Maya Lin

Courtyard Sea

Maya Lin is known for her large-scale environmental artworks, her architectural designs, and her memorial designs. She rose to prominence in 1981 when, still an undergraduate student at Yale University, she submitted the winning design in a national competition for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to be built in Washington, D.C. She has gone on to have significant careers in both art and architecture, including memorial works that focus on some of the critical historical issues of our time.

Lins practice examines how humans experience and relate to the landscape, and its systemic ties to civilization, memory, time, and language. She cites the earthworks of the Land Art movement of the 1970s among her significant influences. In 1994, she began a series of works utilizing wave forms, the first of which was Groundswell (Columbus) , followed by II Cortile Mare (Milan) and later The Wave Field (Ann Arbor) , The Storm King Wave Field (New York) and most recently, Courtyard Sea (Milwaukee) in 2022.

Exhibitions of Lins work have been held at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach; theSmith College Museum of Art, Northampton; and the Madison Square park Conservancy, New York among many others. In 2016, Lin was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United Statess highest civilian honor.

Maya Lin is known for her large-scale environmental artworks, her architectural designs, and her memorial designs. She rose to prominence in 1981 when, still an undergraduate student at Yale University, she submitted the winning design in a national competition for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to be built in Washington, D.C. She has gone on to have significant careers in both art and architecture, including memorial works that focus on some of the critical historical issues of our time.

Lins practice examines how humans experience and relate to the landscape, and its systemic ties to civilization, memory, time, and language. She cites the earthworks of the Land Art movement of the 1970s among her significant influences. In 1994, she began a series of works utilizing wave forms, the first of which was Groundswell (Columbus) , followed by II Cortile Mare (Milan) and later The Wave Field (Ann Arbor) , The Storm King Wave Field (New York) and most recently, Courtyard Sea (Milwaukee) in 2022.

Exhibitions of Lins work have been held at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach; theSmith College Museum of Art, Northampton; and the Madison Square park Conservancy, New York among many others. In 2016, Lin was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United Statess highest civilian honor.

Maya Lin is known for her large-scale environmental artworks, her architectural designs, and her memorial designs. She rose to prominence in 1981 when, still an undergraduate student at Yale University, she submitted the winning design in a national competition for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to be built in Washington, D.C. She has gone on to have significant careers in both art and architecture, including memorial works that focus on some of the critical historical issues of our time.

Lins practice examines how humans experience and relate to the landscape, and its systemic ties to civilization, memory, time, and language. She cites the earthworks of the Land Art movement of the 1970s among her significant influences. In 1994, she began a series of works utilizing wave forms, the first of which was Groundswell (Columbus) , followed by II Cortile Mare (Milan) and later The Wave Field (Ann Arbor) , The Storm King Wave Field (New York) and most recently, Courtyard Sea (Milwaukee) in 2022.

Exhibitions of Lins work have been held at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach; theSmith College Museum of Art, Northampton; and the Madison Square park Conservancy, New York among many others. In 2016, Lin was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United Statess highest civilian honor.

Maya Lin

Maya Lin

Courtyard Sea

Exhibition

Exhibition

Materials & Dimensions

Materials & Dimensions

Pea gravel

Dimensions variable

Year

Year

2022

Site

Site

411 E. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53202

Credits

Credits

Courtesy of the artist and Pace, New York.

Arthur Simms

Real Estate for Birds?

Arthur Simms

Real Estate for Birds?

Arthur Simms

Real Estate for Birds?

Ned Smyth

Spiky Column Green, Red, and Blue

Ned Smyth

Spiky Column Green, Red, and Blue

Ned Smyth

Spiky Column Green, Red, and Blue

thank you

To our generous sponsors, partners, collaborators, and supporters who make our work possible.

Founding & Sustaining
Sponsors

* indicates both Founding and sustaining founding sponsor

Anonymous
Donna & Donald Baumgartner*
Black Box Fund
Evan & Marion Helfaer Foundation
Susan & Mark Irgens*
Mellowes Family*
Sue & Bud Selig*
Julie & David Uihlein*
Lacey Sadoff Foundation

presenting

Collaborator

Betty Arndt
City of Milwaukee Arts Board
Good Karma Brands

leader

Anonymous
Heil Family Foundation
Godfrey & Kahn

Exhibition Partner

Visionary

George & Karen Oliver

sculpture

Wayne & Lori Morgan

Connector

BMO
Foley & Lardner
Hawks Landscaping
Open Pantry
PNC Bank
PwC
Russ Darrow Group
Town Bank
US Bank
WeycoGroup

Sculpture Milwaukee is always free and open to the public thanks to our generous supporters.

We work with trusted community partners to ensure great contemporary art is accessible to all.

Colophon

© 2025 Sculpture Milwaukee

thank you

To our generous sponsors, partners, collaborators, and supporters who make our work possible.

Founding & Sustaining
Sponsors

* indicates both Founding and sustaining founding sponsor

Anonymous
Donna & Donald Baumgartner*
Black Box Fund
Evan & Marion Helfaer Foundation
Herb Kohl Philanthropies
Herzfeld Foundation
Hoke Family Foundation
Susan & Mark Irgens*
Mandel Groups*
Mellowes Family*
Sue & Bud Selig*
Julie & David Uihlein*
Lacey Sadoff Foundation

presenting

Collaborator

Betty Arndt
City of Milwaukee Arts Board
Good Karma Brands

leader

Anonymous
Heil Family Foundation
Godfrey & Kahn

Exhibition Partner

Visionary

Evan & Marion Helfaer Foundation

sculpture

Wayne & Lori Morgan

Connector

BMO
Foley & Lardner
Hawks Landscaping
Open Pantry
PNC Bank
PwC
Russ Darrow Group
Town Bank
US Bank
WeycoGroup

Sculpture Milwaukee is always free and open to the public thanks to our generous supporters.

We work with trusted community partners to ensure great contemporary art is accessible to all.

Sign up for our newsletter

Colophon

© 2025 Sculpture Milwaukee