Steel mills are the focus of the newest special exhibition at the Grohmann Museum, Steel: The Cycle of Industry. Between 1962 and 1985, photographer David Plowden sought to capture the majesty of the steel industry while at the same time documenting the demise of the industry as we knew it. He states that “the architecture of steelmaking is like no other. Nowhere can you find this massiveness, drama, spectacle and danger but in a steel mill.”

This exhibition allows for a re-examination of Plowden’s steel portfolio, including many photos printed specifically for this purpose. Featuring more than 100 of his finest photographs, Steel places the viewer at the point where shovel meets dirt in the mining process and ends in the same soil surrounding these long-abandoned mills.

The exhibition will be on display Jan. 20 through April 30, 2017. The museum is offering free admission during Milwaukee’s Gallery Day and Night, Friday, Jan. 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 21 from Noon to 6 p.m. There will be a Gallery Talk with Plowden on Jan. 20 at 7 p.m.

The Grohmann Museum, 1000 N. Broadway, is open to the public Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults; $3 for students and seniors; free for children under 12. MSOE students (with ID), alumni, faculty and staff are admitted free.