Brewing History on display at the Grohmann Museum
| Published: 01/11/2010 |
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Brewing History, an exhibit of 12 colorful murals portraying a significant period in brewing's illustrious 6,000-year history, will be on display Jan. 25-Feb. 28 at the Grohmann Museum, 1000 N. Broadway, with a free reception on Monday, Feb. 1 from 5 to 7 p.m.
The murals in Brewing History depict beer brewing as far back as 4200 B.C. in Babylon and trace the development of brewing techniques from the Ossetian Tribes, Africa, Egypt and more, to medieval Germany, on pilgrims' ships and modern-day brewing.
2010 marks the 75th anniversary of the paintings, which were commissioned by the Brewing Industry Historical Committee and painted by Chicago artist Jean Allen. They were unveiled in 1935 at the Master Brewers Association of America convention, and have since been part of the fermentation industries exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and on display at the Siebel Institute of Technology. When the Siebel Institute closed, the artwork was given to the Museum of Beer & Brewing in Milwaukee, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and displaying the proud history of beer and brewing throughout the world and particularly in North America.
The Grohmann Museum is home to the Man at Work collection, which comprises more than 800 paintings and sculptures dating from 1580 to the present. They reflect a variety of artistic styles and subjects that document the evolution of organized work: from farming and mining to trades such as glassblowing and seaweed gathering. The Grohmann Museum welcomes visitors to three floors of galleries where a core collection is displayed as well as themed exhibitions. The museum is located at MSOE, an independent university with about 2,600 students. MSOE offers 17 bachelor's degrees and nine master's degrees in the engineering, engineering technology, architectural engineering and building construction, computer, business, nursing and health-related fields.
For more information about the Brewing History exhibit, contact Lorraine Hoffman, president of the Museum of Beer & Brewing, at (414) 276-6190 or lhoffco@gmail.com.