Changes coming to Milwaukee Art Museum via "Plan for the Future"
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- After two years of negotiations and planning, the Milwaukee Art Museum has announced a comprehensive public campaign to restore the War Memorial and the Kahler buildings and reinstall the Museum's galleries.
The "Plan for the Future" is a $25 million project in partnership with Milwaukee County.
"I want to remind you, the Milwaukee Art Museum is three buildings," Milwaukee Art Museum Director Dan Keegan said.
All told, those buildings give the Museum 345,000 square feet.
The "Plan for the Future" will be adding a significant amount of space.
"The east addition, the cantilevered design is one piece of a major project in partnership with Milwaukee County. That east addition over two floors is 17,000 square feet," Keegan said.
The expansion will allow the Museum to improve the presentation of its collection.
"Currently American art is located in three locations in the Museum -- principally in the lower level. The American art story will be combined and it will be placed on the second floor," Keegan said.
They will be adding bathrooms on every level, and also say the plan should make it easier for visitors to find their way around.
"In an ideal redesign, we can minimize the amount of signage everywhere because the flow through the institution is relatively intuitive," Keegan said.
Additionally, the $25 million project will take care of some much-needed maintenance.
"The current sculpture court up on the second level that has been closed off for years -- it's the source of 80 percent of the leaks in the building. That sculpture court is going to be enclosed," Keegan said.
Milwaukee County has kicked in $10 million towards the project. Museum officials tell FOX6 News is has raised $13 million. The Museum will be asking for public donations as part of its campaign.
All told, the "Plan for the Future" will:
Repairs and restorations to the Milwaukee County War Memorial and the Milwaukee Art Museum are set to begin in the fall.