Fiserv Forum

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 2018

Milwaukee Made, acrylic on canvas, Tom Mosser
One of three community-based artworks developed for the Fiserv Forum. Sports & The Arts’ resident artist Tom Mosser collaborated with over one hundred pre-school aged children in creating this 18’ tall by 11’ wide original artwork.

Buckley, mixed media sculpture, Blake McFarland
This freestanding sculpture, located on the main concourse is constructed of basketball leather and netting. McFarland, a former major league pitcher turned artist, created this 9’ long by 9’ high sculpture by hand cutting and dying authentic basketball leather into various hues of brown. MacFarland then painstakingly arranged them onto the form creating the illusion of muscle and tone. This has fast become the social media destination at Fiserv Forum.

Event level corridor leading to the BMO club and Owners Suite celebrates the inaugural year of the Bucks with an informative graphic treatment installed opposite team memorabilia commemorating the teams first home and away jerseys.

The Fiserv Forum, located in downtown Milwaukee, is the vibrant new home of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks. This state of the art, 714,000 square foot arena is the hub of entertainment in Wisconsin, hosting sporting events, concerts and family entertainment. Sports & The Arts were retained by the Milwaukee Bucks to design and develop an immersive art collection within the forum. Included in the collection were three distinct artworks created by over 200 local school children ranging in age from 3 to 19.

In an effort to include as many local artists as possible, Sports & The Arts initiated a call for artists that netted over 1,200 submissions. The submissions ranged in mediums and included found objects, sculpture, mosaic, and traditional oil on canvas, among other works. Of the 32 artists in the collection, 18 are from Wisconsin or have direct Wisconsin ties.

Signature artworks in the collection include a 9’ high by 9’ wide sculpture of a buck created by artist Blake MacFarland, from hand cut and dyed basketball leather. Housed on the main concourse, it has quickly become a prominent artwork in the collection. The exterior of the building hosts a 1,200 square foot pop-inspired mural by artist Greg Gossel, celebrating Wisconsin, Milwaukee and the Bucks and has been featured on Bucks-related social media.

From the Arc, mixed media, Brendan Minga
Understanding an artist’s strength is a hallmark of SATA’s art collections as shown in our thematic approach to all originally commissioned artworks. Here, Brandon Minga’s reclaimed object artwork is the ideal vehicle for an homage to Milwaukee’s industrial past. This diptych, each work measuring 48” x 102”, highlights local Milwaukee landmarks, including the Pabst Theatre, the Mitchell Building, City Hall, the Allen Bradley Clock Tower, and the Second National Savings Bank. Minga mingled with objects reminiscent of local industry, such as gears and spokes in a rusted palette.

The Owners Suite features original artworks from four artists in the collection. Shown here are excerpts from the exterior mural, Wisconsin Welcomes You, by Greg Gossel, and Hoops, a charcoal on paper original by Lynn Hanson.

Tying the local community to the project is an objective in all of Sports & The Arts collections. At Fiserv, the Sports & The Arts team developed three distinct artworks that brought in over 200 local school children ranging in age from 3 to 19. The first artwork, installed on the suite level is an 18’ tall by 11’ wide original art piece created by artist Tom Mosser. Tom, along with the help 60+ local elementary school children, rolled basketballs in paint and then onto canvas to create the shape of the Bucks logo. The second piece, an 8’ tall by 28’ foot wide tile mosaic mural installed on the upper concourse celebrates the Bucks and Milwaukee landmarks. Local artist Carrie O’Malley guided and mentored 100+ middle-school aged students in the fundamentals of mosaic including breaking and setting tile. The third artwork, a graphic wall treatment installed in two locations on the upper concourse focuses on the Neighborhoods of Milwaukee, and features original photography by approximately 50 local high school students.

In addition to the above works, 32 artists contributed 75 originally commissioned artworks in an unexpected mixture of mediums. Coupled with 50 pieces of framed photography and several graphic installations, the Fiserv Forum’s collection piques the patron’s curiosity while helping to create a one of a kind destination.

Wisconsin Welcomes You, graphic wall treatment from original artwork, Greg Gossel
Encircling a portion of the exterior of Fiserv Arena is Wisconsin Welcomes You, a 216-foot long mural designed and created by Wisconsin-born artist Greg Gossel. This monochromatic collage mural features Wisconsin-inspired imagery interwoven with Bucks brand marks.

Milwaukee Bucks Word Art, digital art, Michael Shay
Milwaukee Cheers, acrylic and oil on canvas, Eric Oates
The party suite corridor, shown above, houses artwork from every artist in the collection. Shown here is Michael Shay’s Milwaukee Bucks Word Art word art piece. Shay creates overall shapes from manipulating letterforms. Here, the names of Bucks players are shaped and colorized to form the team’s logo. In the background is Eric Oates’ pop art diptych.

Highlights, ceramic tile, Carrie O’Malley
The second of three community-based projects is Highlights, a ceramic mural installed on the upper concourse. Wisconsin-based artist Carrie O’Malley’s created a mosaic mural representative of Milwaukee and the Bucks. In total, O’Malley worked with 100 middle-school students from three Milwaukee Public Schools to create this artwork. Tying community to the stadium and team brand encourages a more intimate connection with the patron and fan.