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Museum of Wisconsin Art facts for kids

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Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA)
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Former name West Bend Art Museum
Established 1961; 64 years ago (1961)
Location 205 Veterans Avenue
West Bend, Wisconsin 53090, United States
Type Art museum

The Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) is a cool place to explore art! It's located in West Bend, Wisconsin. This museum collects and shows off amazing art from Wisconsin. You can see both old and new art here.

MOWA has many different art pieces. They often change their exhibits. This means there's always something new to discover! The museum also has special programs. These help you learn more about art. One special area, called the One Gallery, shows art from modern Wisconsin artists.

Discovering MOWA's History

How MOWA Started

The museum began in 1961. A family named the Picks, from West Bend, Wisconsin, started it. Their main goal was to collect art by Carl von Marr. He was a famous artist born in Milwaukee (1858-1936). Today, MOWA has the biggest collection of his artwork anywhere!

Growing and Changing Focus

In 1988, the museum decided to grow. It became a museum for the whole region. They started collecting art from many Wisconsin artists. This art covered the years from 1820 to 1950.

In 1998, they showed their "Early Wisconsin Art Collection." This happened when Wisconsin celebrated its 150th birthday. It showed the museum's new goal. They wanted to collect, save, and display Wisconsin art from all time periods.

A New Name and Modern Art

In January 2007, the museum changed its name. It became the Museum of Wisconsin Art. With this new name, they also started showing modern Wisconsin art. They even included art made before 1820.

A Brand New Building

A big change happened in April 2012. The museum opened a brand new building! It's located right on the banks of the Milwaukee River in West Bend. This new home helps them share even more incredible Wisconsin art.

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