“It was a polarized time, with fierce disagreement about the limits of executive power, press freedom, protest, assembly and dissent. 2026, shake hands with 1776.” - Jim Higgins for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about Defying Empire: Revolutionary Prints from Britain and America
[The Haggerty’s zine day] “encouraged people to pay attention to how they can build communities and make change.” -Guest curator J. Patrick Mullins in The Marquette Tribune
“Everything that happened—the exhibits, the artist panel/discussion, the young artist talk, the videos, and the creative workshops—contributed to [empower our voices]. These became a perfect storm of positivity and expression.” - A Community Day participant
In collaboration with partners like Marquette University’s History and Political Science departments, our Spring 2026 exhibitions and programs invited audiences to explore the richness of American history and meaningful civic engagement during the 250th anniversary of the United States. Nearly 5,000 visitors visited the exhibitions, engaged in classroom conversations, discussed cross-cultural issues, and made their own DIY publications at workshops.
This Side of the Stars: Rauschenberg’s Stoned Moon in the Company of Kite, Paglen, and Yi explored the intersection of art, technology, and environment at the same time as NASA’s recent trip to the moon. Let the Real World In imagined different scenarios for building a more just world through the lens of young adults from Milwaukee to think about America’s future. Contemporary prints and zines in Declaration of ____ drew parallels between the circulation of print media during the American revolutionary period and today’s creative resistance to consider America’s present, and Defying Empire: Revolutionary Prints from Britain and America challenges traditional, nationalistic narratives of the American Revolution to examine America’s past.
We are grateful for the recognition and media spotlights our work received:
We are also grateful for the feedback about our Spring exhibitions and program, including these endorsements:
Visual art is a powerful way for students to explore broader human experiences, cultures, and ideas. Classes are invited to slow down, look closely, ask questions, and investigate new ideas. Throughout the semester, over 2,500 students attended over 125 sessions in the galleries customized for literature, science, nursing, theology, engineering, and other interdisciplinary courses.
Held for the second time in over 10 years on campus, a Global Art History course inspired the full enrollment capacity of 30 students to better understand different traditions and cross-cultural issues. Students considered how works of art generate meaning both independently and in relation to other objects, histories, and perspectives. This course was made possible for the first time in a decade by a generous donor who understands the importance of art to a student’s education.
Numerous higher education and high school groups heard directly from the artist Kirsten Leenaars and some of her 21-year-old collaborators about the process of filming and participating in the 10-year collaboration together. The classes enjoyed hearing from a similarly aged peer about civic engagement and how to amplify their own voices.
Inspired by the Declaration of ____ exhibition, students from across academic departments discussed the medium of zines and were encouraged to create their own at hands-on workshops. The DIY media of the zine was met with curiosity and enthusiasm. In fact, other departments utilized the media as well ranging from an English writing symposium to CURTO’s Justice in Action to displays at the Raynor Library.
This Spring, the Haggerty continued to offer opportunities for aspiring museum professionals to have hands-on, real experiences. Emma E. Erickson, graduate intern from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Department of Art History, contributed to the curation of the Summer After the Empire show, organized aspects of the Community Zine Festival, and guided class visits from the High School of the Arts and other schools.
In addition to structured classes, approximately 35 members of Marquette’s Art Club met each week at the Haggerty Museum to explore additional creative opportunities.
The Haggerty’s free, public programs and events continue to reach an ever-increasing audience. More than 330 people turned out for an opening reception on a bitterly cold January evening, which contributed to the total 75% increase in Spring event attendance as compared to last year. Students and lifelong learners alike attended talks and workshops held by artists, faculty, and a broad range of other subject experts. Feedback from the Community Zine Festival attended by 140 people noted connections made at our events: “It felt like a place where genuine conversations were encouraged, the art was treated with respect, and everyone was actively listening and learning.”
Making Zines, Making Change: A Conversation about Collaborating, Publishing, Selling, and Archiving DIY Art was a community conversation about the hands-on power of self-publishing for self-expression. An attendee remarked, “This event was an amazing mix of people —presenters and audience—as well as ideas, knowledge, and experience, and I loved the many ways it tied into current exhibitions.”
Inspired by the exhibition This Side of the Stars, the panel discussion Land Matters: Sites of Technology and Ecological Restoration examined the intricate relationships between human innovation, geographic place, and environmental impact.
The President’s Day Lunchtime Art Talk with Dr. Patrick Mullins drew on works from the Defying Empire: Revolutionary Prints from Britain and America exhibition that illustrated how revolution-era prints functioned much like modern-day memes, serving as powerful tools to shape public opinion across a broad cross-section of society, including women and the working class.
