Milwaukee has come a long way from the blue-collared Midwest city portrayed in television shows of the past like Happy Days, That '70s Show and Laverne & Shirley. It is now a world-class city with a remarkable arts and entertainment culture, gaining recognition around the world. The Milwaukee Art Museum is not only one of the largest in the country, it holds one of the best collections of art anywhere. And as the art world pays ever closer attention to what the city has to offer, a handful of outstanding contemporary galleries have been driving that growth. Here are some of Milwaukee's top contemporary art galleries:
Dean Jensen Gallery
📍 759 N Water St, DowntownNamed after Dean Jensen — a professor at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and an art critic for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel — the gallery regularly showcases a wide variety of works from both local and international artists. Among them are Gerard Sendrey, a French painter and draughtsman, and Kyle Fitzpatrick, a local painter who incorporates organic materials into his art.
David Barnett Gallery
📍 1024 E State St, in a Victorian mansionFounded in 1966, the David Barnett Gallery is now the largest art gallery in the city and has become internationally known. You'll find beautiful works from Europe, Africa, Oceania, Indonesia and America. It has even hosted several one-man shows by artistic greats like Salvador Dalí, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso.
The Green Gallery
📍 1500 N Farwell Ave, DowntownFrom the street, the gallery doesn't look like anything special — but step inside and The Green Gallery holds some of the finest contemporary art in Wisconsin. If you're looking for something new and exciting, it regularly mounts innovative, experimental exhibits featuring some of the world's best-known artists.
Tory Folliard Gallery
📍 233 N Milwaukee St, Third WardThis gallery focuses on local artists from Wisconsin and the other Midwestern states. Set in an old warehouse, it looks and feels like a museum — with museum-quality art to match. The Tory Folliard Gallery regularly presents exhibits at art fairs in Palm Beach, Chicago and New York, helping local artists win international attention.
Portrait Society Gallery
📍 207 E Buffalo St, Third WardThis gallery is dedicated to the singular genre of portraiture — which happens to be one of the most popular forms of photography in this day and age.
"[The portrait] is… a transactional exchange between two or more human beings. It is the only art form that depends on this kind of intimacy." — from the Portrait Society Gallery's mission statement
