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On View in Milwaukee

Sarah McRae

I Told the Moon About You

May 14–August 9

MOWA on the Lake inside Saint John's On The Lake

About the Exhibition

This exhibition is open to the public at MOWA on the Lake, located inside the retirement campus of Saint John’s On The Lake in downtown Milwaukee. Learn more

Opening Party | May 14 | 5:00–7:00

Artist Talk | May 14 | 6:00

Growing up, Sarah McRae was enchanted by the natural world, a connection that persisted into adulthood as nature’s patterns, colors, and textures migrated into her paintings. As a member of the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe, she is also drawn to the geometric precision of traditional tribal beadwork. Equally important are the human connections: McRae was encouraged to pursue painting by important educators in her life including her adoptive parents and Ho-Chunk artist Truman Lowe. Reflective of these important relationships, family and friends are symbolically represented in her work as animals—bears, turtles, and butterflies. Birds, seen as harbingers of joy, are especially relevant; McRae connects with their cheerful disposition. For McRae, incorporating her personal narrative into her paintings was revelatory: “I started realizing I can do more than just paint something beautiful. I can put my stories into the artwork.”

Image: Sarah McRae, I Told the Moon About You, 2023