Canned food art at Milwaukee Public Museum, benefits food pantry

It’s canned food like you’ve never seen before. Architects and engineers built structures out of the same canned goods you probably have in your cabinets, all as a creative twist on a normal food drive. 

Rosie the Riveter, ants deep underground, and a larger-than-life toy, all at the Milwaukee Public Museum for ‘Canstruction.’

Move over mummies. On Sunday morning, Jan. 28, the can creations captured the attention of Chelsea McMahon and her son Patrick. 

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We CAN dig it!

"I was bringing my son here because he wanted to see the mummies, and we were walking upstairs, and we saw this exhibit," said Chelsea McMahon. "The Lego was the first one we saw. I think that is probably the big one."

"Canstruction is an international competition that brings the best of our construction, design and engineering firms here in Milwaukee together," said Rebecca Ehlers.

12 teams built their best out of beans, soup, and other canned items.

"You can’t glue anything in together you can’t remove labels," added Ehlers.

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Creation of cans

Rebecca Ehlers with the museum says the theme this year is CAN YOU DIG IT? A "Can-ine" creation is a dog digging through dirt. Bradford Beach inspired a Campbell's soup structure.

"You can see each sculpture has a different interpretation of what ‘can you dig it’ means to them," added Ehlers.

From sliced potatoes to tuna, corn and so much more. There are thousands of cans of food in the room. When the exhibit comes to a close, all the food will be donated to help feed area families.

Milwaukee Public Museum's Canstruction.

"What’s extraordinary is 35,000 non-perishable food items are going to be donated to the Jewish Community Pantry and distributed here in Milwaukee," said Ehlers.

"I’m so excited they’re getting donated. That’s the number one thing that sticks out to me," said McMahon.

Women in Design helped organize the Canstruction Exhibit.

You have until Sunday, Feb. 4, to check it out at the Milwaukee Public Museum.