Imagine This Podcast

How might a young person's future look different with exposure to and training in the arts? This is the proposition at the heart of the mission of Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. In this episode of Creative MKE, Elisabeth speaks with Chad Tessmer, the Executive Director at MYAC. They discuss how equitable engagement in the arts has a measurable positive impact on young people's development—and on their entire lives. Located at the corner of Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and Walnut Street, MYAC is at the intersection of several Milwaukee neighborhoods including Halyard Park, Brewer's Hill, Harambee, Schlitz Park, and The Deer District. Since its founding in 2005, the space has served as a home to First Stage and Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, as well as many other local arts organizations. While MYAC is not in the business of trying to “turn every student into a performer at Carnegie Hall,” the organization seeks to give young people means to explore their voices and express themselves artistically in a safe, inclusive and professional environment. And because the employees at MYAC are creatives themselves (some of them alumni!), they believe in the promise and purpose of the institution, and “pay it forward” every day by shaping high quality and equitable access to transformative arts experiences. As the organization evolves, MYAC seeks new ways to engage with young artists across their developmental trajectories in to support their creative professional development. Milwaukee Youth Arts Center First Stage Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra Danceworks Festival City Symphony Bel Canto Chorus Frankly Music Project Kindred Milwaukee Children's Choir American Civil Liberties Union WI Milwaukee Public Schools Creative Thinking is In-Demand from Employers Brit Nicole Additional episode music “Forgotten" by Soundroll

“Cheese in different ways,” is only the beginning of Milwaukee's compelling cultural offerings. From the astounding waters, to the presence of industrious creatives who are making things happen and helping each other to develop their skills and talents—Milwaukee is a vibrant community that continues to exceed expectations and enable a strong quality of life for creatives of all disciplines. This special episode of Creative MKE features more conversations with arts leaders held at Washington Park Media Center including Angela Damiani, CEO of NEWaukee, Peggy Williams Smith, CEO of VISIT Milwaukee, Joe Poeschl, Director of Engagement of MKE Tech Hub Coalition and Kevin Giglinto, President & CEO of the Marcus Performing Arts Center, Adam Braatz, Executive Director at Imagine MKE, Lafayette Crump, the City of Milwaukee Commissioner of City Development, Daniel Murray, Founder and Creative Director of FuzzPop Workshop. The group spends time envisioning what the future might look like for the city, and discussing how it's possible today to do so much in Milwaukee without encountering barriers that exist in other cities. Founding startups and launching profitable creative businesses, while building a network of collaborators and striking a fulfilling work-life balance... it can be done here. In Milwaukee, it's possible to dream big...and our creatives are the key to pushing the culture forward. “When artists come together, that's when the real magic arises,” reflected Kevin Giglinto, President & CEO of Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. Marcus Center for the Performing Arts MKE Tech Hub Coalition VISIT Milwaukee NEWaukee FuzzPop Workshop Milwaukee Symphony OrchestraMilwaukee Film Festival Washington Park Media Center City of Milwaukee's Dept. of City Development

The Milwaukee Vortex, DIY culture, “Yes, and...” Thinking In this special episode of Creative MKE, we're sharing conversations from a special event Imagine MKE hosted at Washington Park Media Center earlier this year. The event was a gathering of arts, culture and creative industry leaders brought together to discuss the strengths and opportunities of Milwaukee's creative culture. In the discussion, guests touch on: the waterways, walkability and park system in Milwaukee, the ease of DIY creation and collaborations and the simultaneous challenge of scarcity mindsets, and the magnetic power (or sports franchise potential?) of the “the Milwaukee Vortex.” This conversation features Linda Edelstein, Chief Executive Officer of Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra; Kim Miller, artist and the chair of MIAD's fine Art Dept.; Darius Smith, Program Director, Gener8tor Art, also an artist, mental health advocate; Kantara Souffrant, Curator of Community Dialogue, Milwaukee Art Museum; Maureen Ragalie, Managing Director of Gener8tor Art; Jason Yi, professor at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, artist and gallerist at Hawthorn Contemporary; Xela Garcia, Executive Director of Walkers Point Center for the Arts, also an artist and writer; and Joe Poeschl, Director of Engagement at Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition. Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra Gener8tor Art Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design Milwaukee Art Museum Hawthorn Contemporary Walkers Point Center for the Arts MKE Tech Hub Coalition Greater Milwaukee Committee: The Commons Kristina Rolander Washington Park Media Center Stryv365Additional episode music: Tiger Technique "Oakvale of Albion"; Headspace Torus "Main Version 01"

Summerfest and Henry Maier Festival Park In this episode of Creative MKE, Elisabeth speaks with Kevin Canady, Vice President of Sales & Business Development, and Scott Ziel, Vice President of Entertainment, at Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., the organization that manages and hosts Summerfest, and books a variety of festivals and other events on the grounds throughout the year. The group reflects on how Milwaukee World Music Festival Inc stewards the unique cultural asset that is the Henry Maier Festival Park, 75 acres located on the lakefront in downtown Milwaukee. Ziel and Canady speak to the nature of Milwaukee's festival culture, the history of Summerfest, and how the organization helps regional companies to retain and attract talent, while creating a variety of paid opportunities for local talent. Each year, Summerfest relies on hundreds of creative contractors and vendors—from professional jugglers, to sound engineers, to photographers and restauranters to make the festival all that it is. Canady and Ziel shed light on the process of building Summerfest (hint: the planning begins just as soon as each festival ends). Despite changes in the music industry especially in the wake of the pandemic, Canady and Ziel and the whole team remain focused on producing and attracting events that showcase the best of Milwaukee, responding to the needs and tastes of attendees, and delivering on creative ways that an event of such enormous scale can positively impact the Milwaukee community beyond presenting affordable world-class music and entertainment.Milwaukee World Festival, Inc: Summerfest Henry Meier Festival Park Northwestern Mutual Community Park Hunger Task Force United Way Mary Lou's Closet Initiative Let the Music Play Grant BMO EMpower Generac: Power Up with a Purpose American Red Cross Summerfest Tech American Family Insurance Ampitheatre Pridefest Milwaukee Irishfest Mexican Fiesta German Fest PolishFest Black Arts Fest Kevin...

In this second portion of this discussion about the Vel R. Phillips Plaza public art commission, Elisabeth and guests City of Milwaukee Commissioner of City Development Lafayette Crump and arts leader Marilu Knode reflect on the wider context of the project. Crump and Knode discuss the relevance of public art and the presence of artists to the city's 2040 downtown plan, the power of the arts on individuals' lives, as well as the collective power of Milwaukee's creative industry. Knode shares specific suggestions of how the city can continue to turn the tide towards a more robust and supported creative sector: A dedicated arts office within the city; a 1% Law: Art for All, and increased public support for the arts. To that, Crump adds on the need for more affordable housing for artists, so that they can live, work and contribute to Milwaukee's culture, long-term. To listen back to the first part of the conversation, stream it wherever you stream podcasts, or visit Imagine MKE on the web. Milwaukee Department of City Development: Milwaukee Arts Board City of Milwaukee Artist in Residence Ranking of Per Capita Arts Invesment Milwaukee High School of the Arts Genre: Urban Arts America's Black Holocaust Museum

The Vel R. Phillips Plaza Art Commission In part one of this special two-part episode, Elisabeth speaks with City of Milwaukee Commissioner of City Development Lafayette Crump and arts leader Marilu Knode to discuss the plans for the Vel R. Phillips plaza. It's a development project for which Crump and Knode are both serving on the art committee to select an original sculpture installation concept that, once completed, will memorialize and animate the legacy of Phillips, a trailblazing Black woman, attorney, politician, jurist, and civil rights activist, who served as an alderperson and judge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and as secretary of state of Wisconsin.The group reflects on how the arts are a special ingredient to development—that art can help our city to stand apart and also function as an economic engine. Crump shares how investing in the arts is often a “less obvious” aspect of infrastructure to decision makers, but an incredibly important ingredient to a city that can retain and attract diverse residents and visitors. With a new generation of leadership in place in Milwaukee under Mayor Cavalier Johnson, the city has made a one-time investment in public art through this $600,000 commission. But the plaza and the artwork will not just be about aesthetic beauty: it will have activations, spaces for vendors, food and beverage offerings and programming to encourage people to linger, engage and learn about Vel Phillips. In her life, Phillips was a boundary pushing figure, and, as Knode reflects, “she forecast the direction the country would be going in with her leadership.” The intention is that the plaza installation and the social and artistic activations it invites will build upon this legacy. “Often people think public art is always “man on horse” or “woman in fountain.” Vel Phillips had a different form of leadership,” reflects Knode. “Let's use this an opportunity to reformulate how we think about leadership.” But should artists have to be activists? Knode suggests that in this day and age, everything is political. According to her, “going into the arts itself” is political. At the heart of this commission plan is the acknowledgement that artists are often the ones who drive social change in society. “A lot of creativity or boundary pushing that does come out of city government... somewhere you will find an artist pushing on us to do that,” says Crump. Vel R. Phillips Plaza will be constructed by July 2024, and the public art installation is estimated to be completed in 2025. Learn more about the project.References and resources Brad Pruitt America's Black Holocaust Museum The Mountaintop, presented by Milwaukee Chamber Theatre Lexi Brunson CopyWrite Magazine Mike Phillips Downtown Bid #21 Westown Association

“When we invest in the arts, those dollars aren't just disappearing down some black hole of goodness. It's giving back to the community and government to help pay for its needed services. There's undercapitalization happening here. It's just hard to imagine how much more arts and culture activity and impact and benefit to local businesses would be happening with greater investment.” -Randy Cohen, Vice President of Research at Americans for the Arts. In this episode of Creative MKE, Elisabeth and Adam speak with Randy Cohen from Americans for the Arts about the Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 Study. Last year, Imagine MKE collaborated with Americans for the Arts to conduct this audience intercept survey in Milwaukee to learn about their induced and direct spending in relationship to arts and culture nonprofit events. Additionally, another survey was shared with hundreds of arts nonprofit organizations—large and small—to learn about their own economic activity, including employment figures. Nearly 100 arts orgs participated, and the results showed Milwaukee to be massively benefiting from jobs, spending, and tax revenue generated through the work of art nonprofits. A sampling of the findings: $334.6 million generated in economic activity 4,550 jobs supported $7.1 million in Milwaukee county and city tax revenue The group discuss how this hallmark arts and economic study has changed over the years to become much more inclusive and to center diverse communities, the dire lack of investment for the arts in Milwaukee and in Wisconsin, and the qualitative and quantitive impact of the arts on individuals and communities. Learn more about the groundbreaking sixth iteration of the Arts and Economic Prosperity study. Study conducted by Americans for the Arts and Imagine MKE. Support for the AEP6 Study from: First Stage The Milwaukee Rep Theatre & United Performing Arts Fund - UPAF

It all begins with a visit. If you ask the leadership of VISIT Milwaukee, they believe that in order to attract people to live, work, and play somewhere, they have to first experience and connect to the culture of that place on a deeper level.The attraction of the outside world to Milwaukee is not an accident, and is, in large part due to the work of VISIT Milwaukee—lead by Peggy Williams Smith, President & CEO, Joshua Albrecht, VP of Marketing & Communications and Claire Koenig, Senior Director of Communications and Public Affairs—who champion and lift up the city's culture every day through their work and entice media representatives to visit and learn more about what Milwaukee has to offer. At the same time, Milwaukee continues to struggle with population decline and a loss of talent, particularly within diverse communities.The attraction of the outside world to Milwaukee is not an accident, and is, in large part due to the work of VISIT Milwaukee—Peggy Williams Smith, Joshua Albrecht, and Claire Koenig—who champion and lift up the city's culture every day through their work and entice media representatives to visit and learn more about what Milwaukee has to offer. At the same time, Milwaukee continues to struggle with population decline and a loss of talent, particularly within diverse communities.Elisabeth, along with Imagine MKE's Executive Director Adam Braatz, discuss with the VISIT Milwaukee team how the arts and culture of Milwaukee is one of its chief assets, and a powerful economic driver. The group discuss how intrinsic the arts are to tourism, and how Imagine MKE and VISIT Milwaukee are both working to amplify the region's creative economy and shape the narrative about Milwaukee. If the narrative shifts, and our arts sector can be better supported and broadcast for all its brilliance, it all adds up to Milwaukee stepping into its greatness as, in Albrecht's words, as a new “arts and culture society." They see a future where Milwaukee is known as an innovative place that embraces, supports, and celebrates all that is creative and expressive, and where talent and lovers of culture will see themselves, feel a sense of belonging, and want to build their lives.Learn more about the work of VISIT Milwaukee, and follow them on Instagram.Additional ResourcesMKE Theater District

