The Milwaukee Art Museum is revolutionizing its visitor experience with a bold new strategy, led by CEO Scott Schwebel’s vision to create a more engaging and welcoming environment, inspired by Santiago Calatrava’s iconic Quadracci Pavilion design.
A New Era of Engagement: Scott Schwebel’s Vision for the Milwaukee Art Museum
The Quadracci Pavilion has become an iconic part of the city’s skyline, and its design by Santiago Calatrava is as noteworthy as any piece in the museum’s permanent collection.
Santiago Calatrava unveiled his first American commission—the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Quadracci Pavilion—in 2001. His original concept for the 142,050-square-foot addition had visitor-service desks flanking both sides of the museum’s interior West entrance, but at the time of the project’s completion, the institution’s then-leadership made the decision to move the desks, which Calatrava also designed, into Windover Hall.
Redesigning the Visitor Experience
Twenty-two years later, Scott Schwebel, the museum’s chief experience officer, had a bright idea: why not move the desks back to where Calatrava intended them to be? That way, he tells us, “when you walked into this grand cathedral of a space, you had an unobstructed experience and were instantly hit with the awe and the majesty.” This decision was part of a bigger strategy Schwebel is bringing to the museum about hospitality.
Creating a Welcoming Environment
Schwebel’s role is a unique one. He’s responsible for making the museum more engaging and inviting to new visitors, particularly those unfamiliar with museum culture—a demographic that once included himself. According to Schwebel, the Milwaukee Art Museum attracts a lot of first-time visitors who often experience anxiety about how to act, where to go, and what to do. His goal is to create a museum experience in which that visitor’s first engagement is with a human and they feel welcome.
The Power of Human Connection
To achieve this, MAM staff now greet guests upon entry—long before they’re at the service desk. The effect is both pleasant and practical. Greeters direct visitors to the desks or help them buy tickets online and point them toward the museum’s café, restrooms, or gift shop, which means shorter queues at the desks. Schwebel wants people to encounter a person first, someone who can break down barriers and create accessible, enjoyable first impressions.
A New Era of Engagement
Although Schwebel is the Milwaukee Art Museum’s first chief experience officer, having come on in October 2023, he’s far from the first in the museum world. The role is older than most people realize, dating back to the hospitality industry and brands with physical expressions. It takes the CMO role and portions of the COO role and merges them together, focusing on visitation and engagement.
Enhancing the Experience
Beyond direct human engagement, Schwebel has also reactivated the full suite of twenty-six speakers installed by Calatrava in Windover Hall. Sound can be a source of comfort, he explains, especially for visitors who may feel anxious or uncomfortable in an unfamiliar environment. Music is added to ease people in and create a more welcoming atmosphere.
A New Chapter for the Gift Shop
Schwebel has also made changes to the museum’s gift shop, relocating it from a windowless spot in a hallway to a more prominent spot in Windover Hall that was once used as a meeting room. The new gift shop now spans two floors and features a wall of windows, giving visitors a taste of what they’ll find within. Calatrava’s “boomerang” display case has been relocated to the second floor and now holds artist-made jewelry, the shop’s highest-return category item.
Staying Connected with the Audience
For all of Schwebel’s professional experience in engagement—which includes stints in the food and beverage industry, retail and hospitality, music and entertainment—he’s still happy to get hands-on. He frequently works shifts as a greeter so as to stay connected with the MAM audience. “It’s a wonderful way to understand who’s coming to see you,” he says.
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