After a distinguished 105-year history in borrowed and refurbished spaces, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) opened to the public on April 23 in a brand new facility as part of Overture Center for the Arts.
Designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the museum’s exhilarating new facility offers 51,500 square feet of space for the study, presentation, and conservation of modern and contemporary art, as well as a 7,100-square-foot rooftop sculpture garden. Public amenities include spacious galleries, a 230-seat lecture hall, a children’s classroom, a new-media gallery, and a study center for drawings, prints, and photographs.
Like the rest of Overture Center, the museum’s new home was made possible by the extraordinary generosity of W. Jerome Frautschi, a long-time friend of the museum.
Collection
The museum’s collection traces its origins to a major gift from Rudolph and Louise Langer in 1968. Through donations and museum purchases, the collection has grown to become an important community resource. Works span the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and include paintings, sculpture, photography, prints, and drawings. Romare Bearden, Deborah Butterfield, John Steuart Curry, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Cindy Sherman are among the many esteemed artists represented in the collection.
Exhibitions
Exhibitions are the cornerstone of MMoCA’s public programs and have featured many of the most respected artists of the last century, including Jim Dine, Leonardo Drew, Rodney Graham, Georgia O’Keeffe, Claes Oldenburg, Ursula von Rydingsvard, and John Wilde. The museum’s main galleries, located on the second floor, host the museum’s major exhibitions. The Henry Street Gallery presents exhibitions from the museum’s permanent collection, the State Street Gallery offers a changing roster of exhibitions and installations, while the New Media Gallery features videos and other projected artworks. MMoCA’s rooftop sculpture garden presents major works on a rotating basis in an illuminated garden setting.
Education
MMoCA’s education department organizes lectures, films, panel discussions, docent-led tours, and children’s art classes, as well as outreach programs like Art on Tour, Art Cart, and ArtZone. The education department also undertakes special projects like the new online exhibition Modern Art/Contemporary Art/MMoCA Collects; see www.mmoca.org/mmocacollects.
Membership
MMoCA members provide critical support for the museum’s exhibitions and education programs. Members receive free or discounted admission to museum events; discounts at the Museum Store and all Food Fight restaurants, including Fresco, the museum’s rooftop restaurant; opportunities to meet artists and curators; a subscription to the museum’s quarterly newsletter; and a tax deduction for contributions. Call MMoCA at 608.257.0158 or visit www.mmoca.org for further information.
Museum Store
The award-winning Museum Store is accessible directly from State Street and from within the museum. Shoppers will find an extensive selection of contemporary American craft, fine gifts, and jewelry, as well as books, stationery, and children’s merchandise.
Museum Restaurant
Good food is truly an art at Fresco, the museum’s rooftop restaurant. Fresco features local, seasonal ingredients and contemporary American cuisine. Patrons may choose to dine alongside a glass wall overlooking the museum’s sculpture garden or—during warm months—sit at the garden’s edge and enjoy their meal al fresco.
Museum Rentals
The Museum restaurant, lobby, lecture hall, and rooftop sculpture garden are available for special occasions. Please contact the museum for further information.