MONROE - Edward Townsend Mix, one of Wisconsin's most important architects, will be the subject of a exhibit at the Monroe Arts Center, a building he designed, through the summer.
E. Townsend Mix (1831-1890) designed more than 300 structures from New York to Nebraska and revolutionized the Midwest with his sophisticated architecture. There are three structures in Monroe, Wisconsin, designed by Mix, including the First Methodist Church (1869) and the Parsonage (1886) now occupied by the Monroe Arts Center.
The exhibition, titled "Architect of Distinction" will be mounted in the Frehner Gallery at the Monroe Arts Center, 1315 11th St., and will run from June 19 to Aug. 16. The opening reception is from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 19, with a gallery talk by the curator Dr. Chris Szczesny-Adams.
The exhibition and opening reception are free and open to the public. The exhibition is part of Monroe's Sesquicentennial Celebration.
"Mix rose to prominence in nineteenth-century American architecture through his design versatility, keen insight, and personal expression," said Szczesny-Adams, an assistant professor of art history at the Milwaukee Institute of Arts & Design. "Mix was a handsome gentleman with cultured tastes, refined perceptions, and engaging manners. He established himself in the Midwest prior to the rise of the Chicago School, White City, Prairie style, and their famous architects, Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright."
The exhibit is a combination of design elements addressing both the aesthetics of Mix's work, demonstrating his versatility in design as well as historical and cultural themes that illustrate his importance and place in the lexicon of American architects.
Mix was born in New Haven, Conn. His family later moved to the Midwest and then moved back east. At 17, Mix returned to New Haven and began training with the architect and developer Sidney Mason Stone. When he completed his training he relocated to Chicago and practiced with architect William W. Boyington who designed the Old Water Tower on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.
After supervising two projects in Milwaukee, Mix began his own practice there in 1857. In 1881, he created the firm Mix & Company to meet the practice's expanding needs. Mix designed many prominent buildings in Milwaukee including the Plankinton House Hotel; Jason Downer residence; Immanuel Presbyterian; Mitchell Building; and Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce.
The exhibition is design by Dale Shidler, professor of communications design, also at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design.
More information is available by calling 325-5700, or e-mailing info@monroeartscenter.com.
E. Townsend Mix (1831-1890) designed more than 300 structures from New York to Nebraska and revolutionized the Midwest with his sophisticated architecture. There are three structures in Monroe, Wisconsin, designed by Mix, including the First Methodist Church (1869) and the Parsonage (1886) now occupied by the Monroe Arts Center.
The exhibition, titled "Architect of Distinction" will be mounted in the Frehner Gallery at the Monroe Arts Center, 1315 11th St., and will run from June 19 to Aug. 16. The opening reception is from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 19, with a gallery talk by the curator Dr. Chris Szczesny-Adams.
The exhibition and opening reception are free and open to the public. The exhibition is part of Monroe's Sesquicentennial Celebration.
"Mix rose to prominence in nineteenth-century American architecture through his design versatility, keen insight, and personal expression," said Szczesny-Adams, an assistant professor of art history at the Milwaukee Institute of Arts & Design. "Mix was a handsome gentleman with cultured tastes, refined perceptions, and engaging manners. He established himself in the Midwest prior to the rise of the Chicago School, White City, Prairie style, and their famous architects, Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright."
The exhibit is a combination of design elements addressing both the aesthetics of Mix's work, demonstrating his versatility in design as well as historical and cultural themes that illustrate his importance and place in the lexicon of American architects.
Mix was born in New Haven, Conn. His family later moved to the Midwest and then moved back east. At 17, Mix returned to New Haven and began training with the architect and developer Sidney Mason Stone. When he completed his training he relocated to Chicago and practiced with architect William W. Boyington who designed the Old Water Tower on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.
After supervising two projects in Milwaukee, Mix began his own practice there in 1857. In 1881, he created the firm Mix & Company to meet the practice's expanding needs. Mix designed many prominent buildings in Milwaukee including the Plankinton House Hotel; Jason Downer residence; Immanuel Presbyterian; Mitchell Building; and Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce.
The exhibition is design by Dale Shidler, professor of communications design, also at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design.
More information is available by calling 325-5700, or e-mailing info@monroeartscenter.com.