John McKinnon nearly became an electrical engineer, but, in search of something more inspiring, he dove into an art degree instead. Twenty years later, he’s taking lead of Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art, just as the institution rings in 40 years with an exhibition of its collection.
McKinnon transformed the Elmhurst Art Museum in Illinois during his 17-year tenure, but the UW-Madison alum always knew he would return to Wisconsin. “The Haggerty allows me to think a little bigger,” McKinnon says.
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Though he says that there are opportunities for growth and expansion within the current structure, McKinnon won’t make any major changes until he feels he has heard from every voice that has shaped the museum in its 40 years.
The anniversary offers him a chance to learn about the Haggerty’s history and its role on campus. Marquette doesn’t offer its own art program, instead offering a reciprocal program with the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. This means the museum may see more biologists than artists on an average day.
“If a biologist wants their students to think differently, they can bring their class to the museum for an artist talk about nonlinear thought in painting. In this way, we are supporting the whole person,” McKinnon says, in reference to Marquette’s Jesuit tenets.
McKinnon hopes to bring new dimensions to the Haggerty’s art by welcoming new schools of thought into the space.
“[My switch] was surprising to others because of the big change from something technical to something creative,” McKinnon says. “In the end, I just chose something more exciting.”
