Sculpture Milwaukee, Inc.

What Sculpture Milwaukee, Inc. does

Sculpture Milwaukee, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that curates and presents free outdoor contemporary sculpture exhibitions in public spaces across downtown Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin. Its core product is a rotating exhibition program — currently running 'Actual Fractals, Act III' (2025) and 'Power of the Margins' (2026) — featuring works by internationally recognized artists such as Anish Kapoor, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Thomas J. Price, Martine Syms, Mary Miss, Yuichi Yokoyama, Augustas Serapinas, and Indriķis Ģelzis, installed at venues including Wisconsin Avenue, Vel R. Phillips Plaza, the Milwaukee Riverwalk, Museum Center Park, Northwestern Mutual Grounds, the Haggerty Museum of Art, the Bradley Symphony Center, the Pfister Hotel Pocket Park, and the Baird Center. The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its digital surface is limited to a marketing website, an interactive sculpture map, a downloadable PDF map, a newsletter signup, and an Instagram presence.

The organization makes money through four revenue streams: tax-deductible individual donations, the household-based 'Friends of Sculpture Milwaukee' membership program (offering e-newsletter, discounted tours, exclusive merchandise, early event access, and artist talks), multi-tier corporate sponsorship (Presenting, Sculpture, Visionary, Leader, Collaborator, and Connector tiers with anchors including Kohler Co. and Northwestern Mutual), and merchandise and publication sales through the Green Galleri Store. Its customer base is horizontal: the installations are free to the general public, while revenue is generated from a mix of major regional foundations, corporate sponsors, and individual members. The organization is artist-centered and positions itself around free civic access to contemporary art, civic engagement, and diverse artist representation.

Name

Sculpture Milwaukee, Inc.

Legal name

Sculpture Milwaukee, Inc.

Website

https://sculpturemilwaukee.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sculpture Milwaukee, Inc. is a Milwaukee-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that curates and presents free outdoor contemporary sculpture exhibitions across downtown Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin, serving the general public and funded by individual donations, corporate sponsorship, memberships, and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Art Curation and Exhibition Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (71211)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Public art exhibitions
• Contemporary sculpture curation
• Outdoor art installations
• Nonprofit arts organization
• Public sculpture exhibitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable donations from individuals supporting public art accessibility. Sculpture Milwaukee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Friends of Sculpture Milwaukee Membership: Household-based membership program offering benefits including e-newsletter subscription, discounted tours, exclusive merchandise and publications, early invitations to programs and Sculpture Talks with artists and curators, behind-the-scenes insights, and recognition as a Friend of Sculpture Milwaukee.
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Sponsorship revenue from corporate partners at various tiers including Presenting Sponsors, Sculpture Sponsors, Visionary, Leader, Collaborator, and Connector levels. Sponsors include Kohler Co., Northwestern Mutual, and others.
4. Merchandise and Publications: Sale of merchandise and publications through the Green Galleri Store, including branded items and artist catalogs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sculpture Milwaukee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that curates, commissions, and installs free contemporary outdoor sculpture exhibitions across public spaces in downtown Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin. Its offerings include multi-year rotating exhibitions (e.g., Actual Fractals Acts I–III, Power of the Margins), an interactive public map, an e-newsletter, a household membership program (Friends of Sculpture Milwaukee), and merchandise and publications sold through the Green Galleri Store.

