The Gathering Place: Local artist crafts sculpture for new Milwaukee Public Museum

GERMANTOWN, Wis (CBS58) — A sculpture celebrating Wisconsin's rich Indigenous history will soon find its home at the new Milwaukee Public Museum.

In Mark Fischer's front yard in Germantown stands his latest piece.

"Each one of the trees has the name of the tribe on it," said Mark Fischer, Sculpture.

Since the new museum does not open for a few years, the piece is still a work in progress.

"The next process will be turning them all green. The names and the floral patterns will be all polished out to a mirror finish, and that will be clear coated," said Fischer.

It's called The Gathering Place. Fischer says every element added has a purpose like the eleven copper aspen trees carefully welded into an arch.

"The children can learn that all these 11 tribes live right here in Wisconsin," said Fischer.

Fischer says he chose the aspen because in many ways they’re like people.

"The aspen is one of my favorite trees because they talk. When you get amongst the aspens you can hear the quaking leaves and I swear it’s like you're amongst a large group of people," said Fischer.

All connected to each other.

"They talk to each other; their root systems are all interconnected and that’s how we are too as humans. We are all interconnected so I like to use aspens as a nonhuman representation of humans," said Fischer.

On the back of each copper tree are welded floral designs or geometric shapes that represent each tribe.

"The children will be able to come up and do rubbings of those drawings of the floral patterns," said Fischer.

James Flores is the Manager of Travel Relations at the Milwaukee Public Museum.

He says these designs have deep meaning to each tribe.

“That distinction is something that tribes carry with pride and tell the story of their people, of their culture," said Flores.

For the base of the sculpture, Fischer added a personal touch.

"I’m from the Turtle Clan, and the turtle story is the 13 and 28, there are 13 full moons a year and 28 days between each full moon and that's the same thing on a turtle's back. I thought everyone should know this little creature has the whole lunar calendar on it's back," said Fischer.

In the circular shape of a turtle, the 28 smaller scoots on the outer edge are raised for children to sit and learn about the tribes living in Wisconsin.

"I feel it’s real important that the children get a chance to learn something new and more about the great state of Wisconsin," said Fischer.

Before Fischer became a full-time sculptor, he was an educator.

"Every child that grows up in Milwaukee or southeastern Wisconsin that goes to the museum all have a part in their heart that they remember with that museum," said Fischer.

He says it's important children know Indigenous history.

"Our tribes are getting smaller and smaller every year and after Covid, we are getting quite a bit smaller soon we may be extinct," said Fischer.

Fischer says having one of his pieces featured outside the new museum

"I couldn’t be more honored I've sold pieces to Chancellor Kohl of Germany to the prime minister of Japan and that I felt really great about but then the museum came to me and holy cow this is something this is really something so I can't be more honored and I don't think anything would be bigger than this ever this is really a big deal to me," said Fischer.

The new Milwaukee Public Museum is set to open in 2027.