February 20, 2025—The Miller Art Museum is honored to announce that it has been awarded a Creation and Presentation grant in the amount of $3,000 from the Wisconsin Arts Board for the fiscal year 2025. The grant program provides artistic program and operational support to established nonprofit arts organizations whose primary mission is to create or present ongoing arts programming that significantly impacts the cultural life of Wisconsin.
The Creation and Presentation Program is designed to sustain the vitality of Wisconsin's arts sector by supporting organizations that demonstrate strong operations, stable management, and high artistic quality. By investing in these institutions, the Wisconsin Arts Board ensures that communities across the state have access to enriching artistic experiences.
“The visual arts are essential to a thriving, healthy, and vibrant community,” said Elizabeth Meissner-Gigstead, executive director. “This grant supports our vital programming and contributes to ensuring the visual arts and the creative history of the Peninsula remain a vital part of our lives here in Door County. We are incredibly grateful for the support, which strengthens our ability to connect artists and community.”
February 14, 2025—The Miller Art Museum is excited to host a special literary event and artist reception featuring award-winning illustrator and author Aaron Boyd on Friday, February 28, 2025. The evening will feature a book reading by the author at 4:00 PM, followed by an artist reception from 5 – 7 PM with light refreshments and music, where visitors will have the opportunity to meet Boyd, and view the original illustrations from his latest book in the Miller Art Museum’s current exhibition, Giving Good: The Art of Illustration by Aaron Boyd. The event is free and open to the public. The exhibition will be on display in downtown Sturgeon Bay through March 29, 2025, and features 32 original works from the book that inspired the exhibit, Giving Good, and 14 additional works that reach into the artist’s 31-year career as a professional illustrator.
Aaron Boyd, a Milwaukee-based artist, has illustrated over 40 books for children, celebrated for their rich storytelling, vibrant imagery, and ability to capture the cultural experiences of diverse communities. His latest work, Giving Good, is a heartwarming story for readers of all ages about a father-son relationship navigating the challenges of parental separation, where the father, despite difficulties, consistently tries to provide love and support to his son, demonstrating a persistent act of "giving good" even in the face of difficulty.
“I do believe Giving Good has a purpose. To give what it says, “Give Good.” We can all do this,” says Boyd.
Aaron Boyd brings the themes of kindness, human connection, and love to life with depth and emotion. In addition to viewing more than 40 original illustrations, visitors can explore the process the artist often utilizes to test colors, textures, and values in his work through an interactive installation, which are a fusion of mixed media techniques, blending of watercolor, collaged paper, textiles, oil pastels, and found objects.
He is an award-winning artist recognized by ILA, the International Literacy Association, and the Children’s Africana Book Award, and has received a starred review from Kirkus. His 2011 pop-up book, Storybook Year, was inducted into the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Whether you're a family looking for an enriching literary experience, a museum member eager to engage with contemporary illustration, or a community member interested in the arts or illustration, this event is not to be missed! The exhibition is presented with financial support from Barb and Mike Madden, the MMG Foundation, the Ellsworth and Carla Peterson Charitable Foundation, and the Townsend Foundation with additional grant and in-kind support from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Honoring artistic excellence and community connection through dual exhibitions
January 17, 2025—The Miller Art Museum is excited to announce its first exhibition of the organization’s 50th anniversary year, Giving Good: The Art of Illustration by Aaron Boyd, opening on Saturday, January 25, 2025. Featured alongside Giving Good on the Ruth Morton Miller Mezzanine will be Malin Ekman in the Permanent Collection, an installation featuring work by Marlene (Malin) "Tudy" Ekman, a female Door County artist celebrated for her evocative illustrations in pencil and watercolor. The exhibits open to the public at 10 am on Saturday, January 25, 2025, and will be on view through March 29, 2025. A free artist reception with author/illustrator Aaron Boyd will be held on Fri., February 28, 2025.
Giving Good, an exhibition celebrating the beauty of human connection and cultural diversity, features Wisconsin artist Aaron Boyd’s vibrant and evocative mixed-media illustrations––a fusion of mixed media techniques, blending of watercolor, collaged paper, textiles, oil pastels, and found objects. Visitors will discover the artist’s lifelong passion for storytelling and his commitment to representing the diverse experiences of the world around him.
January 17, 2024—The Miller Art Museum is excited to announce that applications are now open for the 2025 Dome House Al & Mickey Quinlan Artist Residency, a unique opportunity for Midwest visual artists to immerse themselves in the creative landscape of Door County, Wisconsin. The deadline to apply is Monday, April 7, 2025.
Launched in 2021 in partnership with the Quinlan/Wagner family, the Dome House Residency Program has emerged as a vibrant and vital creative space, offering resources and opportunities for visual artists to develop their practice while promoting dialogue and interaction with the community. The Miller Art Museum remains committed to fostering the growth of the Peninsula’s creative community and the program fits seamlessly within the museum’s mission to connect artists and community with opportunities to explore, celebrate, and advance the visual arts.
"We celebrate our fifth anniversary of the residency and the 50th anniversary of the organization in 2025," said Elizabeth Meissner-Gigstead, Executive Director of the Miller Art Museum. "This is a great milestone and the perfect moment to reflect on the development of the program over the past five years. Looking back, we are reminded of how deeply our founder, Gerhard Miller, was committed to making the visual arts accessible to all, serving as a mentor to artists of all levels and abilities, and fostering a broader community of art appreciators. His life’s work continues to inspire us as we shape a future where art is not just something to be admired from a distance, but a powerful tool for education, dialogue, and change,” Gigstead said. “The program gives contemporary context to the legacies of Al and Gerhard, embodying the spirits and aspirations of the two visionaries.”
January 17, 2025—The Miller Art Museum has announced an exciting step in its continued journey toward growth and transformation: a temporary pivot for its satellite education facility, M3, as the organization focuses on facility planning and organizational development. This decision aligns with the museum’s strategic vision to enhance its ability to serve the community and deliver dynamic exhibitions while honoring its commitment to fostering artistic engagement and education.
This strategic pause for M3 comes on the heels of the organization finalizing an exit agreement with the County of Door at the end of August, a move that reflects the natural progression of the outlined 5-year exit from its 50-year home in the Sturgeon Bay Branch of the Door County Library. Over the past several years, M3 has been a valuable resource for creative exploration and community programming, bringing together artists, educators, and students in meaningful ways. While operations at M3 will pause, the vision for its future is bigger and brighter than ever, as the art museum plans to incorporate an even greater educational presence within its envisioned new facility.
“We are incredibly proud of what M3 has represented for the community—an accessible and vibrant space for education, exploration, and collaboration,” said Elizabeth Meissner-Gigstead, executive director of the Miller Art Museum. “This decision, while reflective of careful planning, is an exciting step toward ensuring that the programs and opportunities offered at M3 are not only preserved but elevated in the new facility we are building toward.”