Product overview

Sculpture Milwaukee is an artist-centered nonprofit organization that brings world-class contemporary art to public spaces in downtown Milwaukee and beyond. The organization operates as a single unified offering—a rotating outdoor sculpture exhibition program—rather than a platform with separate modules. The core product consists of temporary art installations displayed throughout the city, supported by digital tools including an interactive map, newsletter subscription service, and a membership program. Exhibitions rotate periodically, with major shows such as 'Actual Fractals, Act III' (2025) and 'Power of the Margins' (2026) featuring works by internationally recognized contemporary artists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sculpture Milwaukee Exhibitions Rotating outdoor contemporary sculpture exhibitions displayed free of charge throughout downtown Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin, curated and commissioned for public venues. Audience: general public, residents, and visitors.
• Actual Fractals, Act III The 2025 exhibition cycle featuring contemporary outdoor sculptures by artists including Martine Syms, Thomas J. Price, Anish Kapoor, and Roy Staab, curated by John Riepenhoff and installed across downtown Milwaukee venues. Audience: general public.
• Power of the Margins Sculpture Milwaukee's 2026 exhibition featuring outdoor works by Augustas Serapinas ('Standtune'), Yuichi Yokoyama ('Neo Manyo'), and Indriķis Ģelzis ('Gaze Grows Bones'), with international institutional partners. Audience: general public.
• Friends of Sculpture Milwaukee Membership Paid household membership program providing supporters with e-newsletter access, discounted exhibition tours, exclusive merchandise and publications, early invitations to programs and Sculpture Talks with artists and curators, and behind-the-scenes artist insights. Audience: individuals and households supporting public art.
• Green Galleri Store (Sculpture Milwaukee merchandise and publications) Online storefront selling Sculpture Milwaukee exhibition catalogs and branded merchandise. Audience: visitors, members, and general public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free public access for all visitors — no admission charge for any installation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and presenting.