Family, Friends, and Neighbors’ Preview of Kirsten Leenaars’ New Film, Let the Real World In provided a tender, documentary screening of Milwaukee youth navigating a nation in turmoil. In the full-length documentary and multi-screen video installation, Leenaars revealed how the young participants transitioned from idealism to informed political agency. According to project participant Hannah Plevin, “A lot of people and a lot of adults tend to tell kids that they haven't been alive long enough when most times, we fully understand the situation.”
Community Zine Festival: Declarations in Print: A Community Event of Making, Dialogue, and Revolutionary Imagination was a hands-on celebration of DIY publishing, revolutionary print culture and community storytelling. Inspired by the museum’s current exhibitions including Let the Real World In, the creative festival brought together a dynamic artists’ conversation, community talk-back, drop-in zine-making studio and live printmaking demonstration.
Many participants shared messages expressing how meaningful it was to share the power of art. They remarked, “🖤 thank you (for real)” and “I so appreciate the Haggerty’s commitment to social change through art.”
The Civic Dialogues Dinner with Hahrie Han explored the deeper causes behind today’s public challenges and what it takes to work toward the common good. A participant commented, “… both the presentation and discussion were great!” Another said, “…having civil dialogue in an often uncivilized world was helpful. …”
The Haggerty's permanent collection expanded with the addition of an important work by Oglála Lakȟóta artist, composer, and scholar Kite (a.k.a. Suzanne Kite), titled Opening, opening, opening, opening, opening, opening, opening, opening, opening. Kite is renowned for her work combining Lakȟóta onotologies and machine learning technologies. This "score" for an arrangement of regional rocks is the first of this body of work to be acquired by a museum. The work was on view in the Museum's Spring exhibition, This Side of the Stars: Rauschenberg’s Stoned Moon in the Company of Kite, Paglen, and Yi.
Period prints from the collection by William Hogarth, Thomas Cook, and others were prominently featured in the Defying Empire: Revolutionary Prints from Britain and America exhibition commemorating America’s 250th anniversary.
Works from the Museum’s African art collection were carefully conserved and photo documented for exhibitions that will be on view in Fall 2026.
Memberships in the Friends of the Haggerty vitally sponsor 20% of the Museum’s annual budget. We are truly grateful for the gifts we receive from our donors at all levels. A $10,000 matching gift challenge sponsored by Lacey Sadoff inspired contributions at various levels on this year’s Give Marquette Day.
These gifts are crucial in supporting our efforts to enrich our community with thought-provoking, timely, and engaging programming. Members receive unique and exclusive benefits created just for them. One members-only tour attendee commented, “It was so great! Love the private tours ... it was a great weekend!”
A members-only evening at AP3 (Anchor Press, Paper & Print) included a behind-the-scenes tour of the new House of Rad facility, an engaging lithography printing demonstration, and a champagne reception. An attendee commented, “Great to meet the lovely folks at AP3 and they were SO welcoming and happy to show us their evolving space! Loved the litho print demo and learning something new about printing! Well done!”
Join the Friends of the Haggerty Museum to receive member benefits and support our artistic efforts. Members enjoy exclusive tours and other members-only programs while providing vital support for the Haggerty’s relevant, diverse, and accessible arts programming for more than 10,000 visitors annually from on and off campus. Don’t miss out – become a member today!
On behalf of our staff and visitors, we are grateful for the generosity of the artists, faculty, Friends members, donors, lenders, community partners, and countless others who made the Spring 2026 semester a great success. These champions are vital in supporting our efforts to enrich our community with thought-provoking, timely, and engaging programming.
Special thanks to our invaluable exhibition and program sponsors who enabled these Spring exhibits, arts education experiences, and programming to promote commemoration and reflection.
Support for This Side of the Stars: Rauschenberg’s Stoned Moon in the Company of Kite, Paglen, and Yi was generously provided by Friends of the Haggerty Museum of Art Forward Funders and the Martha and Ray Smith, Jr. Endowment Fund.
Support for Let the Real World In was generously provided by the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation; DutchCultureUSA, a program of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the United States; the Hoke Family Foundation; and the Joan Pick Endowment Fund.
Support for Defying Empire: Revolutionary Prints from Britain and America was generously provided by the John P. Raynor, S.J. Endowment Fund and in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Support for Declaration of ____ was generously provided by Dr. Mary Anne Siderits; the Hoke Family Foundation; and the Stackner Family Endowment Fund. This exhibition was presented in partnership with the Chipstone Foundation.
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