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Culture
Museums
Milwaukee's most visually prominent cultural attraction is the Milwaukee Art
Museum, especially its new $100 million wing designed by Santiago Calatrava in
his first American commission. The museum includes a "brise soleil," a moving
sunscreen that unfolds like the wing of a bird. Milwaukee is also home to the
America's Black Holocaust Museum. Founded by lynching survivor James Cameron,
the museum features exhibits which chronicle the injustices suffered throughout
history by people of African descent in the United States. The Milwaukee Public
Museum, Discovery World Museum, Betty Brinn Children's Museum, Villa Terrace
Decorative Arts Museum, the Charles Allis Art Museum, Mitchell Park
Horticultural Conservatory and Milwaukee County Zoo are also notable public
attractions.
Performing arts
Milwaukee is home to the Florentine Opera, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the
Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Shakespeare, Skylight
Opera Theatre, First Stage Children's Theater, Milwaukee Youth Theatre, and a
number of other arts organizations including the Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps.
Additionally, Milwaukee is home to artistic performance venues such as the
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, Pabst Theater, The Rave/Eagles Ballroom,
Riverside Theatre, and Milwaukee Theatre. The Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, a
first-of-its-kind Arts-in-education facility, is a national model.
Festivals
Milwaukee, "A Great Place on a Great Lake" has also advertised itself as the
"City of Festivals," emphasizing an annual lakefront fair called Summerfest.
Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest music festival in
the world, Summerfest attracts around 900,000 visitors a year to its twelve
stages.
Along with Summerfest, Milwaukee is home to a variety of ethnic and socially
themed festivals throughout the summer. Held primarily on the lakefront
Summerfest grounds, these festivals span several days (typically Friday plus the
weekend) and celebrate Milwaukee's history and diversity. PrideFest-a
celebration of Milwaukee's gay community-typically kicks off the festival season
in early June. The season is concluded with Indian Summer in early September.
Polish, Greek, French, Italian, German, African-American, Arab, Irish, Native
American, Asian and Mexican heritages are celebrated throughout the summer.
The Greater Milwaukee Convention & Visitors Bureau publishes a schedule of major
events.
Music
Milwaukee has a long history of musical activity. The first organized musical
society, called "Milwaukee Beethoven Society" formed in 1843, three years before
the city was incorporated. This was later replaced with the Milwaukee Musical
Society.
The large concentrations of German immigrants contributed to the musical
character of the city. Saengerbund festivals were held regularly. Also notable
is the founding of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music in 1899.
More recently, Milwaukee has enjoyed a vibrant history of rock, hip hop, jazz,
soul, blues, punk, ska, industrial music, goth, electronica and pop music bands.
Venues such as Pabst Theater, Marcus Amphitheater, Riverside Theater, The
Northern Lights Theater, and The Rave frequently bring internationally-known and
critically acclaimed acts to Milwaukee.
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