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Letters to County Board 5-Sep-24


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September 5, 2024

To Milwaukee County Supervisors:​​From: Scott Johnson, President, Preserve MKE 

Patti Logsdon​​​​​Scott Bush, Preserve MKE Board Member​

Kathleen Vincent

Steve Taylor

We represent a local nonprofit group, (PreserveMKE.org)working to preserve our Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) and keep its beloved exhibits, including “The Streets of Old Milwaukee,” “The European Village,” “The Buffalo Hunt” and “The Native Pow Wow.” Our group started with about 15 concerned citizens two years ago. Today, our numbers have grown to more than 9,000!  

The public and elected officials did not receive a clear messageabout the fate of the MPM. Most people seem to believe the museum is simply moving; however, we learned that most current exhibits won’t be included in the new museum. Based on conversations we have had with the public, and input from social media, there is a general belief that it is imperative and necessary for the museum to pack up and move from a dilapidated building to a new building. In addition, MPM officials claim the current building is beyond repair. We’ve obtained copies of all the maintenance and repair reports thathave been completed in the MPM. We would like to see an independent inspection of the building to assess its condition and shared with the Milwaukee County Board and its residents. 

We are concerned because the building, exhibits, and collections are mostly public property. The MPM has hundreds of murals, painted by notable artists along with exhibits built by skilled artisans with the highest quality of craftsmanship. These dioramas are recognized for their historic significance by museums around the world. All of these will be tragically lost forever.

We want to keep these historic exhibits and artwork preserved and on display. History will not look favorably on their destruction. In addition, the building was designed by renowned Milwaukee architects Eschweiler and Eschweiler, which may qualify for historic significance and designation. 

MPM Inc. is the private organization tasked with running the MPM for the community supported within an annual county grant of 3 million dollars in addition to admissions and donor revenue.  MPM Inc. seeks to privately buy and own the new site of the “Wisconsin Natural Museum” with state and county grants that total more than 85 million taxpayer dollars. This is without equity or oversight by the public. That kind of public investment should come with public say and oversight. 

Thank you, Supervisors Logsdon, Vincent and Taylor for bringing further attention and scrutiny to this matter. We learned about your shared concerns in Wisconsin Right Now. Feel free to contact us with any questions, or with any suggestions on how we can help you in preserving MPM.

Scott Bush, Board Member ​​Scott Johnson, President

Preserve MKE​​​​Preserve MKE

623 Glenview Ave​​​3170 S. 7th St.

Wauwatosa, WI 53226​​​Milwaukee, WI 53215

414/870-1874 ​​​​414/559-6996 


 
 
 

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