• Kim? Contemporary Art Centre (Riga, Latvia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Kim? Contemporary Art Centre in Riga, Latvia is a partner in presenting Indriķis Ģelzis's 'Gaze Grows Bones' as part of Sculpture Milwaukee's 2026 Power of the Margins exhibition. Kim? is one of Latvia's leading contemporary art institutions, founded in 2008.
• Contemporary Art Centre (CAC) (Vilnius, Lithuania)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The CAC in Vilnius, Lithuania is a partner in presenting Augustas Serapinas's 'Standtune' as part of the Power of the Margins exhibition. The collaboration is in partnership with Kim? Contemporary Art Centre (Riga) and the Haggerty Museum of Art (Milwaukee).
• Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of JapancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Mizuki Takezaki, a fellow of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, collaborated on presenting Yuichi Yokoyama's 'Neo Manyo' — the artist's first public installation in the United States. The work is part of the Power of the Margins 2026 exhibition.
• America's Black Holocaust MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Sculpture Milwaukee collaborated with America's Black Holocaust Museum on the temporary installation of Thomas J. Price's 'Within The Folds (Dialogue I)' at Vel R. Phillips Plaza, with the sculpture ultimately intended for permanent installation at the museum in Milwaukee's Historic Bronzeville Neighborhood. The collaboration also involves the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Downtown Inc./BID #21.
• City of MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The City of Milwaukee is a key collaborating partner for multiple Sculpture Milwaukee installations, including the Thomas J. Price work at Vel R. Phillips Plaza and Mary Miss's WaterMarks initiative. The city provides site access and civic support for public art installations.
• Milwaukee Downtown Inc./BID #21coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Milwaukee Downtown Inc./BID #21 collaborated with Sculpture Milwaukee on the Thomas J. Price installation at Vel R. Phillips Plaza, contributing to the management and promotion of public art in the downtown business improvement district.
• Bronzeville Center for the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Bronzeville Center for the Arts collaborated with Sculpture Milwaukee on a four-work presentation by Martine Syms — 'Find A Way', 'A Short Meditation', 'Belief Strategy XIII', and an untitled photograph — combining photography, mantra, and visual patterns in a meditative public art presentation.
• Greater Milwaukee Foundation — Mary L. Nohl Fund FellowshipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Sculpture Milwaukee partnered with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation's Mary L. Nohl Fund Fellowship (a program of Lynden Sculpture Garden with additional support from Joy Engine) to realize Roy Staab's outdoor installation 'Whirling Tennure' at the Haggerty Museum of Art.
• Haggerty Museum of Art (Marquette University)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University served as the host venue for Roy Staab's 'Whirling Tennure' installation and as a partner venue for Augustas Serapinas's 'Standtune' as part of the Power of the Margins exhibition.
• Kohler Co.presentingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Kohler Co. is a presenting sponsor and courtesy provider for Joel Otterson's 'Voluptuous Desire', which was created during Otterson's 2018 Arts/Industry residency — a collaboration between the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and Kohler Co. The work is on view at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's Bradley Symphony Center.
• Milwaukee Symphony OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's Bradley Symphony Center serves as the host venue for Joel Otterson's 'Voluptuous Desire', bringing public art into a cultural performance venue in partnership with Sculpture Milwaukee.
• The Poor FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Sculpture Milwaukee partnered with The Poor Farm for their exhibition Model Home Part II, installing Felix Gonzalez-Torres's 'Untitled' (The New Plan) in various locations around Milwaukee and rural Wisconsin. The installation sites reference the evolution of commercial advertising in the city.
• Nat Pyper (Visual Identity Designer)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Nat Pyper designed the complete visual identity for Sculpture Milwaukee, including new wordmarks, brand colors, a refreshed website, and wearable merchandise. Pyper also designed the visual identity for the Actual Fractals exhibition including labels, brochure maps, and posters. The new identity launch accompanied the exhibition.
• Northwestern MutualpresentingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Northwestern Mutual is listed as a sponsor and their grounds (Northwestern Mutual Grounds) serve as a venue for Sarah Braman's 'Stay' installation, demonstrating a corporate sponsorship arrangement that also provides venue access.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nasher Sculpture Center: Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas presents rotating exhibitions of modern and contemporary sculpture across indoor and outdoor galleries. Comparable to Sculpture Milwaukee as a dedicated sculpture-focused exhibition venue with international artist programming.
• Olympic Sculpture Park (Seattle Art Museum): Olympic Sculpture Park is a free outdoor sculpture park operated by the Seattle Art Museum, presenting large-scale contemporary works across multiple urban venues. Comparable to Sculpture Milwaukee in offering free access to large-scale outdoor sculpture in an urban context.
• Storm King Art Center: Storm King is a large-scale outdoor sculpture park in the Hudson Valley, NY featuring site-specific commissions by internationally recognized artists. Comparable to Sculpture Milwaukee in offering free public access to large-scale contemporary sculpture in outdoor settings.
• Creative Time: Creative Time is a NYC nonprofit that commissions and presents ambitious public art projects in nontraditional venues, supported by corporate sponsors and foundations. Shares Sculpture Milwaukee's nonprofit, sponsor-funded model for presenting contemporary public art.
• Socrates Sculpture Park: Socrates Sculpture Park is a nonprofit outdoor sculpture park in Long Island City, NYC that presents rotating exhibitions of contemporary sculpture free to the public. It is the closest direct peer to Sculpture Milwaukee in mission, model, and audience experience.
• deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum: deCordova (now part of The Trustees) operates a 30-acre outdoor sculpture park with rotating exhibitions of contemporary art in Lincoln, MA. Directly comparable as a nonprofit sculpture-focused park with curated outdoor exhibitions.
• Madison Square Park Conservancy: Madison Square Park Conservancy commissions rotating contemporary sculpture installations in a free public park in NYC, supported by corporate sponsors and a membership program — directly comparable to Sculpture Milwaukee's free outdoor exhibition model with multi-tier sponsorships.
• Public Art Fund: Public Art Fund is a NYC-based nonprofit that presents free contemporary public art installations across city venues, supported by corporate and foundation sponsors. It shares Sculpture Milwaukee's free-admission, sponsor-funded, multi-venue exhibition model.

Broad incumbents

• Walker Art Center: Walker Art Center is a major contemporary art museum in Minneapolis with a notable outdoor sculpture garden and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Comparable as a broader incumbent presenting contemporary sculpture in outdoor public settings, but operating at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• Lynden Sculpture Garden: Lynden Sculpture Garden is a 40-acre outdoor sculpture garden in Milwaukee that presents contemporary sculpture within a regional setting. Comparable as a sculpture-focused cultural organization in the same metropolitan region, though it operates as a permanent collection rather than rotating exhibitions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sculpturemilwaukee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sculpturemilwaukee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Sculpture Milwaukee, Inc.