Mark Fischer The Milwaukee Public Museum announced Wednesday that it has selected artist Mark Fischer to create a sculpture for its future museum. Fischer, an indigenous artist of the Oneida Nation, plans to incorporate cultural aspects of Wisconsin’s Native American tribes into the art installation, which will be called “The Gathering Place,”
[caption id="attachment_594806" align="alignleft" width="300"] Mark Fischer[/caption]
The Milwaukee Public Museum announced Wednesday that it has selected artist Mark Fischer to create a sculpture for its future museum.
Fischer, an indigenous artist of the Oneida Nation, plans to incorporate cultural aspects of Wisconsin’s Native American tribes into the art installation, which will be called “The Gathering Place,” according to the news release.
The project will cost $150,000, an MPM spokesperson said, and it will be completed by the time the new museum, to be located at the corner of Sixth and McKinley streets in the Haymarket neighborhood of Milwaukee, opens in 2027.
The sculpture will have a dome-like shape formed by copper aspen trees that each represent Wisconsin’s First Nations, according to the Wednesday news release. Each copper tree will have cultural patterns from each of Wisconsin’s Native American tribes welded onto them.
“I am incredibly proud to be trusted with creating such a meaningful piece of art for the future museum,” Fischer said in the news release. “I feel a special connection to this land and am truly honored to create an iconic piece of art for this centuries-old gathering place to celebrate native cultures, honor our natural world and create a highly interactive environment for visitors.”
The sculpture will be in the future museum’s plaza, “a green space adjacent to the museum building and in front of the parking structure,” according to the news release. This space will be free and open to the public all year.
There will be 13 large stones placed "in a circular design" on the ground inside the dome, which “represent the 13 squares, called scutes, found on every turtle shell,” Fischer said in the news release.
“Many indigenous people consider a turtle’s shell to be a representation of the lunar calendar, which has 13 full moons in a year,” Fischer said in the news release. “Turtles also have 28 tiny square shells — the same number of days between each full moon — around the perimeter of their shell. Knowing this, I plan to incorporate 28 smaller stones around the structure’s outer edge.”
Fischer said in the news release that he hopes those stones “will serve as a place for children to sit for storytelling.”
James Flores, the MPM manager of tribal relations, said in the news release that Fischer is the “perfect artist” for the job because of his “profound connection to the land and dedication to sharing Native American heritage.”
“Mark’s vision beautifully intertwines the cultural significance of the tribes in Wisconsin with the natural beauty of our environment,” Flores said. “This installation will not only be a striking piece of art, but a powerful educational tool that will teach museum visitors about the rich traditions, history and resilience of Wisconsin tribes.”
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