The Baird Center recently opened the doors to their $456 million north building expansion. This expansion has brought the exposition hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to 300,000 contiguous square feet; adding 24 new meeting rooms; 400 indoor parking spaces; 6 loading docks; an executive kitchen; and features a spectacular fourth-floor ballroom. As part of the expansion the exisiting south building has been modernized to match the interior finishes for a seemless transition from one space to the next.
Pictured: Haddad Drugan, Floe
Our team was engaged early in the project to work alongside EUA Architecture to identify art opportunity locations throughout this stunning expansion project to ensure the proper infrastructure was in place to support the installation of the commissioned artwork.
Once the art opportunity locations were identified we issued the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in August of 2022. In conjunction with the release of the RFQ our team organizated a free Public Art 101 talk at the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network (MARN). This was part of an effort to demystify the public art process and encourage artists at all career levels to respond to the RFQ. This event was marketed to the local community and made avilable to artists from around the world via a live stream as well as a recording of the event that was made public online.
Photo courtest of Frank Juárez/Artdose Magazine
A selection panel comprised of community representatives, project stakeholders, artists, and art professionals selected 25 semi-finalists from the pool of 300+ artists/artist teams who responded to the RFQ. These semi-finalists were each paid a stipend and invited to develop a site-specific proposal to present to the selection panel. After careful review of the proposals the selection panel selected the final 16 artist/artist teams who were commissioned to create their proposed works for Baird Center. The majority of the artists selected for this project are based in Milwaukee and the surrounding region and are joined by other U.S.-based artists/artist teams.
Once the artists were selected our team oversaw the contracting and fabrication of these works. In early 2024 our team traveled to Milwaukee to visit local artists in their studios, check in on their progress and learn more about their practice. We were joined by Baird Center’s PR and Marketing team who recorded interviews with each artist. Virtual studios visits were also conducted with commissioned artists outside of the Milwaukee area. These recorded interviews can be found on the Baird Center’s website.
Our team also made several site visits over the course of this project to ensure the proper infastructure was in place in advance of installation of the commissioned works. During this time we also worked with the exisiting collection in the south building, relocating some works to new locations within the building, and coordinating conservation for specific works in the collection.
Over the course of two months in the spring of 2024 artists travelled to Baird Center to install their artwork and our team was on site to provide support and oversee the installation of the 30 artworks commissioned through the selection process we oversaw. The culminating collection is a representation of local and national talent that expresses themes of community, nature, industry, local history, activism, athletics, and the diverse populations who have called this place home. These projects range from suspended installations, large-scale wall-mounted installations, paintings, light boxes, photography, mosaics, fiber-based works, wood-cut prints, digital prints, and mixed media artworks.
On May 16th, 2024 Baird Center officially opened it’s new expansion. There were a series of public events to celebrate this occassion and allow the local community to come explore the new facility.
Over the two years we we were engaged to work on this project we were amazed by the Milwaukee arts community both in the talent of the artists and the support they provided one another. Big thank you to Lois Bielefeld, a Milwaukee based artist and arts professional who joined our team early on in the conception of this project to teach us about this incredible community and help us make valuable local connections. And local arts installers Andre Saint Louis and Brent Budsberg who provided essential support throughout the installation process. If you find yourself in the Milwaukee area be sure to stop by Baird Center to see this amazing collection in person.