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While you can’t step through the doors of any Brew City museums these days, the magic of the internet means you can experience the exhibitions on view at these institutions from the comfort of your own home.
Here are six examples of online exhibitions at Milwaukee-area museums. Search out others, because most have at least some pieces of their collections and shows on their websites.
"On the Nature of Wisconsin"
The Warehouse
This week, The Warehouse unveiled a virtual version of its latest exhibition, "On the Nature of Wisconsin." The free virtual walk through the show, which features work from the gallery’s permanent collection, can be enjoyed on a computer or phone.
This celebration of 40 Wisconsin artists and their relationship with nature was curated by Dr. Annemarie Sawkins, and opened in January. Its run will be extended when the gallery can reopen.
Read an Urban Spelunking story about The Warehouse building here.
"Moment at the Museum"
Milwaukee County Historical Society
As I wrote a couple weeks ago, in an effort to bring its current exhibition, "Revealed: Milwaukee's Unseen Treasures," to folks who can't come see it for themselves – which is everyone right now – MCHS has launched a new video series called "Moment at the Museum," spotlighting specific objects and their stories.
The first episode featured Miller Brewing Company's Fred C. Miller and there are now six videos, with more to come.
"Building a Milwaukee Icon: Harley-Davidson’s Juneau Avenue Factory"
Harley-Davidson Museum
A few months ago I wrote about this great little exhibit at the Harley Museum focused on the birth and growth of Harley at its original site, which it continues to occupy. You can now experience the show online. Once the museum reopens, you can see it in person until Sept. 6.
Virtual galleries
America’s Black Holocaust Museum
The exhibits at the new America’s Black Holocaust Museum hadn’t yet officially opened when the Safer at Home order arrived, though many had seen them during special events. Now everyone can see six galleries that explore African-American history from life in Africa before slavery to today. The museum continues to add online exhibits, so check back.
"Byrdcliffe: Creativity and Creation"
Milwaukee Art Museum
The latest Layton Art Collection Focus Exhibition is on display in Gallery K230 on level two of the Godfrey American Art Wing, which doesn’t do anyone much good at the moment. However, you can check out the drawings, designs, furniture and ceramics that emerged from upstate New York’s influential Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony in the first two decades of the 20th century in the online version of the show.
"The Girl in the Diary: Searching for Rywka from the Łódź Ghetto"
Jewish Museum Milwaukee
In January, I wrote about this powerful show at the Jewish Museum MKE about a rediscovered Holocaust-era diary kept by a teenager in the Lodz ghetto, and if you didn’t get a chance to see it before the shutdown you can now walk through it on a tour with the museum’s education director, Ellie Gettinger.
Since the show, organized by the Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow, Poland, only runs through May 17 here it seems unlikely you’ll now get a chance to see it any other way, sadly.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