The arts. Sports. Oftentimes, they are thought of as in opposition to each other, but the pursuit of arts and sports have a lot of overlap. One remarkable local "artist" in the field of soccer and coaching was the late Jimmy Banks. Banks was a trailblazing Milwaukeean who was discovered in his young teens, playing pick-up soccer outside the Westlawn housing project where he grew up. He went on to play professionally for the Milwaukee Wave, and then for the U.S. Men's Soccer team—where he was a starting player in the 1990 World Cup. His ascendant career was followed by a whole other career—as a leader, coach, and mentor in the Milwaukee community to young players of diverse backgrounds, including the MSOE Men's soccer team and leading the Simba Soccer Club. Banks passed away in 2019, but his impactful legacy lives on. To commemorate his work, values, and spirit, Milwaukee Public School's Custer Stadium, where he played as a school kid, has been renamed the Jimmy Banks Memorial Stadium. Now, a mural celebrating Jimmy Banks will be added to the facility. Community artist, Tia Richardson, who will be leading the artistic arm of the project, and Banks' son Jordan Banks—who is himself a soccer player, coach, and educator—joined Elisabeth for a conversation about the mural project, which is seeking support. In the conversation, they speak about the importance of representation for young Black kids growing up in Milwaukee, youth development, and the value of creativity, public art, and the many rich connections that exist between art making and sports—which both foster self-exploration, collaboration, relationship-building, and skill development. Richardson and Banks hope that the spirit of the mural will inspire youth who play on the Jimmy Banks Memorial Stadium field for generations will see the mural, think of Banks and what he accomplished, and expand their own concepts of themselves and the positive impact they can have within their communities. You can support the work and learn more at Friends of Jimmy Banks Memorial Stadium's website. Check out Tia Richardson's artwork and follow her on Instagram at Cosmic Butterfly Design. Jimmy BanksAbout Jimmy Banks Memorial Stadium Pelé Al Jarreau Jordan Banks' Peak of Artful Soccer—World Cup Final 2022 Lil Kickers Milwaukee Milwaukee Simbas Sports Club

In this episode of Creative MKE, Elisabeth speaks with D Kirschling, a board member and the volunteer coordinator at the non- profit organization Girls Rock & Ladies Rock MKE. Participants of Girls & Ladies Rock MKE attend camps and workshops where they experiment and learn music in a safe space, working on traditional elements of a rock band including voice, instrumentation on guitar, drums, bass and keyboard, and song composition and performance.Despite the name, Girls & Ladies Rock MKE programs are inclusive: they are open to all on the gender spectrum, and are designed to empower participants through collaboration, expression and exploration of technical skills. Guided by volunteers who are often local musicians, participants are encouraged to lean in to the process of self-reflection and self-expression through creativity. It's a process that Kirschling and organizers hope sparks rockers to challenge themselves—and maybe even change their perception of who they are and what they can accomplish. Kirschling shares how Ladies Rock—an offshoot of Girls Rock MKE-- emerged from the interest of parents of kids who were part of Girls Rock camps, and saw the benefits it had for them. Ladies Rock became an answer to the question of how adults who had interest in music but little experience could find space within Milwaukee's music scene, and rock music itself, which is often experienced as a “boys club” by marginalized artists. Ultimately, the mission of both programs is to move the Milwaukee music scene forward to become a more equitable place, and to enrich the lives of individuals. “We want to create healthy and balanced people. The arts are part of a healthy and balanced life,” said Kirschling. In the conversation, Kirschling also reflects on how arts organizations, including Girls Rock, as so focused on basic survival that they struggle to expand on their programming and their footprint in the community. She imagines that with more support, individual artists in Milwaukee would live healthier, more fulfilled lives—which would in turn make our community a healthier place. You can find Girls and Ladies Rock on Instagram: Girls Rock MKE, and Ladies Rock MKE. Support Girls Rock at the upcoming Backyard BBQ from WMSE! Negative/Positive Camp Board of Directors and Co-Founders Mary Joy Hickey's Founding of Ladies Rock Reyna

Michael Lagerman recently joined Imagine MKE as Development Coordinator, but he's also an accomplished artist, collaborator, and programmer within Milwaukee's art scene. Lagerman has a background in photography and infused his “thinking about images” with a study of philosophy in college. He went on to obtain his MFA at UWM's Peck School of the Arts, which provided catalyzing opportunities for professionalizing his artistic practice, including running the photo documentation lab. In his studies at PSOA, he noticed how filmmakers' application of theory to moving images was in alignment with his artistic interests, and Milwaukee's vibrant community of filmmakers drew him in. But Lagerman is wary of the limitations of categorization within his practice. In his decade plus living in Milwaukee, he's built a sense of belonging within the film and art communities, experienced working in several different studio spaces, put on solo and group exhibitions of his work and contributed to diverse arts programming. With a sense of dedication, Lagerman has translated his artistic impulses into a multidisciplinary creative practice that has earned him residencies—including a current residency at the Charles Allis Art Museum—and grants, including a recent gener8tor X Sherman Phoenix grant. In the conversation, Lagerman delights in the “creative sandbox” of Milwaukee—a place where artists can dream and build. He speaks about Underscore, his experimental, collaborative artist run space, co-run with artist Grace Mitchell. Together, they've built a high degree of trust at a level that Lagerman describes as "telepathic." Through Underscore, they seek to invite artists to reset and “do something that they haven't done before.” Lagerman also reflects on the liminal space between emergent and established artist. He has experienced a requirement to self-identify his career stage, as well as his medium: an external pressure that he feels “leads to a kind of homogeny.” Today as an artist, he wrestles with how to best express his ethos and inspiration within these structures. As Lagerman says “It can be strange to know your own ambition... and what you might be capable of...” in relation to how organizations might label you. To him, Milwaukee feels like it's in a state of perpetual renaissance, always pushing forward, but not quite resulting in shared returns on creatives' efforts. But he sees potential in an artist-empowered future. From DIY arts spaces, to a new wave of community arts resources—he sees the scene building to a brighter, more diverse cityscape, one that includes an art market that supports more artists, and results in more public art and events to energize the whole community. Learn more about Michael Lagerman's artistic practice, and Underscore. The Alice Wilds Winnepeg Underground Film Festival

When Carl Brown's late father was dying, he challenged his son to think about putting others "before" himself. Brown, a retired advertising executive, was always a jazz lover—like his late father—often traveling far and wide to experience contemporary jazz performances with his wife. One day, while experiencing a jazz festival, his wife posed the idea of launching a jazz festival in their home city of Milwaukee with the proceeds going to charity. Now in its fifth season, the Fresh Coast Jazz Festival has been delighting Milwaukee audiences and attracting travelers from all over the world to experience the joy and creativity of jazz music from some of the most preeminent jazz musicians. But it's also “a party with a purpose.” At the heart of the festival model is a philanthropic focus. The festival supports college scholarships, grants to support music programs in area schools, as well as financial literacy and healthcare initiatives benefiting Milwaukee youth. In the conversation, Brown touches on the power of music “to lift, to move, to guide...”and to bring diverse communities together. Brown talks about the impact of COVID on the jazz music scene, jazz as a “group sport,” and the changes that have come about within the musical landscape since lockdown. He also touches on the history and present of jazz music in Milwaukee, and how this festival is helping to put Milwaukee on the map globally for contemporary Jazz and contributing to Milwaukee's creative economy. Learn more about Fresh Coast Jazz Festival, including the artists who will be performing, the organizations it supports, and purchase tickets at their website. Kirk Whalum Dizzy Gillespie Manty Ellis Milwaukee Jazz by Joey Grihalva Wisconsin Conservatory of Music Milwaukee Jazz Institute Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts Club Gibraltar Cosmic Endeavors

Milwaukee Pride + Cross-Culturalization w/ John Riepenhoff Artist, gallerist, and curator John Riepenhoff has built an art world enterprise over the last two decades and change. Throughout his career, he has been representing Milwaukee on a global stage-- a responsibility that he takes deep pride in. Fueled by a belief in how special Milwaukee culture is, Riepenhoff has represented Milwaukee through professional art opportunities in Tokyo, London, Basel and beyond. As a young artist, he was originally inspired to open a gallery in order to platform the talent of his community and create more opportunities for local artists. His practices grew from problem solving, saying yes to opportunities, and in the process, he's increased access to art for the public and built spaces for artists to intentionally connect and exchange ideas, often across cultures and nationalities. In the conversation, Riepenhoff discusses the unique qualities of the Milwaukee art scene that he has helped to build and shape. Despite Milwaukee artists enjoying the freedom of creating in a place that's not driven by the same art market as places like New York, Milwaukee artists are still driven by a desire to be in conversation with international cities. “In a void of asks of artists, there can be a really creative output that's not fulfilling the needs of client, market or grants. There's value in artists not solving problems but discovering or making problems,” said Riepenhoff. Riepenhoff discusses his recent curatorial work through Sculpture Milwaukee, now in its seventh year, which highlighted for him just how much the Milwaukee community seems to value the presence of public art. The exhibition entitled “Actual Fractals: Act I” is a reflection of the diverse voices of the artists, and, at the same time, a nod to patterning, and ways of thinking of universal subjects at different scales. Other sources of inspiration for Riepenhoff include the culinary arts, the natural world, sensory stimulation, and “ephemeral experiences that bring us together.” Through his work, he's been a steady advocate and architect of a diverse range of artistic projects, and in the process has elevated many Milwaukeeans, as well as Milwaukee's reputation worldwide as a special cultural hub. John RiepenhoffThe Green Gallery Nicholas Frank Milwaukeeists Milwaukee International Art Fair (2008) Sculpture Milwaukee Pao Houa Her

Geraud Blanks has always been willing to push boundaries. From his early days at UWM leading the student organization SCOPE—to his work as Chief Innovation Officer at MKE Film, Blanks has been driven by desire to act as a storyteller, to bring communities together around meaningful programs, with a taste for going “big.” Brought on to the team at MKE Film in 2014 to co-launch the Black Lens Series, Blanks brought with him a deep love of film, music, and poetry, and a vision for how MKE Film's programming could expand. Over the years, Blanks' risk-taking for the sake of stirring “good trouble” has paid off. Milwaukee Film's Black Lens program has blossomed and expanded, and the scope of Blanks' role has too. He now curates the annual Cultures and Communities Festival, with its fifth iteration coming up this October. It's a series of film screenings and events all over the city held at diverse venues centered on “health, wellness, joy, art, culture and ultimately, community.” Though there have been times over the years when certain programs didn't go the way he anticipated—Blanks' innovative, boundary-pushing programming continues to be a labor of love, and a way of pressing the whole Milwaukee community forward. Blanks sees Milwaukee's future as bright. With increased support of local and state government, he thinks Milwaukee can become a film town on the level of Atlanta: a place where the film industry can thrive and infuse our local economy with diverse revenue streams in and around film productions, in hospitality and craft services, for example. Blanks wants MKE Film to lead and support the advocacy for film incentives, and continue to innovate and uplift emerging talent along the way. Ultimately, as Blanks reflects, “culture is life.” He's proud of the ways that the team at MKE Film is shaping Milwaukee—and he's hopeful about the ways MKE Film and support for the arts including filmmaking may shape the community's future as city that is renowned for its culture and opportunities in the arts. Karate Kid Love Jones Donte McFadden, PhD Maya Angelou Corry Joe Biddle Social X's Ranell Washington Gee's Clippers Dr. Eve Hall Greater Milwaukee Urban League Heidi Moore John Ridley

