MAM: Free First Thursdays

The perfect time to visit the Milwaukee Art Museum

Thank you Meijer, you beautiful big box store, you! Thank you for sponsoring the Milwaukee Art Museum's Free First Thursday. That is to say, the first Thursday of every — yes, every! — month, admission to the Milwaukee Art Museum is free — yes, free! And as with all Thursdays, the museum is also open until 8pm. How nice is that?

If you take advantage of this September's Free First Thursday, it will be the last free night where you can see the highly-instagrammable works by Rashid Johnson in the exhibit Hail We Now Sing Joy.  

Per the Milwaukee Art Museum website: "Using his signature materials of white ceramic tile, red oak flooring, shea butter, black soap, and wax, Johnson examines themes of race, history, yearning, anxiety, and escape and investigates the relationship between art, society, and personal identity." Whew that's a lot. 

The motivation behind Johnson's work is certainly important. But even if you only have time to skate through this featured exhibition, it's entirely worthwhile. 

The star of the show is Antoine's Organ — the towering, show-stopping gridded sculpture, pulsing with hundreds of live plants, mounds of shea butter, audio-visual components, books, and a piano hidden within. At certain times, local musicians are scheduled to play said piano. It is, in a word, incredible. 

As is the fact that you can see this (until September 17th) and Milwaukee's entire stunning collection for free every first Thursday of the month. What are you waiting for? Mark your calendar!