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.
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.”
November 1, 2024 – The Miller Art Museum is pleased to announce the opening of its final exhibition of 2024, The Mavericks: John Colt, Kenn Kwint, and Theodore Czebotar in the Permanent Collection. The exhibit will open to the public with a free reception on Friday, November 15 from 4 - 6 pm. The exhibit will be on display at the art museum, located in the Door County Library downtown, through December 30.
This exhibition showcases a selection of 41 artworks and sketchbooks, gifted by the Kohler Foundation, Inc. in 2019, from Celebrated Wisconsin artists John N. Colt (1925–1998), Kenn Kwint (1937–2020), and Theodore Czebotar (1915–1996). Each piece invites the viewer to explore the unique vision and approaches that define the artists’ careers. Through Colt’s abstract compositions, Kwint’s bold expressionism, and Czebotar’s evocative landscapes, the exhibit highlights the diverse techniques and artistic depth of these figures, celebrating their contributions to modern American art and the Wisconsin art community.
Born in Madison, WI, John N. Colt was a pioneering figure in the Wisconsin art landscape––a master colorist in both painting and print. He was the son of art educator Arthur Colt, who taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Following in his father’s footsteps, Colt worked as a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 1957 until his retirement in 1990, where he influenced generations of artists, emphasizing a disciplined yet experimental approach to art. His work often explored organic forms and intricate textures, reflecting a deeply personal connection to both natural and constructed environments. Colt’s legacy endures in Wisconsin as a maverick who expanded the boundaries of modern art.