After over a century of residence in borrowed and refurbished locations, MMoCA moved into a sleek new glass building at the Overture Center for the Arts in 2006. Now prominent among the Overture Center’s other artistic offerings – the Madison Ballet, the Madison Symphony Orchestra, et. al.- MMoCA’s prow-like façade gleams at the corner of State and Henry Streets.

The museum’s permanent collection spans the modern era, beginning at the turn of the 20th century; artists from Wisconsin are particularly well-represented. MMoCA programs lectures and “drop-in tours” to coincide with its various and frequent exhibitions, and each summer runs “Art Fair on the Square,” a two-day event on Capitol Square that attracts hundreds of thousands of people and serves as the museum’s primary fundraiser. (A smaller event, “Art Fair off the Square,” takes place just down the block on the same weekend and is devoted to Wisconsin artists.) Other programs dot the calendar; in summer months, MMoCA screens films on their rooftop terrace. MMoCA also has a smaller gallery on Henry Street that rotates selections from the permanent collection. (JM)