Entry No. 37 — the Milwaukee file — filed under: artist-collective
House of RAD (Resident Artist Doers)
Housed inside a 67,000-square-foot industrial facility in the Design District, this grassroots artist-run incubator hosts over 60 resident studios, fabrication labs, and unconventional gallery spaces built by local makers.
The story
Inside a 67,000-square-foot industrial shell on North 12th Street, the House of RAD (Resident Artist Doers) operates as a working counterweight to Milwaukee’s polished gallery scene. Established in 2020 by multidisciplinary artist Brandon Minga, this grassroots incubator took over a massive Menomonee River Valley facility to give working creatives the physical room to make noise, throw sparks, and build at scale.
Inside, over 60 resident studios, fabrication labs, and DIY exhibition spaces wind through the building. This isn't a showroom with velvet ropes; it's a functioning sanctuary where sculptors, printmakers, and fabricators share heavy machinery and floor space. Residents here handle high-profile local collaborations—including projects for the Milwaukee Public Market and Milwaukee Boot Co.—but the primary focus remains keeping raw, physical workspace controlled by the artists themselves.
What it's like
Unless you hold a key or know a resident, you won't get past the front door on a random Tuesday. Your window to explore opens during designated open studio nights and events like Gallery Night MKE, when the complex unlocks its doors. Expect to navigate a sprawling labyrinth of active lofts, printmaking presses, and fresh installations. It feels less like a commercial museum and more like stepping straight onto a active workshop floor.
The move: Time your visit for a Gallery Night MKE or open studio night to navigate the maze of working lofts, meet resident sculptors, and see raw local gallery installations.
- 📍 Menomonee River Valley
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 324 N 12th St, Milwaukee, WI 53233
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- St. Joan of Arc Chapel — After exploring 67,000 square feet of raw modern studio space, walk three minutes up the hill to sit inside a 15th-century French Gothic chapel reassembled stone-by-stone on Marquette's campus.
- Milwaukee Public Museum (Carl Akeley Taxidermy Collection) — Pair House of RAD’s modern maker space with the 1890s physical craftsmanship of Carl Akeley’s pioneering taxidermy dioramas just half a mile away.
- The Catacombs of Neto — Keep the local art deep-dive going by moving from the industrial warehouse lofts of 12th Street down into Ernesto 'Neto' Atkinson’s subterranean basement art sanctuary in the Historic Third Ward.
Good to know
Can I visit House of RAD anytime?
No. House of RAD is a working studio collective for resident artists, so public access is strictly limited to open studio nights, community events, and Gallery Night MKE.
Where in Milwaukee is it located?
It sits in the Menomonee River Valley / Design District area at 324 N 12th St, housed inside a 67,000-square-foot industrial facility.
Can you buy art directly from the artists?
Yes. Open studio events give you direct access to the resident makers, sculptors, and printmakers, allowing you to buy original work directly from their workbenches.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · gallerynightmke.com · artsboard.wisconsin.gov
last checked: 2026-07-21