It all started with deciding to employ a different social media approach: dreaming up engaging content first and finding ways to tell stories about the eclectic offerings of the Milwaukee Public Library system through that content. As the team of employees across different departments embarked down this path to try to drive reengagement with Milwaukee libraries after pandemic lockdown, they were encouraged by leadership to think outside the box, to lean in to their creativity and the collaborative process.Today, the MPL boasts over a 100,000 social media followers on Instagram, and has many videos with millions of views and likes. The productions are spearheaded by Fawn Siemsen-Fuchs and Evan Syzmkowski, but they are a team effort.Together, library staffers across many areas ideate, work, plan and create. They act as prop people, performers, videographers (using iPhone cameras) and directors. Drawing on topical trends on social media, the staffers capitalize on their talents and the popularity of themes and use them to leverage and showcase aspects of the library system.The goal of these videos is to, in City Librarian Joan Johnson's words, “to elevate all libraries” and broadcast them as vibrant cultural spaces. But the MPL's creativity doesn't end with social media. In fact, it's just the tip of an iceberg. Milwaukee Zinefest, presented in partnership with the Bindery, makerspaces for artists, and regular exhibitions of art created by community members; these are just a few of the successful artistic programs that the libraries host. Today, MPL even has a secondary Instagram dedicated entirely to creativity — MPLCreates.In the conversation, host Elisabeth Gasparka and MPL's Joan Johnson, Fawn Siemsen-Fuchs and Evan Syzmkowski discuss the fact that, though Milwaukee may not be known worldwide (yet) for its arts scene, those who live here understand that Milwaukee is a community brimming with an abundance of creative energy and output. The endless supply of music, murals, artists of many disciplines in this community together provide natural fodder to support the work of MPL. But, the library still needs the public to engage beyond social media as the future of its funding hangs in the balance.You can help! Share feedback about the Milwaukee Public Library system through their Get Loud for Libraries Campaign.Additional resourcesMilwaukee's Murals

This week, Elisabeth spoke with Jazmine Holifield, a multi-hypenate Milwaukee creative who is a creative director within her own company, and also works at the Operations Coordinator at Imagine MKE. Holifield is one-half of C&B Creative, a local creative consulting company, which she founded in 2012 with longtime friend and business partner, Kayla Green. Together, they produce creative arts events, support dozens of artists and creatives (local and across the country) and provide several services such as creative brand consulting, set design and staging, event planning, project management, and more. As Operations Coordinator for Imagine MKE, she's been leading on Imagine's Arts and Economic Prosperity Study from Americans for the Arts, and also spearheads programs and events for IMKE. Jazmine Holifield was born and raised in Milwaukee. After a few years living in Dallas and Los Angeles, she returned home to Milwaukee three years ago during the pandemic, and was pleasantly surprised the find herself back in the midst of a creative community that had been building momentum since she left six year prior— stumbling into what she calls “Milwaukee's creative renaissance.” Holifield is motivated by bringing a sense of purpose to her role inside and outside of Imagine MKE, with the hopes of encouraging and supporting other creatives on their journeys. She also values the reflections from the Milwaukee creatives she works alongside, who have been building since she started her C&B Creative Brand. Finding herself today in more of a mentorship role, Holifield is encouraged by seeing the growth she's seen in her fellow creatives, and is also motivated to keep going on her own journey by seeing the impact she's had within the ecosystem in Milwaukee's creative sector. She shares words of wisdom for Milwaukee creatives who are just getting started-- urging them to "start where they are."“There's so many different shades of greatness, here.” says Holifield. In the future, she wishes to see Milwaukee's diverse creative scene flourish. If that were to happen, to her it would mean more color, more public art, more collaboration. A place that is more outwardly artistic, with a central arts district, where laughter is abundant and the culture can be a refuge from challenges and "the news". A place where artists and art are valued and respected at all levels. Holifield also hopes that when this new creative day dawns, that the professional creative opportunities that arise here will first and foremost be abundant for the native Milwaukeeans who created the conditions for flourishing with their talenta and persistance.C&B Creative High Rollers Club Jade Charon's “Gold” Liv DJ Gemini Gilly TRP (The Roses Prevail)The Brick Layers Club Jungle Gems Transitional song is an excerpt from

In this episode, Elisabeth speaks with Adam Braatz, Imagine MKE's new Executive Director, who stepped into the role in March. With a background in jazz and classical piano, Adam has carved a unique arc in his career, working as a professional musician on Carnival Cruise Lines, followed by enlistment in the Air Force as a musician and Basic Training Instructor, and, more recently, in communications and leadership capacities in the non-profit sector. Outside of his formal roles, Adam has also hosted and produced a podcast, and written a bestselling book. During his time in the military, a pivotal deployment to the Middle East changed his perspective on music making forever... as well as his professional trajectory. During and after the performances for dignitaries and young children, Braatz witnessed the power of music to dissolve tensions, defy barriers and create powerful goodwill. The experience helped him to realize his overarching purpose. In the years following, he recognized a calling to work in service of an arts organization that advocates for and amplifies the work of creatives, in his home state of Wisconsin. In the conversation, Braatz touches on some of the current priorities of the organization of Imagine MKE, including advocacy at the state and city level through Action! Wisconsin, Wisconsin's Creative Economy Coalition, contributing to creative workforce development, the Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 Survey which captures data about the economic impact of the arts, neighborhood activations, meaningful storytelling about the power of the arts in the greater Milwaukee area, and professional development opportunities for creatives to expand their competitiveness. Braatz highlights ways in which the new strategic focus of the organization is a continuation of its original premise, but built for the the post-pandemic era. In the conversation, Braatz says "golly" earnestly at least twice, and makes good on his last name (pronounced “Brats,” as in the signature sausages one associates with Milwaukee culture)when he attempts to employ a kooky (and, honestly, questionable) metaphor about the creative sector in Milwaukee. As the leader of Imagine MKE, Braatz hopes to empower and uplift a new set of arts leaders within our city, and aims to “show not tell” Imagine MKE's priorities through demonstrating our values in the work that we accomplish in the days to come. Follow Adam Braatz on Instagram on LinkedIn and on Twitter. United States Air Force Bands Americans for the Arts Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 Survey George Filmmaking Incentives Milwaukee's "Brain Drain"

In this episode, Elisabeth speaks with Sonya Thompson, and Kumasi Allen, the Artistic Director and Musical Director of Milwaukee's Ko-Thi Dance Company, which has been presenting, interpreting and celebrating traditions of African diasporic dance and music in Milwaukee for over 50 years.Throughout the conversation, Allen and Thompson speak about their own artistic and professional trajectories; how they encountered Ko-Thi early in their development, were struck by the beauty of other young people being together in celebration of, in Allen's words, “being authentically Black.” In young adulthood, Allen and Thompson both traveled and sought opportunities outside this community, but eventually came back to the area after the pull of the “Milwaukee Vortex” did its work. Coming back, in part, stemmed from a desire to give back the opportunity for confidence-building and of identity exploration to another generation of Black Milwaukee youth — cultivating a safe space where they can be free to learn about their culture and history. In the discussion, Thompson and Allen both reflect on their experience being called in and supported by the Executive Director, Founder and the matriarch of Ko-Thi Dance Company, Ferne “Mama” Caulker Bronson. As a mentor, teacher, friend, and boss, Caulker Bronson has touched each of their lives through empowering and challenging them with opportunities for development within the company – and offering deep, insightful support, and pushing them, and countless students and performers who've worked within Ko-Thi, to reach their full potential. In their leadership roles within Ko-Thi, both Allen and Thompson are continuously inspired by the students they teach. They've learned many lessons, including to follow what they love in order to find happiness, and to seek stillness. Thompson and Allen each hold the perspective of valuing lifelong learning, embracing failure and vulnerability as mechanisms for growth, deepening self-knowledge and connecting to others. Follow Ko Thi Dance Company on Facebook or Instagram. Ko-Thi is about to turn 54! They will be hosting Maji Dance and Drum Conference —where they will be celebrating and sharing love of music and dance and community over the weekend of May 5-7. Learn about the founder and Executive Director, Ferne Caulker-Bronson. Milwaukee's High School of the Arts Djembe Drum Marilynn Douglas Amaniyea Payne T. Ayo Alston Lucky Diop Afrique Aya Dance Company

In this episode of Creative MKE, Elisabeth speaks with Brit Nicole, the poet behind the poem “Chosen” which is at the center of this year's 414 Day Video. Nicole describes herself as a "spoken word artist, community healer, performer, musician, and facilitator based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin." In their wide-ranging discussion, Nicole reflects on her own "purpose living" and journey as an artist — from her early days within her college community's art scene — to acting as a facilitator of events within the Milwaukee community. In the conversation, Nicole reflects on the experience of writing “Chosen,” — how the poem almost seemed to write itself, and was a natural continuation of conversations that she's been having with artistic cohorts in Milwaukee for some time. In an awesome moment of synchronicity, she shares that she finished writing the first draft of the poem and looked at the clock to see that it was at 4:14 a.m. Nicole drops many pearls of wisdom while reflecting on her creative journey and experiences of community cultivation, including sharing her belief that the things that are meant for you won't pass you by if you remain authentic, her notion of operating as a “human ice breaker” — and going out of her way to cultivate comfort and a sense of belonging for others who are stepping into the world of performance and sharing their gifts. In her day job at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, Nicole also acts as a facilitator of creative growth and self-actualization through arts experiences for the young Milwaukeeans who study and practice music and theatre there. Throughout the conversation, Nicole speaks about how artists can tend to their own "light," support one another and find a way to shine, and sustain and support their work. She reflects on how Milwaukee creatives need to and deserve to value themselves more – remembering that they are assets to this community in a myriad of ways. Follow Brit Nicole on Facebook and Instagram, or email her at: britnicolethepoet@gmail.comMoods, Melanin, and Magic: A ManifestoNocturnal ButterflyPoetry UNplugged Blu Haz3Lyrical Sanctuary Dasha Kelly Hamilton Def Poetry Jam Still Waters Collective and PENtasticMilwaukee Opera Theatre Public Allies Nile X Nile

In this episode of the podcast, Elisabeth speaks with Jovanny Hernandez Caballero, a photographer and photojournalist from the south side of Milwaukee. Hernandez Caballero is an Art and Design major with an emphasis in Photography and Imaging at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, currently completing his BFA. As the son of immigrants from Oaxaca, Mexico, Jovanny's work explores themes of his cultural heritage and identity. Through his art practice, he documents the rich and positive stories of life in his community on Milwaukee's South Side, and conducts a kind of “reverse anthropology” to explore and document his own roots and his family in his family's native land of Oaxaca, Mexico. In the conversation, they cover his early influences, including the extensive mural artworks of Milwaukee, that speak to his identity and culture, as well as the power of attending May Day marches in Milwaukee on inspiring his interest in design. He reflects on the early transformative opportunity to participate in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards at the Milwaukee Art Museum. This year, Hernandez Caballero served as a judge in the Milwaukee branch of the competition. He reflects, too, on the influence of growing up and coming into his own art practice within the tight knit creative community of Milwaukee, where artists ban together to support one another, and organizations like the Walkers Point Center for the Art help empower artists by connecting them with opportunities and mentorship. A focus on community and identity is at the heart of Hernandez Caballero's art work, and also drives the work that he does in photojournalism: as a photojournalist for the Journal Sentinel, he focuses on telling positive community stories about, in particular, Milwaukee's South Side. From his perspective, photography has an “innate truth” and often is regarded as proof or a cultural remnant. This has influenced his both photojournalistic and art practices — in documenting his family in Oaxaca, Mexico, and in Milwaukee, to make sure he is capturing the nuance, beauty and positivity in underrepresented communities that are often his subjects. You can follow Jovanny's work on Instagram at @Jovanny.11. Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Milwaukee Murals Oaxaca, Mexico Day of the Kings Grilled Cheese Grant UWM BFA Thesis Show Creating Milwaukee Walkers Point Center for the Arts

