Milwaukee is one of the most remarkable art-loving cities in the United States of America. Situated on the western shore of Lake Michigan, the city is famous for its windsurfing and for its marvelous cultural festivals — and it is also the birthplace of many notable artists.
Throughout the summer, cultural festivals of every kind fill the festival park by the side of Lake Michigan. The city holds a huge number of art galleries and both public and private museums. Given below are the names of some of Milwaukee's own remarkable artists.
Carl Ethan Akeley
b. New York, 19 May 1864 · Milwaukee from 1886
Akeley was born in New York on the 19th of May, 1864. In 1886 he settled in Milwaukee and joined the Milwaukee Public Museum. During his years in the city he sculpted and painted numerous works of wildlife — gorillas above all. He also created pioneering historical exhibits of the orangutan and the reindeer. His works are still on display in the Milwaukee Public Museum today.
Joan Backes
Milwaukee-born · working since 2000
Joan Backes is an artist originally from the city of Milwaukee, now internationally recognized. The central theme of her art is the bark of different species of trees. She began this body of work in the year 2000, studying the nature of each tree both conceptually and physically, then drawing its bark using crayons and bark rubbing.
Her Carpet of Leaves series gathers more than a thousand different leaves into a single marvelous work — bringing nature itself into the museum. Her art is collected by the Milwaukee Public Museum and by many of the city's private galleries.
Arthur Ernst Becher
Germany → Milwaukee · Golden-age illustrator
Arthur Ernst Becher was an American illustrator, born in Germany, who immigrated to Milwaukee. He completed his studies at the Milwaukee Art Students League, studied illustration under Howard Pyle, and oil painting under Otto Leopold Strutzel.
Over his career he illustrated for many of the renowned magazines of the day, and drew many notable pieces now displayed in art museums across the United States. In 1959, the Council of Milwaukee purchased a number of Becher's works depicting Jones Island.
Susan Stuart Goodrich
b. Milwaukee, 5 June 1848 · Ceramic pioneer
Susan Stuart Goodrich was born on the 5th of June, 1848, in Milwaukee. A ceramic artist, she was also a leader of the Arts and Crafts Movement in the United States, and wrote a book titled Tried by Fire. She studied painting under the guidance of Henry Vianden.
Her ceramic art centered on blue-colored designs, and she was the creator of Grey and Blue Pottery. Her works are displayed in the Milwaukee Public Museum. For her contribution to ceramic art and china painting she was posthumously awarded the Wisconsin Visual Art Lifetime Achievement Award.
See their work
- Milwaukee Public Museum holds works by Akeley, Backes and Goodrich — mpm.edu
- Becher's Jones Island paintings belong to the city of Milwaukee
These are but a few names from the long list of the city's notable artists. They stand as an inspiration to every new artist trying to express themselves through their work — their art kept on exhibition to encourage the budding artists who follow. So next time you visit Milwaukee, be sure to stop into these museums and see their amazing creations.