The first-ever Milwaukee Museum Week takes place Jan. 21-27 with 17 area venues taking part, everything from the Chudnow Museum of Yesteryear to the Betty Brinn to the North Point Lighthouse to the Milwaukee Art Museum and beyond.
While you can find the complete list of events – which is being updated regularly as more great things are added – we’ve combed through to pick six you absolutely shouldn’t miss.
Haggerty Museum behind the scenes tour
A rare look beyond the gallery walls at Marquette University’s Haggerty Museum of Art, 1234 W. Tory Hill St., is slated for Tuesday, Jan. 22 at noon. You can get a sneak preview in the story I wrote about the museum this week. Space is limited, so early registration is required by emailing haggertym@marquette.edu.
Youth free day
Thanks to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, visitors under 18 will get in free to all participating museums – except Milwaukee Art Museum and the Haggerty, which are closed on Mondays – on Monday, Jan. 21. At some of them all ages will get free admission. Check the web site for details.
Prohibition Milwaukee talk with John Gurda
As part of its new exhibition, " How Dry I Am: Prohibition Milwaukee," Milwaukee County Historical Society, 910 N. Old World 3rd St., presents a talk with the main man of Milwaukee history, John Gurda, Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. Admission is free.
"Blacklist" curatorial talk
Curator Ellie Gettinger lead an interactive tour of "Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare," a new multi-sensory exhibition on view now at the Jewish Museum of Milwaukee, 1360 N. Prospect Ave., Thursday, Jan. 24, at 5:30 p.m. Free with museum admission.
Lunch lecture and book signing with Carl Baehr
The author of the new book – "From the Emerald Isle to the Cream City: A History of the Irish in Milwaukee" – and an expert on Milwaukee street names, Carl will talk about the history of Milwaukee’s Irish, with a focus on the working life of the city’s early Irish arrivals and their contributions to the city and its landscape. There will also be a brief Q&A and book signing. At the Grohmann Museum at MSOE, 1000 N. Broadway, Friday, Jan. 25, from noon until 2 p.m. Call (414) 277-2300 for more information.
Virtual Reality Museum Week Experience
Discovery World’s Virtual Explorer will offer a special virtual reality experience only available during Milwaukee Museum Week, 500 N. Harbor Dr., Thursday, Jan. 24, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Free with Discovery World admission.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
