The museum focuses on the diverse field of American art and collects work from accomplished artists throughout the United States.
The historical foundation of the museum’s collection consists of works by the Regionalists, Urban Realists, and Mexican Modernists. Works on paper, including large-scale prints and prints made through unusual processes, represent the cornerstone of the collection. MMoCA is an important regional archive for art of the Midwest, holding a large number of paintings, sculptures, prints, and photographs by artists from Wisconsin and Illinois in particular. Areas of the collection currently under development include sculpture, photography, and digital multimedia artwork.
Though only a fraction of the museum’s collection appears here, the selected artworks suggest its history, strengths, and significant growth in recent years.