About Us
Vibrant, world-renowned arts and exhibits for all in historic downtown De Pere.
The Mulva Cultural Center, a 75,000-square-foot cultural destination, reflects its surrounding community. De Pere is where historic storefronts, contemporary infrastructure, a liberal arts college, a paper mill and the kinds of shops, restaurants and businesses that would make any American city proud coalesce—all near the colors of the river that first brought commerce to the city in the early 1800s.
And now, this community will showcase the finest traveling exhibits in the world within the architecturally significant Mulva Cultural Center.
Designed by famed SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP), the Mulva Cultural Center will offer the ultimate in form and experience.
A premier cultural attraction, the Mulva Cultural Center is where history, culture and the arts will meet to inspire, engage and transform.
The Vision
The Mulva Cultural Center is the vision of James J. and Miriam B. Mulva, De Pere natives whose immense generosity will provide world-class cultural experiences for generations to come. The Mulvas envision the center to be a catalyst for community investment and an anchor for De Pere’s ongoing vitality.
The design, construction and operations of the Mulva Cultural Center are being financed by personal donations from the Mulvas or through grants from the Mulva Family Foundation and managed by the De Pere Cultural Foundation.
The Location
De Pere, Wisconsin, is located a few miles from Green Bay, Wisconsin. With a population of 25,000, the community is proud of its historic past and contemporary approach to education, commerce and recreation. De Pere is a city divided by the Fox River and united by its commitment to its parks, historic downtown, education and quality of life.
De Pere boasts a rich history. In 1671, Jesuit missionary Father Claude-Jean Allouez built a mission, Rapides Des Pères, five miles south of Green Bay on the bank of the Fox River. By 1850, the dams on the Fox River powered mills that became the earliest trade engines of the area. Read more.
“The center will be located right at the bend of the Fox River that first became our center of commerce,” said McKim Boyd, Mulva Cultural Center’s board member, owner of the Union Hotel and active member of the De Pere Historical Society. “This location, and the celebration of the river, is fundamental to understanding the history of our city. We are wise to ensure that our story of the past and our planning for the future is forever entwined.”
The Mulva Cultural Center seeks to offer viewing decks for guests to take in the sights of the lock and dams, the bend of the river and the history of this special place in Wisconsin.
