Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison

The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art is a dynamic institution established in 1901 as the Madison Art Association. The museum took its current form in 2006 with a new building adjoining the Overture Center for the Arts-designed by renowned architect César Pelli-featuring expansive glass facades and over 51,500 sq ft of gallery and public space, including a rooftop sculpture garden.

The museum offers inclusive access to rotating exhibitions, film screenings, and educational activities. Its collection features close to 6,000 pieces by around 1,400 artists, highlighting both modern and contemporary art-with a particular emphasis on American prints, photography, and works by artists from Wisconsin.

Its exhibition schedule spans a wide range of artistic voices, from the annual Wisconsin Triennial, spotlighting local and regional talents, to thematic shows like "José Lerma: Domestic in a Foreign Sense" and retrospective highlights of Mexican Modernists and the Chicago Imagists. The museum also hosts artist talks, gallery tours, exhibitions opening events, and experimental film screenings.

Beyond its galleries, the museum is an active cultural center offering art-making workshops for youth such as Kids’ Art Adventures and ArtZone, mobile programs like Art Cart EXTRA! that bring creativity to neighborhoods, and outreach initiatives. The rooftop sculpture garden also serves as an urban oasis and venue for events like weddings, receptions, and Madison’s beloved Art Fair on the Square, which draws around 200,000 visitors each summer.