In this episode of the podcast, Elisabeth speaks with Monica Miller, the Manager of MIAD's new Gallery at the Ave, a new gallery and exhibition space dedicated to showcasing the work of MIAD alumni and students, located next to Third Street Market Hall. The space opens to the public on April 6, with an exhibition of work by MIAD alumni called From This Point Forward, which features works by artists who attended MIAD over the course of the last 5 decades, reaching all the way back to MIAD's predecessor, the Layton School of Art. The art works range from functional design pieces, to photographs, to paintings, to prints and 3D works. Gallery at the Ave also features a section dedicated to craft, jewelry and other objects for sale on consignment. In the conversation, Miller speaks about her own trajectory shifting from a student at MIAD, to an arts professional reckoning with a need for engaging with audiences, while exploring business development in an arts context and engaging in work in service of the Milwaukee community within local arts organizations including MARN and INOVA before coming to work at MIAD. Throughout the conversation, Elisabeth and Monica discuss the unique resourcefulness and entrepreneurial spirit of the MIAD community— which has only been augmented over time, with the institution's infusion of strategic investments in new arts and media technologies through the Lubar Emerging Technology Center. Miller attributes this unique creative character to the continuity of the MIAD community's orientation towards the wider creative community in Milwaukee. In her own experience, MIAD not only fostered a supportive, non-competitive environment but encouraged an engagement with the wider Milwaukee community. From Miller's perspective, though the leadership and the generation of students have changed over time, the school maintains its hallmark “gritty” energy — and now offers even more robust technologies, resources, and channels for students to find professional opportunities than ever before. Some opportunities are even available for alumni, including use of laser printers other technology resources. In the conversation, they also discuss how MIAD contributes powerfully to Milwaukee's creative economy in many ways— from employing creatives, to producing entrepreneurial thinkers, and giving creatives and students professional opportunities within the fields of art, marketing and more, and how the Gallery at the Ave represents a meaningful expansion of all these initiatives. Learn more about MIAD's Gallery at the Ave (@miadgalleryattheave) and be sure to check out the inaugural exhibition which opens April 6. Monica Miller Lynden Sculpture Garden Wild Space Dance MARN Third Street Market Hall

In this episode, Elisabeth speaks with Imani Jalil, Program Director and Dance Director at Bembé Drum + Dance. Since 2015, Bembé has been giving school children and adults in the Milwaukee area opportunities for exploring Afro-Latino culture through music and dance traditions offered through artist residencies, workshops, school programming and events. Through their programming, people of all ages and backgrounds are invited to explore music – specifically percussion-- and dance, and to experience joy, be in community, and learn about the rich cultures that make up the Afro-Latino cultures, and the African Diaspora. Jalil reflects in the conversation about how the work of Bembé is a unique within the landscape of Milwaukee's arts and culture, because of the blend of cultures that the organization teaches about: many languages, nations, religions and ethnic groups are represented within the Afro-Latino cultural lens. In addition to presenting workshops and events, Bembé brings resident artists into the Milwaukee community from outside the region to teach their craft, and to be immersed in the Milwaukee community in a kind of cultural teaching exchange which they call “Learning from the Masters”. In the conversation, Jalil shares about her own trajectory as a dancer and a dance student, and wonders about how the presence of an organization that represented her own mixed identity like Bembé might have been a very empowering form of representation to experience as a younger person on her own journey. Follow Bembé on Facebook and Instagram— and, purchase tickets for the Carnavale event on March 19! Cantos de las Américas MPS Escuela Verde Eden's Crush Alberto “Beto” Torrens

In this episode, Elisabeth interviews Mark Davis, the founder and artistic director of Milwaukee Jazz Institute. MJI is a local nonprofit organization which was founded in 2019, which has several adult and youth ensembles, regularly programs Jazz performances with touring and local acts, holds improv sessions, offers classes and workshops, and generally promotes the musical form of Jazz in the greater Milwaukee area. Even though Milwaukee has been known as a Blues music hub, it also has a deep history with Jazz music. Davis ignited his love of Jazz through a mentorship with teacher Dave Hazeltine when he was a teen. After taking lessons with Dave, he was thrust into a live jam session at the Jazz Oasis — a now defunct Jazz club on Holton Ave in Milwaukee. MJI the organization is not only focused on building audiences and musical knowledge, but creating opportunities for Jazz musicians to explore interaction and performance with other players. Davis sees the benefits of this kind of practice, play and cultivation of deep listening – for everyone, not just professional musicians. Davis welcomes and invites the community to explore MJI's performances throughout the community, explore the resources they offer, and support their mission. Milwaukee Jazz Institute David Hazeltine Gerald Cannon History of Jazz in Milwaukee Bar Centro Melvin Rhyne Manty Ellis, Milwaukee's “Godfather of Jazz” Wes Montgomery Paul Silbergleit Elvin Jones Roy Hargrove SAINT Kate Peter Bernstein Larry Goldings Bill Stewart Matt Wilson Brian Lynch

Mike McAlister wasn't a creative when he started playing around with early design software on a public library computer as a middle schooler. But he quickly found himself in the medium, and over time developed his own design practice — eventually becoming a full-fledged graphic designer, combining his love of computers with his creative inspiration to build website and templates and design elements for others to do so. After selling his successful company, McAlister started a new chapter in his professional life, developing the book and course “Lift Off,” which is a summary of his “trials and tribulations” in learning to market his own skills as a creative entrepreneur, and a distillation of the successful elements which have made up his “special sauce.” “Being a creative involves If you want to keep evolving your craft, evolution is part of that.” In the conversation, McAlister reflects on the open-minded and active way that many creatives approach all things— being naturally curious, looking for connections and opporutnities to synthesize information, experiences and relationships to keep a creative practice progressing. McAlister discusses how creatives are inherently problem solvers. His book and course are focused on helping creatives identify and hone in on what they are good at, and their audiences and potential audiences.But the content of the book can also be boiled down to effective marketing tools and practices — things that can help not only help individuals to monetize what they are good at, but could be used as “an idea vehicle” to help generate more altruistic content — like social justice messaging — and help them to be more salient and successful. McAlister also reflects on the unique creative community found in Milwaukee — a place he chose as home about 15 years ago. He sees the DIY nature of it evolving into something more forward-looking. In a world where individual artists and makers are becoming more valued and their influence is everywhere, he speculates that Milwaukee may soon become known as a creative hub. Learn more about Liftoff and about Mike.Links: A Brief History of Design Software WordPressLemon Squeezy Podia Patreon Beth Eaton Pottery

This episode features Maureen Ragalie and Darius Smith from gener8tor's Milwaukee office. Gener8tor is a nationally-ranked venture capital firm and accelerator that brings together startup founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, musicians and artists. Recently, they have teamed up with Sherman Phoenix, a marketplace and mixed used business space on Milwaukee's northside in the Sherman Park neighborhood, to offer grants for Milwaukee visual artists. In the conversation, Ragalie and Smith discuss the scope of the program. Beginning with a user-friendly application process that is designed to attract artists who may not have much in the way of formal professional experience, but display talent and vision, as well as an appetite for developing "the business side” of their art practice. Up to 20 artists will be selected by a panel of art world experts from outside of Milwaukee. The program will take place over seven weeks in-person and over Zoom beginning this spring, and will offer workshops, mentorships and resources to help individuals learn how to professionalize their artistic practices. The curriculum includes everything from marketing for artists, how to make a budget, learning about and how to decide if you should form an LLC— and even includes access to a therapist. Applications for the program are open to anyone in Milwaukee over the age of 18. Smith and Ragalie hope that the impact of this program and these investments ($7,000-$10,000 per artist) will be felt on both the individual and the community level, and that a positive effect will ripple out into the community, and help contribute to more vibrancy in the neighborhoods in which these artists live and work – and within Milwaukee as a whole. Another hope is to garner positive attention both within Milwaukee – and outside the region –for the artistry that is being created here—and to encourage future investment in the arts in Milwaukee and Wisconsin. Through this program, they also seek to show artists that they can continue to live and work in Milwaukee — and in doing so, encourage retention of our city's creatives. The application is due February 26, and the first gener8tor x Sherman Phoenix accelerator cohort will begin on April 10. Follow gener8torart on Instagram. Sherman Phoenix Marketplace Social Impact investment Wisconsin ranks last in the nation for arts funding Northwestern Mutual Black Founder Accelerator Program VAR Gallery Thanks to Darius Smith for the sound file from Sherman Phoenix Marketplace.

This episode finds Elisabeth in conversation with Milwaukee filmmaker Chris James Thompson, of Good Credit Productions. Chris's second full length feature film, We Are Not Ghouls, will be released February 28th on video on demand (Itunes, Roku). The film is about US Air Force JAG Attorney Yvonne Bradley, who volunteered to defend Binyam Mohamed, a man who was facing a death penalty case at Guantanamo Bay in 2005. Believing the detainees at Guantanamo were ‘the worst of the worst' in the war on terror, Yvonne's world was turned upside down as she arrived in Cuba and began to untangle an unimaginable case. Spending the next 4 years battling to uncover the truth, Yvonne's is a captivating story of taking responsibility in the face of corruption at the highest levels of power, and the dangers of choosing to stand up for what you believe in. We Are Not Ghouls is based on the book ‘The Guantanamo Lawyers: Inside a Prison Outside the Law”, edited by Jonathan Hafetz & Mark P. Denbeaux, published by NYU Press. The film won the audience choice award at SXSW in 2022. Years ago, a chance discovery of American Movie at a Blockbuster in Eau Claire led to two revelations for Thompson: that you could make a movie in Wisconsin, and that you could study film in Wisconsin. The disovery inspired him to apply to and enroll at UWM's Experimental Film Program. In the conversation, he reflects on why he has chosen to remain in Milwaukee since graduation; while cities like LA and NY have established commercial film industries, Thompson sees that such models make filmmakers into specialists and tradespeople. In Milwaukee, independent filmmakers have more freedom to pursue their own visions. Thompson has been working on We Are Not Ghouls for over nine years. After a Jordanian immigrant classmate of his was detained held in the Milwaukee jail, he was inspired to read the book in which Yvonne Bradley's essay was published. Making the film gave him the opportunity to process what happened to his friend, and also gave Bradley a platform to tell her story. During the conversation, Thompson opens up about the surprising meaning behind the title of the film. When asked what he hopes audiences take away from the film, he echoes a message that Yvonne Bradley shared with an audience at a screening: the hope that viewers can find a sense of empowerment to act as a hero within their own lives, in ways big and small, to help others. In his next phase, Thompson hopes to give back and help support emergent filmmakers make inroads to realizing their own ambitions and dreams. At the close of the show, in a podcast first, Thompson chooses to cede his imaginary arts leader power to and praise an invaluable local art champion. Follow Good Credit Productions and We Are Not Ghouls on Instagram. Style Wars American Movie UWM Experimental Film Program The Guantanamo Lawyers

This week on the pod, Elisabeth speaks with Debra Brehmer and Paul Salsieder from Portrait Society Gallery of Contemporary Art, who joined to speak about the forthcoming exhibition Art Against the Odds: Wisconsin Prison Art. The exhibition features works of art by over 60 incarcerated or formerly incarcerated individuals from Wisconsin.Throughout the conversation, Deb and Paul reflect on how these artists are making work “to survive,” and are doing so by drawing on inventiveness, without spaces that are in their control, reliable access to materials, and a myriad of other restrictions. And yet, the artists create work that are sometimes "joyous outpourings”. As Paul remarks, as in wider society, each artist in the exhibition comes to his practice with his own unique, skills, experience and motivations for creating. Ultimately, they hope that the show can be source of sparking dialogue about the issues with Wisconsin's carceral system, mass incarceration and its after effects that often includes recidivism. They hope these conversations can translate into awareness and reform, and that the effect of seeing the show will be to humanize an otherwise invisible population, and give voice to the voiceless, and allow the artists to engage with the outside world in a positive way. Art Against the Odds opens at MIAD on January 16, with an opening celebration on January 19. There will be panel discussions held throughout the run of the show. Learn more at Artagainstheodds.org. Portrait Society Gallery, or follow PSG on Instagram. From artist Mario Rickett's letter in the intro: “Life is like a pencil. Sometimes we want to erase our mistakes and draw things over again in our lives. But with that pencil... we can do and make beautiful and extraordinary things. And when we erase, we are learning—it's just up to us to keep going.” Feast of Crispian On the Wing House of Peace M Winston Outsider Art Fair Shannon Ross Jessica Wolfendale Bob Ross Rahr West Art Museum Neville Public Museum

