Bridges: The Spans of North America now open at the Grohmann Museum
| Published: 01/08/2013 |
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Following the widely-acclaimed exhibition of David Plowden's railroad photographs—Requiem for Steam—the artist returns to the Grohmann Museum, 1000 N. Broadway, to present images from his years of work photographing dozens of bridges across the American landscape as part of a Guggenheim fellowship. Bridges: The Spans of North America will be on display from Jan. 18 through April 28.
Many of these engineering marvels no longer exist, except for in the memory and in these captivating works. In Plowden’s words, “there is no more overt, powerful or rational expression of accomplishment—of man's ability to build.” This exhibition is a tribute to the artist and those expressions of accomplishment.
As part of Milwaukee’s Gallery Night and Day event on Friday, Jan. 18 from 5 to 9 p.m., the museum is hosting a Gallery Talk with Plowden at 7 p.m.
Dr. Deborah L. Jackman, chair of MSOE's Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Department, presents "Sustainable Practices in Bridge Design and Construction" on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 6 p.m.
Visitors of all ages are invited to a K’nex bridge building workshop on Saturday, March 16 from noon to 4 p.m. with John and Sylvia Peine. Patrons will be shown how to use their creative and problem-solving skills to build a 48-foot-long suspension bridge using K’nex, and other structures using Lego and Duplo blocks.
The Grohmann Museum is home to the Man at Work collection, which comprises more than 900 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 owned by MSOE, an independent university with about 2,500 students. MSOE offers 20 bachelor’s degrees and nine master’s degrees in the engineering, business, mathematics and nursing fields.