JK Art House, Milwaukee’s newest contemporary fine art gallery, is pleased to announce its official launch and the acquisition of Lily Pad Gallery West from founder Alan Perlstein. Co-owned by gallery director Julia Taylor and Karen Ellenbecker, founder of Ellenbecker Investment Group, JK Art House represents 55 artists working across painting, sculpture, and mixed media—carrying forward a strong legacy of arts in the Historic Third Ward while bringing a fresh vision to the gallery’s future.
JK Art House will relocate to an expanded home at 191 N. Broadway—a space nearly double the square footage of its predecessor—featuring expanded exhibition galleries, dedicated artwork storage, and a private client viewing room designed to deepen the collector experience. Please note that the gallery will be closed May 18–26 for the move and will reopen in the new location for regular hours on Wednesday, May 27.
Grand Opening Reception
The community is invited to celebrate the grand opening of JK Art House’s new space at a Grand Opening Reception on Friday, June 5, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. at 191 N. Broadway, Milwaukee. The evening will serve as the opening reception for The Studio: A Family Dialogue in Paint, featuring Dan McCaw, John McCaw, and Danny McCaw. Guests are invited to meet the artists, explore the new space, and experience a first look at what JK Art House has in store.
From the Owners
“JK Art House is built on the belief that great art should feel welcoming—that a gallery can be both a serious place for collecting and a home where the community can celebrate.
— Julia Taylor, Gallery Director & Co-Owner
“Investing in the arts is investing in the soul of this city. I’m proud to help bring a gallery of this caliber to Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward, and to support the extraordinary artists whose work will fill it.”
— Karen Ellenbecker, Co-Owner
About JK Art House
JK Art House is a contemporary fine art gallery located in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. JK Art House is committed to making art accessible, building meaningful collector relationships, and contributing to the cultural vitality of the Milwaukee region. The gallery is co-owned by Julia Taylor, former President of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and Karen Ellenbecker, founder of Ellenbecker Investment Group.
","type":"EventCategory","state":"published","slug":"exhibitions","created_at":"2018-10-22 18:54:41.176231","updated_at":"2018-10-22 18:54:41.176231","excerpt":"","is_timeless":true,"organization_id":160,"highlighted":false,"opening_starts_at":"2025-06-06 18:00:00","opening_ends_at":"2025-06-06 20:00:00","searchable":"'11':458B '2':460B '2023':213B,246B '2024':236B,259B '4':90B '7th':457B 'america':368B 'american':113B 'appropri':312B 'architectur':56B 'area':350B 'arneson':149B 'art':166B,173B,190B,305B,335B,387B,410B 'artist':41B,50B 'artwork':12A 'ask':288B 'attend':445B 'b.a':122B 'badminton':397B 'bank':391B 'biblic':386B 'birthright':310B 'blend':58B 'blur':272B 'bold':352B 'boundari':274B 'bring':29B,318B 'businessman':114B 'cabinet':204B 'california':137B 'callahan':209B 'canada':393B 'canvas':333B 'captiv':406B 'challeng':43B 'child':110B 'chines':117B 'classic':61B,263B 'club':400B 'co':389B 'coast':157B 'collect':365B,374B 'color':353B 'composit':69B 'construct':54B 'contemporari':269B,323B 'converg':439B 'corpor':373B,378B 'craft':68B 'creat':98B 'creativ':309B 'curios':83B 'curious':206B 'dalla':388B 'davi':139B 'design':62B 'dialogu':281B 'dreamscap':57B 'earn':120B 'ebb':328B 'echo':3A,21B 'econom':124B 'element':59B 'era':276B 'europ':370B 'evok':79B 'exampl':342B 'exhibit':154B,162B,202B,221B,425B 'experi':324B 'explor':407B 'exquisit':91B 'fantasi':78B 'fantin':339B 'fenimor':189B 'flow':330B 'found':362B 'foundat':250B 'frye':165B 'function':76B 'futur':10A,28B,422B 'galleri':448B 'gold':377B 'grant':251B 'grew':104B 'histor':336B 'histori':47B,295B,306B,415B 'honor':239B 'ident':299B 'imag':313B,337B 'imageri':264B 'imagin':73B,100B,438B 'insert':344B 'intric':55B 'invent':436B 'invit':70B,428B 'island':178B 'june':258B,456B 'kinross':376B 'krasner':249B 'latour':340B 'like':375B 'london':382B 'm.f.a':130B 'magazin':381B 'main':187B 'major':160B 'manhattan':107B 'maquett':96B 'master':316B 'masterpiec':267B 'matter':207B 'mechan':64B 'meet':77B 'memori':435B 'merrett':15A,36B,261B,301B,357B 'meticul':67B 'modern':298B 'morri':216B 'motion':228B 'museum':167B,174B,182B,191B,217B,384B 'nanci':208B 'narrat':270B 'new':287B 'newport':172B,176B 'north':367B 'notabl':158B 'numer':153B 'ny':108B 'objects.tim':356B 'offer':89B,404B 'old':284B 'open':452B 'paint':132B,278B 'painter':118B 'past':6A,24B,266B,315B,325B 'percept':45B 'person':201B 'place':348B 'pm':461B 'pollock':248B 'pollock-krasn':247B 'possess':303B 