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Public Concern Over Direction of Milwaukee Public Museum and Undermining of Historical Legacy

Dear ICOM Secretariat,

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I am writing to express deep concern about the dismantling of the Milwaukee Public Museum’s historical exhibits under the leadership of Executive Director Dr. Ellen Censky. Despite significant public pushback, Dr. Censky is moving forward with plans to remove long-standing exhibits and redefine the institution’s purpose—decisions that undermine the museum’s legacy and the public trust.


Dr. Censky has publicly stated that “nostalgia won’t carry us forward” and has characterized this transformation as necessary to “evolve” the museum. In internal presentations, she paraphrased language from ICOM’s 2019 Guidelines on Deaccessioning to support this shift, stating that it is “not sustainable for museums to maintain all collections in perpetuity” and that deaccessioning is “a sign of a healthy, evolving collection.” She has used this interpretation as a defense for removing or permanently abandoning iconic cultural exhibits. To my knowledge, however, ICOM’s official guidelines do not include the term “evolving” in the context of curatorial purpose or the remaking of institutional identity, particularly not as justification for breaking with a museum’s core historical mission.


Dr. Censky has also publicly stated that the Milwaukee Public Museum is “not a history museum,” expressing instead a preference for a natural history and science model—closely aligned with her academic background. This reframing marks a fundamental departure from MPM’s longstanding dual role in preserving both natural and human history.


This redirection is taking place amid the construction of a significantly smaller, privately-managed facility. Indeed, documents submitted by Dr. Censky cite $80–90 million in “equity upgrades” as justification for leaving the current building. A new nonprofit—Historic Haymarket Milwaukee—was established not to safeguard collections, but solely “to develop and construct a permanent museum building.” No clear plan has been shared with the public about which exhibits will be preserved, removed, or destroyed.


The implications are deeply troubling. Exhibits like the Streets of Old Milwaukee, the European Village, and the building’s original diorama murals—many of which cannot be relocated—are slated for dismantling. These are not simply installations; they are carefully crafted works of educational and artistic significance that span generations.

Milwaukee Public Museum is internationally recognized for inventing the “Milwaukee Style” of immersive habitat dioramas—an approach that revolutionized museum storytelling globally. That legacy deserves more than quiet dismantling under vague rhetoric and paraphrased policies. This is not museum evolution. It is cultural erasure.


We respectfully urge ICOM to take note: the Milwaukee Public Museum’s identity is being reshaped in ways that downplay its historical role and sever its connection to the public it was built to serve. Your name and your guidance are being cited—however loosely—to justify these actions. We hope you will examine this situation and consider whether your institutional guidance is being misused.


Sincerely,

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