Massimals MKE

2021

Project Description

The Massimals MKE project was commissioned to activate use of Cathedral Square Park in downtown Milwaukee during the height of the COVID pandemic in winter 2021. The project served as a pedestrian attractor in the city and through its development contributed to education and support of community during its extended stay.

The Massimals project has generated previous iterations out of a variety of material and assembly techniques, but has primarily been presented within the confines of museums and galleries. Massimals MKE expands the series with placement of the objects in an outdoor location to withstand the elements during a Milwaukee winter.

Commissioned by a local Milwaukee Downtown, BID (Business Improvement District) #2 for display from January – April 2021, the project was seen as a means to bring people out to engage with art and design safely at the height of the pandemic. The placement also extended the existing outdoor sculpture walk deeper into part of the downtown that were less frequently visited.

The pieces were fabricated remotely, flat-packed, and shipped in one crate for assembly in an empty 188,000 square foot space donated by the Wisconsin Convention Center. Students from The School of Architecture & Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee volunteered to assemble the Massimals before installation on site.

The success of the winter install led to a second iteration of the project in which a color gradient was added to the white bears. Massimals MKE: Rainbow opened June 1, 2021 in concert with local Pride events and will remain in place during the summer for engagement.

Thank you to Gabriel Yeager and MKE Downtown for making this project possible and Sculpture Milwaukee and the students from The School of Architecture & Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for hospitality and assistance in assembly. Also thank you to The Pfister Hotel for the excellent accommodations and the Wisconsin Convention Center for the safe assembly space!

Assembly Team
Alexis Buechele, Joseph Frisch, Amy Kaczmarek, Natalie Kuehl, Nathan Magee, Shawn McDaniel, Jacob Rohan, Meg Strobel, Gabriel Yeager

Landscape Install: KEI, Kujawa Enterprises, Inc.

Lighting: Majic Productions

Photography: Kevin Miyazaki

Image Gallery
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