The Milwaukee Art Museum's Quadracci Pavilion

By CGN Staff

Just 90 miles north of Chicago, the Milwaukee Art Museum is marking the 25th anniversary of one of the Midwest’s most recognizable works of contemporary architecture: the Santiago Calatrava-designed Quadracci Pavilion.

Beginning August 27, the museum will launch Built to Inspire, a yearlong celebration exploring the history and legacy of the lakefront pavilion, which opened in 2001 and dramatically transformed Milwaukee’s skyline.

At the center of the anniversary is Built to Inspire: The Quadracci Pavilion at 25, an installation tracing the building’s evolution from an ambitious architectural project to a defining Milwaukee cultural landmark. Curated by Shoshana Resnikoff, Demmer Curator of 20th- and 21st-Century Design, the installation brings together architectural models, construction photography, film, historical milestones, and opportunities for visitors to share their own memories of the museum.

The pavilion is particularly known for Calatrava’s Burke Brise Soleil, the enormous wing-like sunscreen that opens and closes above the building and has become an emblem of Milwaukee.

The anniversary celebration will extend through summer 2027 with artist talks, family programming, a free museum day, MAM After Dark, and a July 31 birthday celebration. The museum has also commissioned Milwaukee artists James Steeno, Whitney Anderson, Gabriela Riveros, and Laura Farahzad Mayer to create original interpretations of the pavilion.

For Chicago art and architecture enthusiasts, the anniversary offers another reason to make the short trip north to Milwaukee. The museum sits directly on Lake Michigan and is approximately a 90-minute drive from downtown Chicago, making it an accessible day trip or weekend cultural destination.

Built to Inspire: The Quadracci Pavilion at 25 opens August 27, 2026, in the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Rotunda and is free to experience. The yearlong anniversary programming continues through July 2027.

Event highlights include:

• September 19, 2026 – Art: Forward Gala, The Museum's signature fundraising event celebrates 25 years of the Quadracci Pavilion while supporting the art, education, and community programs that inspire Milwaukee.

• February 18, 2027 – Free Day + Celebration: Built to Inspire, Celebrate the Quadracci Pavilion's 25th anniversary with free Museum admission and a day honoring the creativity, community, and civic spirit that continue to shape Milwaukee.

• May 21, 2027 – MAM After Dark: Turn of the Millennium, Experience the Quadracci Pavilion after hours with an evening of music, performances, art, and architecture inspired by 2001—the year the building opened to the public.

• July 31, 2027 – Quadracci Pavilion Birthday Celebration, Everyone is invited to celebrate 25 years of the Quadracci Pavilion with art, music, hands-on activities, and community inspired festivities.

Milwaukee Art Museum

700 N. Art Museum Drive, Milwaukee

mam.org

Illustration by James Steeno, courtesy of the Milwaukee Art Museum