In this episode of the pod, Elisabeth speaks with Ashley Jordan, the Director of Arts & Cultural Programming, and Christopher Gilbert, Choreographer of the production of Black Nativity.The conversation kicks off with Chris and Ashley sharing about their own upbringings, and how early transformative performance experiences empowered them to translate the momentum they felt on the stage, off the stage, and channel it into creativity and purpose in their lives. Throughout the conversation, they spoke about on how this production – an annual holiday traditional from Black Arts MKE – is a kind of touchstone for the mission and work of the organization, as a whole. They called out how important representation is for young Black people in Milwaukee, who, through this production – are giddy to see themselves in the faces and voices of local performers. Against a backdrop of ongoing racism and systemic injustice, the production of Black Nativity – “A gospel Christmas Music Experience” – is designed to feed both the Black community, while embracing the whole community; it's a production that is uplifting, is fueled by a diverse community, and is “unapologetically Black.” In our discussion, we touch on how Black Arts MKE contributes to the local economy in many ways including by employing artists and working with local business owners, creating and investing in new content including original productions, and inspiring youth through its programming to lean in to creative practices – something that builds confidence and skill. In the conversation, Chris hammers home how he sees the arts functioning in the “new abnormal." He encourages students — and audiences, to seek out experiences like Black Nativity that are designed with intention, with purpose — as he says to his students... “if you're gonna leave the house... make it worth it.” Follow and support Black Arts MKE , and follow on Instagram.Ashley S. JordanChristopher Gilbert and the Milwaukee Bucks Grand DancersBlack Nativity by Langston Hughes Link to the Black Nativity digital playbill

In this episode of the pod, Elisabeth speaks with Joey Turbo, co-owner of Promises Bar in Milwaukee. Turbo starts the conversation off by reflecting on his experience touring with his band Platinum Boys in Europe, and how the experience solidified for him a new standard of hospitality for touring bands, one that he wished to emulate. Turbo has been making music in bands since the age of 12. He moved to (and fell in love with) Milwaukee when he was 18, and went on to play in the Milwaukee band Platinum Boys, Catacombz, Peroxide, and Rio Turbo — a band that was formed years ago specifically to fill a gap in a bill, and to support another band touring through Milwaukee. Through his diverse experiences, Turbo feels he's been supported, cared for and mentored by many in Milwaukee– and now he is looking to return the favor for the whole community through operating Promises. Turbo reflects on the music scene in Milwaukee: where making music is truly about “the love of the game.” In his view, you don't make music in Milwaukee to get rich — but that there's something more authentic and real about the creativty here, in part because the stakes are so low. And because the music scene isn't known outside of the city, people who come to Milwaukee and experience the quality of what goes on here are often blown away. Through operating Promises, Turbo is trying to make it an affordable experience for customers, and offer a super accessible space for artists to perform and express themselves, work on their craft, and be fairly compensated for their sharing passion. But there's not a particular goal—he's more invested in providing a flexible, continuous space of “happening.” Turbo feels like it's hard to define Promises because so many people have influenced him and contribute to the experience. Ultimately, he hopes that it's a place where everyone can have fun. Turbo hopes that visitors to Promises will come out and find “future old friends, yourself, and a smile -- whether it's on the face or in the heart.” He closes out the interview by stating that he wishes to pass a law (enforceable by each person, and community accountability) for all arts and culture players: that you can create awesomeness if you respect yourself, respect other people, and be cool. Follow Promises on Instagram @Promisesbar Email for booking inquiries: booking@promisesmilwaukee@gmail.com Joey Peterson and Casey Hughes Platinum Boys Catacombz Peroxide Rio Turbo Kelsy Kaufmann Eric Schultz

In this episode of Creative MKE, Elisabeth speaks with Cortney Heimerl, one of the co-founders and organizers of Hover Craft, Milwaukee's Annual Handmade Holiday Shopping Event that is about to host its 13th iteration. Heimerl is an organizer with over 20 years of experience creating opportunities for artists, crafters, designers, and makers that focus on the idea that in-person sharing & collaboration make our communities stronger. After first convening her creative community connections through the formation of FASTEN – a collaborative of Milwaukee artists selling wearable art from the Beans N' Barley parking lot, Heimerl went on to organize a makers' market in Bay View, before launching Hover Craft. Heimerl is also a co-author of the book, and a producer of the documentary, “Handmade Nation.” Throughout the conversation, Heimerl reflects on the robust creative community that exists in the region and predates the surge in local makers' markets. Craft fairs build community where craft traditions exist, and create opportunities for makers to learn from one another, pool resources, and make connections. And, shoppers get inspired by connecting directly with artists -- in Heimerl's words, it's an “exchange of curiosity and enthusiasm,” unlike the more anonymous experience of buying handmade items online. Heimerl also sees craft fairs as micro business incubators, with each dollar that's spent going towards the regional creative economy. Shoppers at Hover Craft are not only contributing to individual artists – supporting their livelihoods – but also allowing those artists to continue on their journeys and grow their businesses. Follow Hover Craft at @Hovercraftmke and follow Cortney at @CortneyHeimerl Reserve your timed tickets to Hover Craft on Dec 4! About the Organizers (from the Hover Craft Website): Vanessa Andrew Vanessa Andrew is a Milwaukee-based fiber artist, illustrator, community arts educator, and clothing designer. She runs Madam Chino, a Brewer's Hill boutique that sells handmade and vintage clothing, and offers custom sewing and alterations. Her approach to clothing and textiles raises awareness about conservation and child labor issues in consumer society. Vanessa is a co-founder of Hover Craft. Ashley Smith Ashley Smith is a small business owner and community organizer. She is the co-founder of Hover Craft, Girls Rock MKE, and One Trick Pony. She is also the owner of Alive and Fine vintage store that doubles as a pop-up gallery space. Cortney Heimerl Cortney Heimerl is a co-founder of Hover Craft. She is also an artist, crafter, and maker based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She gets excited by making new things and thinking about them. You can find her in her studio figuring out how to do something she has never done before and then, she moves on to the next thing she has never done before. Lately, you can find her conquering the art of ceramics at

In this episode of the pod, we re-introduce the show as “Creative MKE.” Moving forward, episodes will feature a shorter format, have a focus on the creative economy of Milwaukee -- and will be sponsored by the https://shepherdexpress.com/ (Shepherd Express).   This episode finds Elisabeth in conversation with the Co-Founders of LoCo+, Kate Atwood and Megan Matousek. LoCo+ is a streaming platform that seeks to engage creators in specific communities (Atlanta, Denver, and now, Milwaukee) and enable them to leverage their intellectual property in a more direct way. Unlike models of streaming like YouTube and Spotify, LoCo+ offers artists the opportunity to host and merchandise their work through paywalls, ticketing, and more. It also gives the artist access to the data of fans and followers who engage with them. Through LoCo+, unlike all other streaming services, users can seek content through the lens of location. Matousek describes the LoCo+ UX experience as Netflix on the front end, and YouTube on the back end.  Throughout the discussion, the group touches on art as a form of storytelling — and a vehicle for human connection and growth, Milwaukee's position as an under-the-radar hub for arts and culture production, the disempowerment that artists face when attempting to build fan and patron bases everywhere at once, and the concept of the LoCo+ platform being a mechanism to “teach emerging creators to fish” for their long-term financial success through leveraging technological tools.   https://www.golocoplus.com/ (LoCo+) is hosting a https://www.eventbrite.com/e/loco-mke-creator-launch-mimosa-mixer-tickets-418034772257 (Creator Launch Mimosa Mixer) on Saturday, Oct 29, at NO Studios in conjunction with NEWwaukee and MKE LAX.  Bio Links:   https://www.newaukee.com/ (NEWaukee)   http://mke-lax.org/ (MKE LAX)  https://www.nostudios.com/production-services?gclid=CjwKCAjw79iaBhAJEiwAPYwoCFYO9AdAA-5AAks87KBdB4UqVz74DGH7U5rH0B4d0qfwZ7lt_1zmaRoCdboQAvD_BwE (NO Studios)  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateatwood (Kate Atwood)  https://katesclub.org/ (Kate's Club)  https://www.chooseatl.com/ (Choose ATL)  https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmatousek/ (Megan Matousek)  https://www.laika.com/ (LAIKA)  https://www.lucasfilm.com/ (Lucasfilm Ltd)  https://www.ilm.com/ (Industrial Light & Magic)   https://www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/reports-and-data/research-studies-publications/arts-economic-prosperity-6 (AEP6 from Americans for the Arts) https://www.golocoplus.com/video/video__52394eaa-4564-4510-9f79-1c2ca93ba22d (Nesha Nycee)  

This episode of ITP finds host Elisabeth joined by team member Rachel Shields Ebersole for a conversation with the Executive Director Jaymee Harvey Willms and Senior Curator Phoenix Brown from the Charles Allis and Villa Terrace Museums. In the conversation, they dig into some of the changes they have implemented and plan to implement to evolve the programming at, and experience of, attending the museums.   Drawing inspiration from Sarah Allis's will, the CAVT of today still seeks to “delight, educate and inspire.” The current staff at CAVT is made up of creatives, including Harvey Willms and Brown. As Harvey Willms reflects, “Artists are problem solvers...we are people who look at a system and see where it needs to be interrupted or supported.”   In alignment with the goals of Milwaukee County, CAVT is focused on thoughtfully stewarding taxpayer dollars to contribute to the local culture as an art and civic institution that is a driver to public health outcomes by increasing access to art, shared histories, and public green space. CAVT also wants Milwaukeeans to see themselves in their spaces and programming—and provide opportunities for respite. Brown and Harvey Willms hope their vision can help the institution become more relevant to support not only physical health but also the mental health of Milwaukee citizens.   CAVT is committed to becoming a more active player within the creative economy and becoming known as a museum that models new practices for supporting emerging and local artists. New museum stores will feature local makers, a revitalized residency programming has launched, and the organization is making investments in emerging artists. Brown hopes that through their vision, CAVT can demonstrate to Milwaukee that contemporary art is accessible. They also hope to keep funds in the local creative sector—by creating opportunities for artists and cultivating a cultural exchange where local artists are more supported—and continue to invest in Milwaukee.   Follow http://www.cavtmuseums.org/ (the CAVT Museums) on Instagram @charlesallisartmuseum and @villaterracemuseum  http://www.jaymeeharveywillms.com/ (Jaymee Harvey Willms)  https://phoenixbrown.art/ (Phoenix S. Brown)  https://www.jmkac.org/ (John Michael Kohler Arts Center)  https://gagosian.com/artists/anselm-kiefer/ (Anselm Kiefer)  https://www.bbbswashco.org/ (Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Washington County)  https://shopcival.com/ (CIVAL COLLECTIVE)  https://www.miad.edu/ (MIAD)  https://www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/ (Cincinnati Art Museum)  https://mam.org/ (Milwaukee Art Museum)  https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/County-Executive/News/Press-Releases/Milwaukee-County-Executive-David-Crowley-Launches-Healthy-County-Initiative- (Milwaukee County's Healthy County Initiative)  https://museums4all.org/ (Museums for All)  https://www.milwaukeemag.com/the-lasting-legacy-of-frederick-law-olmsted-and-his-3-signature-milwaukee-parks/ (Fredrick Law Olmstead Parks in Milwaukee)  https://www.abhmuseum.org/ (America's Black Holocaust Museum) 

Season 5 of Imagine This Podcast kicks off with the acknowledgement of a bittersweet announcement from CEO David Lee. In the (admittedly long) banter, the crew talks about changes to the pod—including a new thematic structure. The group digs in by exploring how the arts and culture sector in Milwaukee is innovating and testing new solutions in this time of unprecedented change. The team also takes a few (sappy) moments to reflect jointly on David's incredible tenure as the first CEO of the organization.   Starting around 20:00, Amy Salat, the Managing Director of Milwaukee Chamber Theatre joins the crew to reflect on her organization's upcoming season, which includes performances that present a mixture of classic, socially important theatrical works, as brand-new multiform productions that will include original music by local artists including Klassik. In addition, this season, MCT endeavors to present new avenues for reaching new audiences, supporting local artists, and rethinking processes to draw in audiences with flexibility and a new sense of welcome—all spearheaded by an inspired, focused, and inclusivity-championing staff who are “walking the same path.” Though MCT has historically had a rich history of inspiring young audiences through programming—the team at MCT are excited by their pivot towards creating more opportunities for local multidisciplinary artists while platforming a diversity of voices and perspectives. Salat closes the episode with an urgent call for increased public funding for the arts.   Follow https://www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/ (Milwaukee Chamber Theatre) on https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeChamberTheatre (Facebook) and https://www.instagram.com/mkechamber/ (Instagram).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drnBMAEA3AM (The Sound of Music's “Do-Re-Mi")  https://cla.umn.edu/theatre (University of Minnesota Twin Cities Department of Theatre Arts and Dance)  https://chicagooperatheater.org/ (Chicago Opera Theater)  https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tZP1zcsyagqS062NGC0UjWosLAwMDW0TDQ3NUkySkpNtrQyqEhJS0xLSTNJMzBOMrJIMjPwEkjLyS9KzSvJzEtVyC9ILUoEAN2gFds&q=florentine+opera&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS993US993&oq=florentine+&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j46i20i175i199i263i512j0i512l2j46i131i433i512l2j0i512l2j46i175i199i512.3828j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 (The Florentine Opera)   https://www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/22-23season (Where Did We Sit on the Bus?)  https://www.atsocanicole.com/ (Nicole Acosta)  https://www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/22-23season (Hoops)  https://www.iamklassik.com/ (Klassik)  https://bfree2music.com/ (BFree)  https://americanplayers.org/about/people/laura-gordon (Laura Gordon)  https://americanplayers.org/about/people/james-ridge (Jim Ridge)  https://www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/staff (Brent Hazelton)  https://www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/education (Young Playwrights Festival)   https://www.legacy.mn.gov/about-funds (Minnesota's Legacy Amendment)   https://duckybamboo.com/letter.html (TORN: Director's Letter) 

In this final episode of the season, the team speaks with Ben Balcom, a local filmmaker, assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee, and the co-founder and co-programmer of Microlights Cinema. The show kicks off with Lindsay, David, and Elisabeth reflecting on formative artistic influences that allowed them to see new possibilities within the mediums of film, music, and dance. Ben joins the crew around 10:30.  Since 2013, Ben has been presenting experimental films in Milwaukee through Microlights Cinema, and has recently started hosting screenings again after pausing during the pandemic. In the conversation, Ben reflects on early pivotal exposures to experimental film, including a Stan Brackidge work. The material made him understand for the first time that as a filmmaker, a film could mean “what you insist it means,” and a metaphorical light went on for him.   As a musician in his early life, Ben found a creative home in filmmaking upon realizing that many of his interests could be simultaneously served and explored through making films—where art, music, literature, and performance all come together. He discusses how creative practices, including filmmaking, might be impeded by approaching with a sense of expertise rather than an openness to explore, and willingness to “make material work.” As an instructor, he presses his students to consider working with mistakes and asks them what would it mean to make “failed” material work?   Throughout the conversation, Ben shares his thoughts about Milwaukee as a destination for the whole spectrum of filmmaking—from commercial to experimental. He laments a scarcity of funding opportunities for artists in the city, and the need for artists to commodify their practices as a means of survival. He sees the future of film production in Milwaukee flowing from the artists themselves. Rather than aiming for flashy outside production partners like Netflix, Ben feels that artists should have the freedom to pursue their projects authentically—and that if they are better supported to realize their visions independently, their work has the potential to generate powerful interest from the ground up.   Follow http://microlightscinema.org/ (Microlights) on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/microlights_cinema/ (microlights_cinema)  https://www.instagram.com/dani.and.joe/ (Dani & Jo)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wong_Kar-wai (Wong Kar-wai)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cassavetes (John Cassavettes)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrence_Malick (Terry Malick)  https://www.google.com/search?q=josh+weissback+filmmaker&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS993US993&sxsrf=ALiCzsYuV8JyuP1LDRa2eYEXfmvVsYpenA:1658803683288&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjIla2ixZX5AhVkPH0KHfFJBNwQ_AUoAnoECAIQBA&biw=1536&bih=722&dpr=1.25#imgrc=d-PwqqVLMakSqM (Josh Weissbach)   https://www.hampshire.edu/academics/faculty/abraham-ravett (Abraham Ravett)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Brakhage (Stan Brackidge)  https://www.hampshire.edu/ (Hampshire College)  https://uwm.edu/arts/film/graduate/ (UWM Milwaukee Film)   https://film-makerscoop.com/filmmakers/diane-kitchen (Diane Kitchen)  https://www.stephaniebarber.com/ (Stephanie Barber)  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1222207/ (Bill Behrens)  https://poorfarmexperiment.org/ (The Poor Farm Experiment)  https://www.thisismilwaukee.us/xavleplae (Xav Laplae)  https://gemitchell.com/ (Grace Mitchell)  https://largeprint.bandcamp.com/ (Large Print)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_God (“Mad God” by Phil Tippet)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Sang-soo (Hong San-soo)  https://www.criterionchannel.com/ornette-made-in-america (Ornette Coleman) ...

This week, we welcome back David from the fog of San Francisco. With his return, there is the promise of illegal sailing, and of a game of chicken to see who will introduce the pod episode. During banter, Lindsay, David, and Elisabeth discuss the power of film—specifically documentary film, to inform and evoke-- empathy? Hopefully. Santana joins the crew around 12:15, to reflect on her trajectory being made as a filmmaker in Milwaukee. Shaped as a young person by the film Friday, starring Ice Cube, and a pivotal career fair in middle school (or, was it a dream?), Santana has gone to work at 371 Productions and The League. In early days in filmmaking, she was part of Strive Media, and attended UW- Platteville, where she boldly decided to make a documentary film as an independent project, without much experience. Though her school did not have a film program, over the years, they began to expand their offerings to include a minor in film studies. Through trial and error, and support from pivotal instructors, Santana was able to complete her first documentary film as a Sophomore—exploring the process “for the love of it.” After graduation, she found her way to an internship at 371 Productions, and worked towards a co-producer credit on When Claude Got Shot. Now that she's “in it” professionally, she's trying out different roles, embracing humor and lightness, as well as the setting of Milwaukee as inspiration for fiction work, while she supports the completion of When Claude Got Shot. Meanwhile, she's trusting a higher power to help her navigate next steps. In the course the interview, Santana is asked the question she's long imagined being asked in an interview, and reflects on throwing herself a red carpet premiere party, and instituting film tax incentives program to encourage film production in Milwaukee. Through her work, Santana hopes to be part of effecting social change, showcasing a different view of Milwaukee to the wider world, and raising awareness of the complexity of gun violence through inviting viewers to see more deeply into the layers and lives of those touched by acts of gun violence. Santana is aligned with Imagine's hope and wish to explore how to help filmmakers better realize their visions in this city, while contributing to a wider, meaningful economic impact. Follow Santana Coleman https://www.instagram.com/santanathecreator/ (@santanathecreator) on Instagram https://santanathecreator.com/ (Santana the Creator) https://www.371productions.com/featured/when-claude-got-shot--rh96s (371 Productions) https://www.371productions.com/featured/when-claude-got-shot--rh96s (When Claude Got Shot) The “Ho Ho” scene in Ice Cube's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wft012b2tk (Friday After Next) https://www.milwaukeepbs.org/ (Milwaukee PBS) https://www.emmys.com/ (The Emmys) https://www.sxsw.com/ (SXSW) https://everytownresearch.org/report/gun-violence-in-america/ (Gun violence in the U.S.) https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/wisconsin/articles/2022-06-18/two-killed-in-milwaukee-96-homicides-so-far-in-2022 (Gun violence in Milwaukee) https://www.wearetheleague.org/ (The League) https://healthehoodmke.org/ (Heal the Hood Milwaukee) Interested in supporting the creation of a Film Commission in Milwaukee? Contact us to discuss. egasparka@imaginemke.org

This episode of the pod once again finds Lindsay and Elisabeth holding down the banter fort as David is away on vacation. They begin the episode by discussing their outdoor adventures over the holiday weekend. Next, they imagine purposes for underutilized spaces in their own neighborhoods of Brewer's Hill and Bay View. They also touch on Green Talks at the Lounge—an event series centered on environmental justice and wellness in Muskego Way, which is a collaboration with Muskego Way Forward, Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, Safe & Sound, Data You Can Use and Imagine MKE. This lays the groundwork for the guest, Yesi Pérez, a local artist who serves as the Neighborhood Revitalization Coordinator at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers.   Yesi joins the crew around 9:00. In the conversation, she reflects on her own development as a multidisciplinary creative who reflects her experience and identity through her artwork. Yesi speaks on the formative, magical experience of witnessing Aztec dance at Mexican Fiesta on the Summerfest Grounds as a child. As the daughter of two immigrants from Mexico, Yesi then had the opportunity to travel back to their home and witnessed traditional dance as more of a ritual, and less of a performance. As a result, she experienced a resurgence of creative inspiration, and was inspired to study Aztec dance and “be part of that world”. In addition to dance, Yesi has also been a lifelong visual artist and was also studied the cello for over ten years. Today, she explores her creativity through facilitating programming and engagements with residents in the Muskego Way neighborhood. She also creates marketing materials for Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, and has been a featured mural artist at various locations around Milwaukee. She talks about the intrinsic connection between creativity and wellness—and how creativity allows people to access different ways of communicating and being in community, in small ways and big ways.   Follow https://www.facebook.com/sschc/ (Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers) on Facebook. https://sschc.org/ (Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers) https://www.mexicanfiesta.org/ (Mexican Fiesta)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concheros (Aztec Dance)  https://www.bgcsedu.org/ (Bruce Guadelupe Community School)  http://wpca-milwaukee.org/ (Walkers Point Center for the Arts)  https://www.latinoartsinc.org/strings-program/ (Latino Art Strings Program)  https://www.miad.edu/college-services/academic-services/marquette-cross-registration (Marquette/MIAD)  https://www.facebook.com/muskegowayforward/ (Muskego Way Forward)  https://safesound.org/ (Safe & Sound)  https://www.datayoucanuse.org/ (Data You Can Use)  https://city.milwaukee.gov/dpw/infrastructure/multimodal/Multi-Modal-Projects/Active-Streets (Active Streets)  https://petesfruitmarket.com/ (Pete's Fruit Market)  https://www.umos.org/ (UMOS)  

This week's episode finds Lindsay and Elisabeth holding down the banter fort after David (not so mysteriously) disappeared. The guest this week is Imagine MKE's Public Ally Sindie Ho, who is wrapping up his time with Imagine this month. Lindsay and Elisabeth reflect on Sindie's storytelling power, thoughtfulness, unbridled passion for seafood buffets, and comfort standing up for people and attracting the trust and vulnerability of others. Elisabeth and Lindsay speculate on Sindie's future career, and what a hypothetical Sindie Ho tour of Milwaukee would entail. Starting around 9:15, Sindie joins the crew to reflect on his time in Milwaukee and at Imagine MKE.  Sindie Ho is a multidisciplinary artist from Rockford, Illinois who graduated from MIAD in 2020. During his service as a Public Ally, Sindie has contributed invaluably to Imagine's culture, and has supported everything from Neighborhood convenings and contributing to Imagine This Blog, to demonstrating the best kite flying technique.   To kick off the interview, Sindie reflects on his recent art performance installation project—a “secret exchange” that took place at Bay View Gallery Night at Voyager Books. Sindie graduated from college during the pandemic, and had to negotiate carving out community and an artistic trajectory through this time of dramatic isolation. Despite the limitations of COVID, over the years, Sindie has expanded his network, his idea of Milwaukee, and perception of the art world. Sindie reflects on the profound experience of being embraced and cared for by Milwaukee communities. He shares gratitude for many of the ways in which Milwaukeeans share and connect resources, and look out for one another. In his experience, he's been rewarded for exploring and expanding his horizons and connecting to others from different walks of life.   Through his explorations and his time in his first professional non-profit role at Imagine, Sindie has grown confidence and a feeling of agency and ability to step beyond his comfort zone, and contribute to the arts ecosystem in Milwaukee. From here, he imagines a life in Bay View, where he can dig into cultivating a vernacular artist environment, possibly as a contemporary incarnation of the spirit of Mary Nohl. As arts leader of Milwaukee, he questions how groups who are not officially non-profits might be better resourced in the future.   The episodes ends with reflections about Sindie's strengths, and a dramatic reading of an “exquisite corpse” poem that the Imagine team crafted for Sindie.   Follow Sindie on Instagram @https://www.instagram.com/puppie.party/?hl=en (puppie.party)  https://milwaukeepublicmarket.org/ (Milwaukee Pubic Market)   https://www.xankiawi.com/ (Xankia)   https://www.miad.edu/ (MIAD)  https://www.saic.edu/ (School of the Art Institute of Chicago)  https://publicallies.org/join-us/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwn4qWBhCvARIsAFNAMigWfri0BIwWMeBvcWKPbXTZKIpGIlK6mLfKqJ85eIpOf5TDZDtX7MIaAknCEALw_wcB (Public Allies)  https://www.voyageurbookshop.com/ (Voyageur Book Shop)  http://www.laprosette.com/ (Anja Notanja Sieger)   http://www.bayviewbash.org/ (Bay View Bash)  https://www.cactusclubmilwaukee.com/ (Cactus Club)  https://milwaukeemakerspace.org/ (Milwaukee Makerspace)  https://county.milwaukee.gov/files/county/parks-department/Park-Maps/southshore.pdf (South Shore Park)   https://www.jmkac.org/artist/mary-nohl/ (Mary Nohl)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgVKvqTItto (School of Rock Bill to Law)  https://www.facebook.com/butterflycollectivemke/ (Butterfly Collective)

In this episode of the podcast, the crew has “magic on the mind,” and Elisabeth, Lindsay, and David dig into magic in a variety of forms. Their banter covers a range of topics including recent magical performances in Milwaukee, the magic of physics and great guacamole, the hypothetical burden of reading minds, the possible UFO hotspot where Elisabeth was raised, and David's freaky premonition.    Luka joins the crew for an interview beginning around 18:30. He starts the conversation off by talking about how he got into magic. Leaning into a childhood summer tradition of going to the library, he took to reading books on magic tricks. After college, Luka worked as a video editor and a banker. Then, in his mid-twenties, he decided to take a risk and jump into working in magic full-time. After building up a small repertoire of gigs and making connections, Luka joined a group magic show in Branson, Missouri. Upon returning to Milwaukee several years later, he became a resident performer at the Safe House and developed his show “Deceptions,” which he launched in 2021.    In the conversation, Luka reflects on how he brands himself as a “deception artist” rather than a magician for kids. He also highlights the ways in which magic is an art form— as long as the magician portrays and conducts themselves as an artist. Luka compares the art of magic to the art of making and performing music. It involves writing, workshopping, acting, comedy, and more. But according to Luka, there is no direct path to get into magic—rather, “magic finds you.”   Lastly, as the “magician of arts and culture” Luka amazes David by, almost verbatim, invoking the same imaginary policy as the poet laureate and previous ITP guest Dasha Kelly Hamilton.   You can find info about Luka's shows at https://www.deceptionsmke.com/ (Deceptions) and https://www.safe-house.com/ (SafeHouse)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_Lux (Son Lux)  https://a24films.com/films/everything-everywhere-all-at-once (Everything Everywhere All at Once)  https://rafiqbhatia.com/ (Rafiq Bhatia)   https://www.cactusclubmilwaukee.com/ (Cactus Club)  https://www.bayviewneighborhood.org/chill-on-the-hill (Chill on the Hill)   https://tosatonight.com/ (Tosa Tonight)  https://www.themcouleeboys.com/ (Them Coulee Boys)  https://www.mso.org/ (Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)  https://www.sailingcenter.org/ (Milwaukee Community Sailing Center)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqwb4HIrORM (The “Magic” or Physics of Sailing)  https://www.amazon.com/Encounter-Buff-Ledge-Case-History/dp/0929343603 (Encounter at Buff Ledge)  https://tinyrituals.co/blogs/tiny-rituals/obsidian-meaning-healing-properties-everyday-uses (Black Obsidian)  https://www.hulu.com/movie/derek-delgaudios-in-of-itself-19b9d405-40b2-483e-8e1f-e25fe10c7299 (In & Of Itself)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Houdini (Harry Houdini)  https://davidblaine.com/ (David Blaine)  https://www.davidcopperfield.com/html/ (David Copperfield)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Valentino (The Masked Magician)   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Poets_Society (Dead Poets Society) 

This episode of the pod begins with Lindsay, David and Elisabeth comparing public arts funding (and also the number and/or quality of lakes) in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The trio are excited for the long awaited coming of Milwaukee summer, and all the live music opportunities therein.   Around 10:00, Dr. Kantara Souffrant, the Milwaukee Art Museum's inaugural Curator of Community Dialogue, joins the crew. In her role at the MAM, Kantara oversees adult programming and building sustainable partnerships between the Museum and the community. Her role was created in conjunction with the implementation of the recent Museum's Strategic Direction, which was published in the fall of 2019.   With a background in art, performance, art history, education and scholarship on Haitian art, Kantara was drawn to work in art museums because she developed a sense that she wanted to work in a public space where others' diverse knowledge and perspectives would be honored. In her role, she does just that: acting as a shepherd and facilitator, she empowers people with the understanding that they have everything they need to fully engage with artwork no matter what kind of formal education they have had. In her facilitation and programming work, Kantara tries to create opportunities for vulnerability, and generate micro moments that foster engagement and a feeling of “being in community.”   Throughout the conversation, the group discusses how measuring success for arts institutions might be served by first asking the question "how wide of a funnel can we build?” to invite people to find their own meaning in what's presented. Other questions are raised, including: how do we measure the “transformational power of the arts? What is the role of Museums in society? How can Museums create both positive imprints and impacts within those who engage once or many times? How can art help people see other cultures as interconnected with their own experiences?   Kantara reflects on how art is not only about learning to see yourself—but provides counterbalance in the form of new visual and poetic language to address social issues when rhetoric around such issues is toxic, politicized, and polarized.   In the words of Haitian artist Philomé Obin, “Art is a record of who we are, what we believe what we did,” and in Kantara's view, a really good art museum “should be able to document the shifts”—so that populations can look back, and also look forward.   Email Kantara at kantara.souffrant@mam.org   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mequitte/?hl=en (@Mequitte)   https://www.legacy.mn.gov/arts-cultural-heritage-fund#:~:text=The%20Arts%20and%20Cultural%20Heritage,Minnesota's%20history%20and%20cultural%20heritage. (Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund)  https://www.bayviewneighborhood.org/chill-on-the-hill (Chill on the Hill)  https://www.imaginemke.org/art-stories/414ward.php (414 Day Video (2021))  https://www.samerghani.com/ (Samer Ghani)  https://www.instagram.com/p/B9J5a6zHq_o/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D (Community Feedback at MAM about Milwaukee's Hidden Gems)  http://www.kimrobertson.net/ (Kim Robertson)  https://mcnairscholars.com/about/ (Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate Achievement Program)  http://collection.mam.org/collection-areas/haitian/ (The Haitian Art Collection at MAM)  http://collection.mam.org/details.php?id=10820 (Hector Hyppolite's “The Adoration of Love”)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philom%C3%A9_Obin (Philomé Obin)  https://mam.org/support/details-reports.php (The MAM's Strategic Direction)  https://www.blackspacehq.com/ (Black Space HQ)  https://www.embodyyogamke.com/ (Embody Yoga)  https://m.facebook.com/Noahs-Art-MKE-105723511513580/ (Noah's Art MKE)  https://www.facebook.com/djomilwaukee (DJ O)  https://www.notyourmamastea.com/...

This episode of the pod begins with David, Lindsay, and new host and producer, Elisabeth, discussing the kick off of Imagine's Arts and Economic Prosperity surveying out and about at local cultural events over the next year. In anticipation of speaking with Milwaukee Makers Market's creator and director Ryan Laessig, the trio reflects on what they would make if they were to moonlight as market makers. David has an on-brand vision of himself selling “momento mori” embroidered phrases like “In the midst of life...you're in death.” Lindsay contrasts David's morose aspirations by envisioning herself as a maker of cross-stitched phrases of lightness and inspiration. Meanwhile, Elisabeth's hypothetical small business will draw on her talents for creating multimodal portraits, and tiny clay fish fry fabrications.   Starting around 13:00, Ryan Laessig joins the crew to discuss Milwaukee Makers Market—a local makers market that is a “celebration of the city's creators and our local community” and is hosted at Discovery World, Ivy House MKE, and at local breweries. In the course of the discussion, Ryan reflects on the ethos that drove him to graduate from artist and entrepreneur to becoming a leader within the maker scene, and building the beloved local festival as a platform to help artists thrive in our community. He shares about his motivation to become an organizer so he could sustain and improve upon models of makers markets that he experienced firsthand as an artist. And the MMM that has evolved is a truly local, free event—unlike some craft festivals run by distant corporations that charge covers and profit from Milwaukee talent, all the sales at MMM directly support makers and vendors within the local economy. Visitors to the MMM can also expect to get the benefit of engaging with the stories and personalities of the makers themselves. Though he is the leader and the face of the MMM, Ryan is foremost inspired to run the market as an engine for helping these local small business owners and artists to pursue and “achieve their dreams,” and contribute to a maker's scene that Milwaukee can be proud of.   https://www.milwaukeemakersmarket.com/ (Milwaukee Maker's Market)  Follow Milwaukee Maker's Market @https://www.instagram.com/milwaukeemakersmarket/?hl=en (milwaukeemakersmarket) and @https://www.facebook.com/MilwaukeeMakersMarket/ (MilwaukeeMakersMarket)  Once again, we had an absurd number of shout-outs in this episode. Please enjoy the following (hopefully) comprehensive list of links: https://www.milwaukeeoperatheatre.org/ (Milwaukee Opera Theatre's “L'Orfeo”)  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6roPx1KD4OTQ8rMH66Q7Ds?si=eafcf11af100478e&nd=1 (David's Death Playlist)  https://www.instagram.com/milwaukeeminiatures/ (Milwaukee Miniatures)  https://www.hovercraftmke.com/ (Hovercraft)  https://www.artsatlargeinc.org/ (Arts @ Large)   https://www.discoveryworld.org/ (Discovery World)  https://ivyhousemke.com/ (Ivy House MKE)  https://www.goodcitybrewing.com/ (Good City Brewing)   https://mkebrewing.com/ (Milwaukee Brewing Co.)  https://www.mkenightmarket.com/ (Milwaukee Night Market)  https://www.shermanphoenix.com/ (Sherman Phoenix)  http://www.jamessteeno.com/ (James Steeno Gallery)  https://outwokentea.com/ (Outwoken Tea)  https://www.livalittleicecream.com/ (Liv a Little Ice Cream)  https://mildfeverpopup.square.site/ (Mild Fever)  https://squareonesoapworks.com/ (Square One Soap Works)  https://mbsquaredphotography.square.site/ (MB Squared Photography)  https://www.facebook.com/EssentialRawNaturals/ (Essential Raw Naturals)  https://www.facebook.com/happyjoycandyfloss/ (Happy Joy Candy Floss)  https://www.etsy.com/shop/lenaandreaceramics/ (Lena Ceramics)  https://spacetimecoffee.com/ (Space Time Coffee)  https://www.etsy.com/shop/BluMountainCo...