'precis':65B 'present':194B,218B,327B 'preserv':414B 'privat':364B 'public':451B 'racquetbal':399B 'realm':433B 'recent':193B 'recipi':243B 'reconsid':291B 'reimagin':1A,19B 'reinterpret':262B 'reinvent':418B 'resid':254B 'rest':347B 'rhode':177B 'richard':17A,38B,52B,87B,102B,211B,233B,440B 'robert':148B 'role':293B 'royal':390B 'salvag':355B 'saturday':455B 'sculptur':93B 'seattl':169B 'sens':81B 'set':226B 'shape':297B 'simultan':417B 'small':92B 'solo':161B,220B 'space':48B 'spark':279B 'step':430B 'studi':142B 'studio':231B 'take':302B,334B 'tension':321B 'thiebaud':146B 'throughout':366B 'tim':14A,35B,260B,300B 'time':2A,20B,413B 'togeth':30B,401B 'toronto':379B,395B 'tradit':51B 'transcend':412B 'two':40B,200B 'two-person':199B 'uk':383B 'unabash':311B 'univers':127B,135B,185B 'us':71B 'use':94B 'viewer':289B 'vision':7A,25B 'visionari':32B 'visitor':426B 'washington':170B 'wayn':145B 'weav':265B 'whitten':18A,39B,53B,103B,212B,223B,234B,441B 'within':349B 'wonder':85B 'work':33B,101B,225B,359B,403B 'world':74B 'yaddo':256B 'yale':126B 'zest/she':380B 'zillman':181B","thumbnail":"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1779313448/uktjyima522v47m7u3xu.jpg","calendar":null,"carousel":false,"event_body":"Reimagining Time: Echoes of the Past, Visions of the Future brings together the visionary works of Tim Merrett and Richard Whitten, two artists who challenge our perception of history, space, and artistic tradition. Richard Whitten constructs intricate architectural dreamscapes, blending elements of classical design with mechanical precision. His meticulously crafted compositions invite us into imagined worlds where function meets fantasy, evoking a sense of curiosity and wonder. And Richard is offering 4 exquisite small sculptures used as maquettes in creating his imaginative work. Richard Whitten grew up in Manhattan, NY , a child of an American Businessman and a Chinese Painter. He earned a B.A. in Economics from Yale University and an M.F.A. in Painting from the University of California at Davis where he studied with both Wayne Thiebaud and Robert Arneson. He has had numerous exhibitions on both coasts. Notable are major solo exhibitions at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle, Washington, the Newport Art Museum in Newport, Rhode Island, and the Zillman Museum of the University of Maine. The Fenimore Art Museum has recently presented his was in a two-person exhibition: “A Cabinet of Curious Matters: Nancy Callahan and Richard Whitten” 2023, and the Morris Museum presented a solo exhibition of Whitten’s work: “Set in Motion: from the studio of Richard Whitten” in 2024. He is honored to be a recipient of a 2023 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant, and a resident of Yaddo in June 2024. Tim Merrett reinterprets classical imagery, weaving past masterpieces into contemporary narratives that blur the boundaries between eras. His paintings spark a dialogue between the old and the new, asking viewers to reconsider the role of history in shaping modern identity.
Tim Merrett takes possession of art history as his creative birthright, unabashedly appropriating images from past masters and bringing them into tension with contemporary experience. Past and present ebb and flow on his canvases, taking arts historical images, by Fantin Latour, for example, and inserting them as “resting places” within areas of bold color or salvaged objects.Tim Merrett's work can be found in private collections throughout North America and Europe and in corporate collections like Kinross Gold Corporation (Toronto), Zest/She Magazine (London UK), Museum of Biblical Arts, (Dallas, CO), Royal Bank of Canada, and Toronto's Badminton and Racquetball Club
Together, their works offer a captivating exploration of how art can transcend time—preserving history while simultaneously reinventing it for the future. Through this exhibition, visitors are invited to step into a realm where memory, invention, and imagination converge.
Richard Whitten will be in attendance at the gallery for the public opening and on Saturday, June 7th 11 am- 2 pm
","name":"Exhibitions","organization_type_id":"1","district_id":"9","telephone":"+14145095756","website":"https://www.jkarthouse.com","email":"info@jkarthouse.com","hours":"11–6 W–Su; M and Tu by appt. ","location":"191 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202","display_location":"191 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202","latitude":"43.033087","longitude":"-87.907270","contact":"Julia Taylor, Executive Director ","sub_district_id":"34","promoted_at":"2019-08-07T19:45:06.098Z","optional_sort_name":"","paid":true,"position":2,"category_name":"Exhibitions","orgname":"JK Art House","orgslug":"jk-art-house","image":"https://res.cloudinary.com/dfafo598z/image/upload/v1749151833/krm0e347hkom0pxar2ng.jpg"}