Northwestern Mutual enriches Milwaukee's art scene with acquisition of Roxy Paine's "Cleft"

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Jul 07, 2022, 11:00 ET

Company to also host Maren Hassinger's Pyramid as presenting sponsor of Sculpture Milwaukee for fifth consecutive year

MILWAUKEE, July 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Northwestern Mutual is dedicated to supporting public art, internationally acclaimed artists, and Milwaukee's exceptional arts scene. Enriching the cultural vitality of Milwaukee, the company has acquired Roxy Paine's Cleft and will host Maren Hassinger's Pyramid as part of Sculpture Milwaukee's 2022 exhibit.

"Sculpture Milwaukee shares Northwestern Mutual's belief that we can build stronger communities by leveraging the power of art to create connections and inspire imagination," said Steve Radke, president of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation. "Milwaukee is home to a thriving arts environment, and bringing these unique pieces to our city will create more opportunities to spark meaningful conversations within the community."

Recognized as one of his generation's most inventive conceptual artists, Paine's art focuses on the impact modern technologies have on nature. Part of his "Dendroid" series, Cleft is one of the only pieces the artist has created for himself. The 37-foot-tall stainless steel structure was installed in the Northwestern Mutual Gardens in 2019 and will be relocated to its permanent location in the Gardens this year.

For the fifth consecutive year, Northwestern Mutual is the presenting sponsor of Sculpture Milwaukee. As part of the 2022 exhibit, the company will also host Hassinger's Pyramid, which will be assembled on-site by Hassinger and students enrolled in University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin's Peck School of the Arts.

Inspired by the Northwestern Mutual Gardens and the surrounding ecosystem, Hassinger's design will be built with sustainable, locally-sourced materials. The materials will be gathered in partnership with Great Lakes Community Conservation Corps, which leverages natural resources in communities along the Great Lakes to help train and educate underserved youth and close the opportunity gap, while also improving water quality and building habitats.

"We are deeply grateful for the support of Northwestern Mutual, which has been our strongest partner since the inception of Sculpture Milwaukee," said Wayne Morgan, board chairman of Sculpture Milwaukee. "We are thrilled Cleft will permanently remain on Northwestern Mutual's campus for all who visit and live in downtown to enjoy. Maren Hassinger's new sculpture is the perfect symbol of the intersection of art, community, and nature as it was installed and fabricated with the help of our community partners at the Great Lakes Community Conservation Corps and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. We look forward to welcoming the many employees and visitors to Northwestern Mutual's campus to experience both works this summer and beyond."

Northwestern Mutual has a decades-long history of collecting original museum-quality fine artwork and leveraging it to enrich its physical and cultural environment, while supporting local creative communities. Today, the Northwestern Mutual art collection includes a spectrum of contemporary artwork by noted diverse artists who are also educators, mentors, innovators and leaders. The collection of artwork, which includes paintings and prints, textiles, sculptures, glass, digital, assemblage and more, is on display throughout Northwestern Mutual's Milwaukee, Franklin, and New York City campuses.

About Sculpture Milwaukee

Sculpture Milwaukee is a non-profit organization transforming downtown Milwaukee's cultural landscape every year with an outdoor exhibition of world-renowned sculpture that serves as a catalyst for community engagement, economic development, and creative placemaking.

About Northwestern Mutual Foundation

The mission of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation is to improve the lives of children and families in need. The Foundation has given more than $400 million since its inception in 1992 and is designed to create lasting impact in the communities where the company's employees and financial representatives live and work. We accomplish this by combining financial support, volunteerism, thought leadership and convening community partners to deliver the best outcomes. Our efforts are focused nationally on curing childhood cancer, and locally on education, neighborhoods and making our hometown of Milwaukee a great destination. Visit Northwestern Mutual Foundation to learn more.

About Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 165 years. Through a holistic planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial professionals with a personalized digital experience and industry-leading products to help its clients plan for what's most important. With more than $570 billion in combined company and client assets, $34 billion in revenues, and $2.1 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to nearly five million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. Northwestern Mutual ranked 90 on the 2021 FORTUNE 500 and was recognized by FORTUNE® as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2022.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC) (investment advisory and services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance). Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with "Advisor" in their title or who otherwise disclose their status as an advisor of NMWMC are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide investment advisory services.

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual