The Milwaukee Art Museum is hosting "Gertrude Abercrombie: The Whole World is a Mystery," a nationally touring retrospective featuring 83 paintings by the surrealist artist. The exhibition, which runs through July 19, is the only stop in the Midwest for the tour and includes works such as "Witches Switches" and "Inheritance," alongside wearable art from the 1950s. The gallery is designed as a maze to reflect Abercrombie's complex mind, and the museum is offering related events like Kohl's Family Sunday and MAM After Dark.
This exhibition matters because it brings significant attention to Gertrude Abercrombie, a key figure in the Chicago jazz scene and surrealist movement who has often been overlooked in art history. By hosting the only Midwest stop of this major retrospective, the Milwaukee Art Museum positions itself as a vital venue for showcasing underrepresented artists and engaging the local community through immersive programming and partnerships with organizations like Imagine MKE.