galleries - may 2013

THE MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM, with its spectacular addition built by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, also is known internationally for the quality and originality of its special exhibits.

Through May 19, visitors to the museum on the lakefront can see Color Rush: 75 years of Color Photography in America, one of the first exhibits to trace the evolution of color photography from a revolutionary idea in 1907 to the norm in popular culture and fine art in 1981. Today color photography is so pervasive that it is hard to believe there was a time when this was not the case.

This exhibition explores the historical developments that led to color photography becoming the norm in popular culture and fine art. With framed photographs, as well as publications, slide shows, and film clips, the exhibition presents the story of color photography in America as it has never been told before.

Opening June 14 and continuing through the summer until Sept. 8 is another special exhibition being seen for the first time in the Midwest. 30 Americans, drawn from the Rubell Collection of Contemporary Art in Miami, showcases works by many of the most important African American artists of the last three decades and has been seen only at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Va., and the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C.

A provocative exhibition, 30 Americans showcases various kinds of contemporary art, including paintings, drawings, photography, videos , sculptures and mixed-media installations.

This year the museum also celebrates its first 125 years with exhibitions drawn from archives, photos, models, videos and brochures dating back to the establishment of the Layton Art Gallery in 1888.

The growing reputation of the museum also has increased the visibility of private art galleries throughout the metro area.

On the east side of downtown Milwaukee, the DAVID BARNETT GALLERY, 1024 E. State St. (at Prospect Ave.) currently is showing Blast From The Past: Celebrating 46 Years of Art. It’s composed of artwork representing each year since the gallery was opened.

At the DEAN JENSEN GALLERY, 759 N. Water St., Jon Schueler: Paintings from the Seventies is the current exhibition. Works of Schueler (1916-92), a Milwaukee native, are in the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Detroit Institute of Art, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, where he was given a one-man show in 1975.

Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward also houses many of the city’s private galleries. On display at the TORY FOLLIARD GALLERY, 233 N. Milwaukee St. is a show featuring the work of more than 60 painters, photographers and sculptures shown at the gallery in its first 25 years.

If you’re traveling beyond Milwaukee, be sure to stop in Cedarburg. THE PINK LLAMA GALLERY (thepinkllama) has an address in the center of the historic city (W62 N580 Washington Ave.) but is entered through the rear porch. CEDAR CREEK POTTERY, LA DIVA and LEAP OF FAITH in the Cedar Creek Settlement offer unique pottery, jewelry and artwork from Wisconsin and throughout the world.

Farther north in Port Washington on Lake Michigan, visit BLUE HERON ARTISAN’S GALLERY, 102 E. Pier St. Located in a 1929 fire station, the gallery features more than 25 artists. Through May 26, see Off the Wall, an exhibition inspired by surrealism – “things coming out of the wall or off the wall,” says owner Bette Langford.