Charles Allis-Villa Terrace Museums

CHARLES ALLIS AND VILLA TERRACE MUSEUMS, INC. ADVANCES THE MISSIONS OF THE CULTURAL ASSETS UNDER ITS STEWARDSHIP BY PROVIDING MANAGEMENT, PROGRAMMING, AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.CHARLES ALLIS ART MUSEUM:THE CHARLES ALLIS ART MUSEUM ENRICHES MILWAUKEE'S QUALITY OF LIFE BY CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO EXPERIENCE HISTORY, CULTURE, AND THE ARTS, IN PARTICULAR BY OFFERING VIBRANT EXHIBITIONS AND PERFORMANCES IN A STATELY AND INTIMATE URBAN MANSION, WHICH PERMANENTLY HOUSES THE ART COLLECTION OF EARLY 20TH-CENTURY INDUSTRIALIST CHARLES ALLIS.VILLA TERRACE DECORATIVE ARTS MUSEUM:THE VILLA TERRACE DECORATIVE ARTS MUSEUM ENRICHES MILWAUKEE'S QUALITY OF LIFE BY CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS TO EXPERIENCE HISTORY, CULTURE, AND THE ARTS, IN PARTICULAR BY OFFERING VIBRANT EXHIBITIONS AND PERFORMANCES IN THE GRAND YET INTIMATE SETTING OF THE LLOYD SMITH FAMILY'S LAKEFRONT RENAISSANCE VILLA AND GARDEN.

CHARLES ALLIS AND VILLA TERRACE MUSEUMS, INC. (CAVT) STEWARDS TWO HISTORIC HOMES AND THEIR ART COLLECTIONS, BEQUEATHED TO THE CITIZENS OF MILWAUKEE BY THEIR ORIGINAL OWNERS - CHARLES AND SARAH ALLIS AND AGNES SMITH CURTIS - TO EDUCATE, INSPIRE AND DELIGHT. BOTH FAMILIES PLAYED PROMINENT ROLES IN THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF MILWAUKEE'S INDUSTRIAL, ARTISTIC AND CIVIC LIFE. BOTH HOMES ARE LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES, AND ARE DESIGNATED BY THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE, MILWAUKEE COUNTY, AND NUMEROUS ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR CONTINUED SIGNIFICANCE TO MILWAUKEE'S HISTORIC, CULTURAL AND ARTISTIC LIFE. THROUGH INTERPRETATION OF THESE HOMES AND THEIR COLLECTIONS, AND THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY, CAVT INC. SEEKS KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIETAL, CULTURAL, ARTISTIC, HISTORIC AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES FROM LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES. CAVT INC. PRODUCES EXHIBITIONS, PROGRAMMING AND EVENTS THAT INTERPRET THESE ISSUES FOR DIVERSE AUDIENCES. CAVT COLLABORATES WITH OTHER CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL ENTITIES TO ACHIEVE ITS MISSION. IN 2019, CAVT MOUNTED THE FOLLOWING EXHIBITIONS AT THE VILLA TERRACE DECORATIVE ARTS MUSEUM: MOVING IMAGES (FEATURING A COLLECTION OF BRITISH ROYAL PORTRAITURE FROM A LOCAL COLLECTOR), DAVID R. HARPER: A MOUTH SHAPED ROOM, AND MEASURED MISALIGNMENTS AND HOUSE TABLEAU (FEATURING ORIGINAL WORK BY JEFFREY CLANCY AND ARIANA HUGGETT). IN 2018, CAVT MOUNTED DELIGHT, INSPIRE, EDUCATE, A PRESENTATION OF ART, ARTIFACTS, AND EPHEMERA FROM THE ALLIS COLLECTION. COMMUNITY ARTS PROGRAMMING INCLUDED MANY EVENTS IN CONNECTION WITH OUR CHANGING EXHIBITIONS, ART IN THE GARDEN (A PROGRAM SUPPORTING MPS ART TEACHERS THROUGH FIELD TRIPS TO THE VILLA TERRACE, CULMINATING IN AN EXHIBITION OF STUDENT ARTWORK AT THE MUSEUM), WORK WITH RUFUS KING HIGH SCHOOL'S INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE ARTS CURRICULUM CULMINATING IN A GRADUATE ART EXHIBITION AT THE CHARLES ALLIS ART MUSEUM, AND COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITY ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUPS THAT OFFERED OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPERIENCE THEATRE, DANCE, MUSIC, FILM AND THE VISUAL ARTS.