence, by Keith Haring, courtesy of Haggerty Museum of Art.

‘In Full View’ appears in the June 2015 issue of Milwaukee Magazine.
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Debra Brehmer
Debra Brehmer, an arts writer and curator, owns and operates Portrait Society Gallery, a contemporary art space in Milwaukee. She was also the former editor and publisher of Art Muscle Magazine and teaches part-time at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.

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