Milwaukee Arena Seeking Artwork

While construction continues on the home arena of NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks, the team is working on gathering artwork for the venue with a focus on artists with Wisconsin ties.

The venue, which is tentatively being called the Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center, will be part of a 30-acre district in downtown Milwaukee that includes entertainment, residential and commercial spaces. The $524 million arena is expected to open in fall 2018.   

wisconsinesc.com – Artist Rendering of Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center

The Bucks plan to put together a “one-of-a-kind, museum, quality art collection” through a partnership with Sports & The Arts, which develops and implements large-scale art collections at venues. 

The entire district will feature artwork, with more than 800 pieces displayed “everywhere from murals along the concourses to paintings in the private clubs and sculptures in the public plaza,” according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.   

The team is inviting local artists and muralists to submit samples of their pieces and a short bio by the end of August to [email protected]. All artists who are selected will be paid. The Sentinel notes that Sports & The Arts is seeking “40 originals, about six murals, and 150-200 photographs.”  

“We’re excited to showcase art that is intended to reflect our commitment to strengthening the cultural connections between the new arena and our great city and state,” Bucks President Peter Feigin said in a statement.

The Sentinel reported in late July that the arena’s roof was nearly closed, with the final roof truss lifts scheduled to take place early this month.  

The Bucks’ current home, the BMO Harris Bradley Center, will be demolished to make way for future commercial development, according to the paper.