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The dazzling Milwaukee Art Museum was the
culmination of my immersion. Though it was at the Opposite: Witty and poignant murals abound.
top of my list, I didn't get to it until my last evening The city's architecture blends the old and new
in town. I'd been dodging chilly raindrops most of beautifully.
the day and was looking forward to an evening in- Below: The Fonz awaits selfie takers by the
doors. My free day just happened to occur on a Milwaukee River.
Thursday, when the museum was open in the
evening. Architect Santiago Calatrava designed a
masterpiece for the Milwaukee Art Museum.
I arrived around four when the gray skies were
turning even more broody. But the day's gloom
didn't dampen the wow factor of architect Santi-
ago Calatrava's design, with soaring white wings
atop a glass and concrete spaceship. The wings,
called a brise-soleil (sunscreen), close themselves
if the wind is blowing over 23 miles per hour—an
important detail given its position at the edge of
stormy Lake Michigan.
Inside the art museum, across a great hall from
the entryway, a wall of windows faced the lake be-
neath the underside of the peaked wings sepa-
rated by a skinny glass column. The outdoors's
gray light cast a shimmering reflection from the
upper and lower windows to the gleaming white
Carrara marble floor. The natural art installation
merited contemplation.
I was utterly wowed by the museum's seemingly
endless exhibits. Wandering rather aimlessly, I
studied a Warhol and lingered in a room filled with
Haitian art. Serious Play: Design in Midcentury
America was my favorite exhibition, and I must
have spent an hour admiring the playful design of
everyday objects from clocks to chairs and toys.
There were plenty of places to sit, some with
artfully framed views of the lake. In one room I
sat beside a row of gorgeous glass objects; in
another I gazed at skeletal trees through nar-
row windows. My time was limited, and I buzzed
around trying to see as much as possible, paying
too little attention to works by Chagall,
O'Keefe and Picasso. It looked like most of my
fellow museumgoers were locals, and I envied
their ability to wander these halls whenever.
All in all, Milwaukee wowed me even though I
couldn't rush about. In fact, the slower pace
may have been a blessing. It definitely made me
want to return.
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