And the space is filled with diffused natural light. Many works in this area have not been seen for years. Several were purchased around the time they were made and could not be acquired by MAM at today's prices. The collection of 446 works is considered one of the most outstanding of its kind in the country, Bowman said. While the collection on the main level of MAM's old buildings is arranged art historically, MAM has also displayed art by theme and style on other levels of the museum.
Visual ideas bind the objects together.
The American Collections is a vastly enhanced overview of decorative arts from colonial times through the 20th century, incorporating paintings, ceramics and rare examples of American-made furniture. Many of the objects in these lower galleries have never been seen at MAM before. A display of drawings, sketches, letters and business records that chronicle the careers of Wisconsin-born Frank Lloyd Wright and his Milwaukee associate, designer and manufacturer George Mann Niedecken, will be on display as visitors enter the lower level. For the first time, MAM is also dedicating space to African art and Asian art. These galleries are found on the upper level where galleries for Haitian art, sculpture, folk and self-taught art are found.