We recently spent an afternoon, once again, wandering through the Milwaukee Art Museum - always a treat with it's vast collection in endless galleries. Off of the Godfrey American Art Wing, in a small nook of an exhibit room, there is a fun collection of items on exhibit until September 8 (2024.)
The exhibit is called “Beyond Heights: Skyscrapers and the Human Experience.” It’s all about how
skyscrapers, those towering symbols of American innovation, impacted not just the skyline of New York City but also the way people lived and saw the world in the early 20th century. It’s a small collection, but that’s part of what makes it so special. You can really dive into the theme and see how all the pieces are connected, which is something that’s sometimes more difficult to feel with the larger galleries.
Walking into the exhibit, the first thing that struck us was how they’ve pulled together prints, photos, and even household items that all relate to skyscrapers. There’s this fascinating juxtaposition between the awe-inspiring scale of the skyscrapers and the way people brought that grandeur into their everyday lives. One piece that stood out was a Sky-Scraper Cocktail Cup by Louis W. Rice. It’s a sleek, electroplated nickel silver cup from around 1928,
designed to bring a little bit of that skyscraper magic into someone’s home. Just imagine serving
drinks in that—how it would have made any ordinary night feel a bit more modern, a bit more cosmopolitan.
And then there’s the "Manhattan" Cocktail Set by Norman Bel Geddes, which dates back to the late 1930s. This set is all about the Art Deco vibe, with sharp lines and chrome finishes that scream modernity. It’s the kind of thing you’d want to have at a swanky cocktail party, bringing that sense of urban sophistication right into your living room. It’s amazing how a well-designed cocktail set can reflect the broader cultural shifts happening in cities like New York during the rise of its iconic skyline.
What really struck us, though, was how placing these objects in a more intimate, themed exhibit changed how we saw them. In a giant museum filled with so many incredible pieces, it’s easy to just glance at something and move on down and through one massive room after another. But in this smaller space, each item felt more significant, more connected to the surrounding others. You could really see how the theme tied everything together, making the whole experience more
immersive. It’s one of those unique, almost secret things to do in Milwaukee that you might miss if you’re not looking for it.
It made us think about how sometimes, in the world of art and beyond, less really can be more. By focusing on a specific theme and bringing related works together in an intimate space, the museum created an experience that felt personal and thought-provoking. It’s a great reminder that there’s more to art than just vast numbers of big, bold pieces—we can find just as much value in the smaller, quieter moments if we take the time to truly feel the connected vibe between seemingly unrelated items such as a body weight scale, a lighter, a perfume bottle, clock and cocktail glasses.
So, if you’re looking for something a little different to do in the city, and you haven't been to the Art Museum for a spell, we’d definitely recommend checking it out and hunting down these smaller type exhibits. They offer a fresh perspective and a chance to really connect with the art in a way that’s sometimes hard to do in a larger space. It’s the kind of truly immersive art experience in Milwaukee that we at Trove Arts love to highlight, and no giant video screens in sight! It's a refreshing change, offering a chance to connect with the art on a deeper level.
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