Madison Museum of Contemporary Art

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Madison Museum of Contemporary Art Contemporary art museum on State Street. Free admission. More info at www.mmoca.org.

MISSION

The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art is an independent organization that exhibits, collects, and preserves modern and contemporary art to provide transformative experiences that educate, reflect, and inspire us as individuals and a community. COLLECTION

The Museum's collection traces its origins to a major gift from Rudolph and Louise Langer in 1968. Through donations and Museum purchases, the collection has grown to become an important community resource. Works span the twentieth and twenty-first centuries and include paintings, sculpture, photography, prints, and drawings. Romare Bearden, Deborah Butterfield, John Steuart Curry, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Cindy Sherman are among the many esteemed artists represented in the collection. EXHIBITIONS

Exhibitions are the cornerstone of MMoCA's public programs and have featured many of the most respected artists of the last century, including Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Chuck Close, Sol LeWitt, George Segal, Jim Dine, Rodney Graham, Georgia O'Keeffe, Claes Oldenburg, Ursula von Rydingsvard, and John Wilde. The main galleries, located on the second floor, host the Museum's major exhibitions. The Henry Street Gallery presents exhibitions from the Museum's permanent collection while the State Street Gallery offers a changing roster of exhibitions and installations. MMoCA's rooftop sculpture garden presents major works on a rotating basis in an illuminated garden setting. EDUCATION

MMoCA's education department organizes lectures, films, panel discussions, docent-led tours, and children's art classes, as well as outreach programs like Art on Tour, Art Cart, and ArtZone. The education department also undertakes special projects like the online exhibition Modern Art/Contemporary Art/MMoCA Collects. MEMBERSHIP

MMoCA members provide critical support for the Museum's exhibitions and education programs. Members receive free or discounted admission to Museum events; opportunities to meet artists and curators; a subscription to the Museum's newsletter; and a tax deduction for contributions. MUSEUM RESTAURANT

MMoCA is excited for the possibilities a new restaurant will bring, and anticipate that a new restaurant will be in place in 2022. Follow us on social media to be the among the first to know more about the new rooftop restaurant. MUSEUM RENTALS

The Museum restaurant, lobby, lecture hall, and rooftop sculpture garden are available for special occasions.

Looking for something spooky to watch for Halloween? Come to the Museum!MMoCA Cinema presents the 4K restoration of Masa...
10/28/2026

Looking for something spooky to watch for Halloween? Come to the Museum!

MMoCA Cinema presents the 4K restoration of Masaki Kobayashi’s original three-hour masterpiece, Kwaidan. Following over a decade focused on politically charged dramas and socially conscious period films, the acclaimed Japanese director pivoted brilliantly to craft this spellbinding, gorgeously stylized anthology of four supernatural tales.

📅 Friday, October 30
⏰ 7 PM
🎟️ Free Admission

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Image courtesy of Janus Films.

Ready for Halloween? 👑Enjoy our Halloween Drag Show and Costume Party! Catch incredible drag performances by Bianca Lynn...
10/27/2026

Ready for Halloween? 👑

Enjoy our Halloween Drag Show and Costume Party! Catch incredible drag performances by Bianca Lynn Breeze, Krystal Kuttabish, Anya K Thunderkat, and Mya Pinion. You can show off your best costume or just come as you are, and enjoy seasonal drinks from the cash bar.

📅 Thursday, October 29
⏰ 6–9 PM
🎟️ Free Admission, but tips are encouraged for the performers
🍸 21+

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Discover art across Wisconsin!Earn a limited-edition t-shirt by visiting three participating Wisconsin Art Destination l...
10/26/2026

Discover art across Wisconsin!

Earn a limited-edition t-shirt by visiting three participating Wisconsin Art Destination locations before November 15.

The "Visit 3, Get a T" promotional offer is organized by Wisconsin Art Destinations. To participate, simply check in at partner museums located in three distinct Wisconsin cities.

Go to wisconsinartdestinations. com for museum details, exhibitions, and visitor tips.

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10/23/2026

A new exhibition is coming soon!

Building on the foundation laid by “Extended Play: A-Side,” our upcoming exhibition, “Extended Play: B-Side,” explores Sam Gilliam’s evolving artistic practice and celebrates his deep, lasting connection to Madison.

Experience this exhibition and more at our Fall Opening Celebration and Gallery Night Afterparty on November 6!

