The Calling, Steel sculpture in downtown Milwaukee, US
"The Calling" is a large orange steel sculpture at the end of Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the street meets Lake Michigan. It is built from several steel I-beams arranged at angles that, when viewed from below, resemble a fan-like upward spread.
American artist Mark di Suvero made the work in 1981 at his New York studio, funded through an anonymous gift to the Milwaukee Art Museum. It was installed during a period when the city was beginning to rethink its harbor and waterfront after the decline of heavy industry.
"The Calling" stands where Wisconsin Avenue meets Lake Michigan, making it a daily landmark for people walking between downtown and the waterfront. Its orange color keeps it visible even in winter, when the sky turns gray and the surroundings offer little contrast.
The sculpture stands in an open plaza directly on the waterfront and is easy to reach on foot from Wisconsin Avenue. It can be walked around from all sides, which gives the best views in the angled light of morning or late afternoon.
When Santiago Calatrava designed the new wing of the Milwaukee Art Museum in 2001, he deliberately aligned the building's main axis with this sculpture. Anyone standing inside the museum and looking toward the lake sees both works in the same line of sight, a choice that was intentional, not coincidental.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