🗓️ November 6, 2026 – March 7, 2027
📍 Main Galleries
🎟️ Free Admission

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Whose work counts? Who gets to belong?In “Working,” artist  brings the voices of transgender federal workers into a conv...
10/22/2026

Whose work counts? Who gets to belong?

In “Working,” artist brings the voices of transgender federal workers into a conversation about public service, identity, and American belonging. Combining animation, found and original footage, and voiceover, the video explores individual experiences within a history of exclusion from government employment.

See “Working” in MMoCA’s Video Gallery beginning November 4.

November 4, 2026–February 14, 2027. Admission is always free.

MMoCA’s Video Gallery is sponsored in part by Supranet.



Pau S. Pescador. “Working,” 2026 (still). Single-channel video. Courtesy of the artist and Tyler Park Presents, Los Angeles.

Discover Madison's dynamic art community across an array of local venues. Get ready for an inspiring regional experience...
10/21/2026

Discover Madison's dynamic art community across an array of local venues. Get ready for an inspiring regional experience featuring artist talks and demonstrations, live musical performances, and refreshments that highlight each spot's distinct personality.

End your evening at MMoCA for the opening of “Extended Play: B-Side” and a celebration of our fall exhibitions!

Want to learn more about the different venues? Check out the official Gallery Night map and see who is participating in your area!

📆 November 6
⏰ 5–9 PM
📍 Citywide
🎟️ Free Admission
🔗 mmoca.org/gallerynight

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Looking for something to do this week?Discover “Slick,” one of our latest exhibitions. Combining featured loans with sel...
10/19/2026

Looking for something to do this week?

Discover “Slick,” one of our latest exhibitions. Combining featured loans with selections from MMoCA’s permanent collection, this exhibition investigates the ways artists use abstraction, framing, and concealment to reimagine the body as fluid, altered, and expansive.

📅 Now – January 31, 2027
📍 State Street Gallery
🎟️ Free Admission

This exhibition is made possible through the generosity of Jaime Zimmerman, Our Lives magazine, and funds from MMoCA’s endowment.

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Christina Ramberg, “Tight Hipped,” 1974. Acrylic on masonite, 47 ½ inches x 35 ½ inches. The Bill McClain Collection of Chicago Imagism, Collection of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. © Christina Ramberg

Swipe through to see the whole piece!Sam Gilliam’s “Irish Spring” is one of the works in our upcoming exhibition “Extend...
10/16/2026

Swipe through to see the whole piece!

Sam Gilliam’s “Irish Spring” is one of the works in our upcoming exhibition “Extended Play: B-Side.” Highlighting Gilliam’s evolving creative practice and his deep, enduring ties to Madison, this exhibition builds directly on the art-historical foundation set by “Extended Play: A-Side.”

🗓️ November 6, 2026 – March 7, 2027
📍 Main Galleries
🎟️ Free Admission

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Sam Gilliam, “Irish Spring,” 1980. Acrylic and rhoplex on canvas. 72.8 in x 192.3 in. Gift of Don and Nancy Eiler. © Sam Gilliam Foundation.

What did you dress up as for Halloween when you were a kid? 🎃Get ready for Halloween fun in the Museum Lobby on Wednesda...
10/15/2026

What did you dress up as for Halloween when you were a kid? 🎃

Get ready for Halloween fun in the Museum Lobby on Wednesday, October 28, as part of the annual Downtown Madison Family Halloween celebration!

Stop by to enjoy treats and explore hands-on art-making inspired by the artwork on view.

If you're a little old for trick or treating, but are still in the mood for a costume party, check out our Halloween Drag Performance and Costume Party on October 29.

🗓️ Wednesday, October 28
⏱️ 3–6 PM
📍 Museum Lobby
🎟️ Free Admission

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Come to the Museum for an evening of creativity and mixology!  🍸Instructor Jane Fasse will lead a figure-drawing worksho...
10/14/2026

Come to the Museum for an evening of creativity and mixology! 🍸

Instructor Jane Fasse will lead a figure-drawing workshop held in the Rooftop Lounge, featuring two body-inclusive n**e models. Your ticket includes one complimentary beverage, and additional drinks will be available for purchase throughout the event.

All skill levels welcome! Space is limited, advance registration required.

🔗 mmoca.org/drinkanddraw

📅 Sunday, October 18
⏰ 6–8 PM
📍 Rooftop Lounge
🎟️ $20 Members / $25 Non-members
🍸 21+

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Address

211 State St
Madison, WI
53703

Opening Hours

Thursday 12pm - 9pm
Friday 12pm - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 12pm - 6pm

Telephone

+16082570158

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