This episode of the pod kicks off with Lindsay, David, and Elisabeth reflecting on how artworks have changed (or reinforced) their perspectives on what art is, and whether or not Elisabeth is really “auditioning” for the role of co-host. Starting at about 9:00, guest Mary Louise Schumacher kicks off the conversation with a reflection about witnessing Milwaukee artist Roy Staab joyfully re-discovering his own artwork while watching it get destroyed in a storm.  Throughout the conversation, Mary Louise shares about her trajectory from political and technology reporter to art critic, to director of the forthcoming documentary film, Out of the Picture. She reflects on how art critics draw on a much more “embodied” kind of writing than other more objective forms of journalism.   Out of the Picture arose out of asking the question “what does it mean to write about art today?” Turning her camera on the interesting people in the art world who are writing about art, in the process Mary Louise and her team of collaborators ended up documenting extraordinary changes in visual culture and media. Since the beginning of the film, over the last ten years, 'Art” has evolved to include NFTs, social movements, memes and monuments, (oh my!) and visual culture shapes how we see the world more than ever. Out of the Picture raises questions including: how are power and privilege conferred on voices within the art world? And the question of how precious the work of art criticism actually is.  Mary Louise also reflects on how the simultaneous openness, intimacy, and obscurity of the Milwaukee art scene promotes a special kind of artistic thriving, and periods of richness within our arts ecosystem.  She closes with a fantasy edict to instate an Arts & Culture Administrator for the City of Milwaukee to help Art to be more valued in our community.    Instagram: @Marylouises  Due to the unprecedented number of shout-outs contained in this episode, we decided to do our best to represent all of the individuals and entities. Please enjoy the following absurdly long list of links: :  https://www.outofthepicturemovie.com/ (Out of the Picture)   https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=Ue4q0Twd_So&feature=emb_logo (Sunset Theatre by Sarah Gail Luther)   https://okmke.org/ (Open Kitchen)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_Belle_(Staab) (Nature Bell by Roy Staab)  https://mam.org/info/quadracci.php (The Quadracci Pavillion)    https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholaslujero/ (Nicholas Lujero)   https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-eggert-johnson/?trk=org-employees&originalSubdomain=be (Cindy Eggert Johnson)  https://www.markescribano.com/ (Mark Escribano)  https://www.thisismilwaukee.us/johnathonolsen (Jonathan Olson)  https://www.corridorfilm.com/ (Corridor the film)  http://katieavilastudio.com/ (Katie Avila Loughmiller)  http://www.naomiwaxman.com/resume (Naomi Waxman)  https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/residency/pegi-christiansen-distance (Pegi Taylor Christiansen)  https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-heil-a75b821a/ (Katie Heil)   https://www.jasper-johns.org/ (Jasper Johns)  https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/ (Robert Rauschenberg)  https://latoyarubyfrazier.com/ (LaToya Ruby Frazier)  https://whitecube.com/artists/artist/doris_salcedo (Doris Salcedo)  https://www.hankwillisthomas.com/ (Hank Willis Thomas)  http://postcommodity.com/About.html (The Post Commodity Collective)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Saltz (Jerry Saltz)  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-graves-96bb123/ (Jen Graves)  https://www.bostonglobe.com/about/staff-list/staff/jenee-osterheldt/ (Jenee Osterheldt)  https://hragvartanian.com/ (Hrag Vartanian)  https://genreurbanarts.com/ (Genre Urban Arts)  ...

This episode finds David co-hosting with producer, Elisabeth (who is also actively auditioning for the role of third Imagine This Podcast host). They begin by reflecting on pivotal arts teachers and the impact they had in their lives, their favorite Thornton Wilder plays, and the concept of not having a backup plan in life, lest we end up following the path of least resistance or finding a moment to “exit stage left”. Beginning around 12:00, Sarah reflects on a pivotal art experience at Turner Hall Ballroom in high school and the “art hangover”—and sense of possibility it instilled in her. The group discuss how artists coalesce human experiences as the “antenna” of society. Throughout her artistic journey, Sarah learned to shift her practice out of the confines of the traditional art world, and to create without preconceived notions of how her artwork and creative process will manifest. Sarah is wary of archival artworks, believing that things like paintings that last forever are “not where joy lives,” but rather, joy comes from the spark of communal discovery. Sarah draws a comparison between public art-making and teaching, both of which she sees as avenues of conducting conversations. Throughout the conversation, Sarah shares philosophical insights about artmaking. Instead of creating art as an experience for herself, Sarah wishes to instill in viewers, students, and neighbors experiences of connection, learning, and reflection and empower them to embrace their role in culture-building. She values how the practices of being a good neighbor and being an artist run parallel-- both of which she draws upon in her work at the Newline Community Café. Follow https://www.sarahgailluther.com/ (Sarah Gail Luther): At https://www.newline.cafe/ (Newline Café) and https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/dog-days (get your dog drawn at Dog) https://www.lyndensculpturegarden.org/dog-days (Days at Lynden) 416 Ephemera https://www.mamkpace.com/ (Performing Arts Curriculum Experience) “https://www.thorntonwilder.com/the-long-christmas-dinner (The Long Christmas Dinner)” “https://www.thorntonwilder.com/the-skin-of-our-teeth (The Skin of our Teeth)” “https://www.thorntonwilder.com/blog/2019/2/28/pullman-car-hiawatha-is-a-metaphorical-train-ride (Pullman Car Hiawatha)” https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS558 (Thornton Wilder: A Wisconsinite,) and a fellow Obie https://www.sfusd.edu/school/ruth-asawa-san-francisco-school-arts (Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts) http://www.andrewswant.com/ (Andrew Swant) “https://www.powells.com/book/the-next-american-revolution-9780520272590 (The Next American Revolution)” by Grace Lee Boggs

Mac Antigua grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and came back to the Midwest via Texas and St. Paul. Hackers be damned, Mac has lived in Milwaukee for eleven years, in Shorewood, WI. He started his career in youth development, and has worked for decades as a professional convener and facilitator. Though he is departing, Mac looks forward to a future as a (loving yet disgruntled) listener of the pod. Because SNL didn't call him to become a writer, he will be leaving Imagine MKE to work at My Brother's Keeper Alliance within the Obama Foundation. He will also be appearing on Lindsay Sheridan's “Slap Tour.”   In the interview, he talks about the formative experience of learning through practicing improv to inhabit a space of love and fullness, instead of a space of “am I good enough”? or wanting to perform perfectly. Because in improv, you deal with failure and ambiguity all the time.  He reflects on how the arts matter to him, how it has helped him to exist in spaces where there is not a clear answer but instead to see opportunities. And, ask questions, including “why else does this matter?” During his time at Imagine, he has been focused on creating spaces of insight, connection and trust. In the conversation, he reflects on the magical six words. Lindsay asks, “Is it too late for meeting rehearsals?”   Mac shares highlights and reflections from working with the team at Imagine. The team is grateful to him for modeling the notion of possibility, joyful abundance, and examples of what all great teams have. Hint: it's not The Whizzer. It might appear in “The American President.”  Follow Mac @MacArthur31 on Twitter and Instagram and learn more about https://www.obama.org/mbka/ (MBK Alliance, The Obama Foundation)  415 Ephemera  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_19pRsZRiz4 (AI: Artificial Intelligence) (Trailer)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FVqjhi1qqM (Whose Line is it Anyway) (Compilation)  https://www.vice.com/en/article/qbxpwv/how-improv-made-its-way-into-corporate-america-521 (How Improv Made its Way into Corporate America) (VICE)  “https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17971839-do-improvise (Do Improvise: Less Push. More Pause. Better Results. A New Approach to Work (and Life))”  https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17971839-do-improvise (E101: Let's Not Be Perfectionists About It)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_WSXXPQYeY (Back to the Future: “Marty McFly Fading Out”)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MjxoaynCmk (Moneyball: “He Gets on Base”)  https://www.sixflags.com/greatamerica/attractions/whizzer (The Whizzer, Six Flags)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3CpXBs098E (The American President: “Is the view pretty good from the cheap seats, AJ?”)   https://open.spotify.com/track/1BuTCkxfbIA8oEwdPDOuK2?si=2cf8105a87144378 (Shannon Lay: “Rare to Wake”) 

The episode kicks off with banter among the Imagine crew on the very novel topic of COVID. Mac, Lindsay, and David each share reflections on their favorite local parks—including Estabrook Park, a chain of parks along the Milwaukee River's east side, and Grant Park and golf course.   Rebecca Stoner, the Milwaukee Parks Foundation's Executive Director, and Tristen Shorter, the Milwaukee Parks Foundation's Director of Communications join the Imagine crew around 12:15. In the course of the conversation, they reflect on the similarities between the Park Foundation's function and Imagine MKE's role in advocating for “non-mandated services” that enhance the quality of life and contribute to wellness in our city. After decades of disinvestment, the Parks Foundation was created to help support the future of the 150 Milwaukee County parks, trails and beer gardens, with a specific focus on building equity: disinvestment in parks has hit Black and Brown communities disproportionately. They share facts including that the parks' budget remains the same as it was in 1985, with less than half of the fulltime employees. Stoner also shares the staggering statistic that each of the current Park employees is responsible for maintaining the equivalent of 28 Lambeau Fields of land.   Despite the challenges, the parks were a lifeline to residents during the pandemic, and they enjoy a robust life as centers of recreation and artistic performances—including as the setting for beloved events like Chill on the Hill, Bastille Days, and China Lights. Milwaukee Parks also have a rich history of commissioning local artists to create sculptures and maps in response to park spaces. Stoner and Shorter both see hope and opportunities to make Milwaukee a healthier, safer, and more vibrant city through fostering more of a sense of belonging in parks for all Milwaukee residents.   Follow The Milwaukee Parks Foundation  Facebook and LinkedIn: @milwaukeeparksfoundation Insta: @mkeparksfoundation   https://www.mkeparksfoundation.org/ (Milwaukee County Parks Foundation)  https://www.facebook.com/HealthyMKEChallenge/events (Milwaukee County Executive Healthy County Challenge)  https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Parks (Milwaukee County Parks)    E414 Ephemera  What is a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumite (Kumite?)  https://www.wibandshellsandstands.com/milwaukee-kilbourn-kadish-park.html (Kadish Park)  https://urbanmilwaukee.com/place/gordon-park/ (Gordon Park)  https://www.friendsofestabrook.com/history.html (Estabrook Park)  https://mke.golf/warnimont/ (Warnimont Golf Course)  https://mke.golf/grant/ (Grant Park Golf Course)  https://stacker.com/wisconsin/wisconsin-has-2-50-cities-most-green-space-capita (Milwaukee: 15th Most Greenspace in America)  http://teachers.mam.org/homepage/junior-docent-school-program/ (The Junior Docent Program at The Milwaukee Art Museum)  https://cszmke.com/ (Comedy Sportz Milwaukee)  https://dbp.theatredance.utexas.edu/node/29 (Zip Zap Zop (Drama-Based Instruction)) 

The episode kicks off with Mac, David and Lindsay discussing their own senses of fashion (or, lack thereof). They raise riveting questions including: does owning cufflinks make one fashionable? Lindsay recounts the way her style has not evolved—and looks back on her first day of Kindergarten, to which she wore a plum power suit.   Guests Ashley Brooks and Donna Ricco join around 13:40. Ashley Brooks is the chair of the Fashion Department at Mount Mary University. Previously, she led design and art teams for children's, juniors and women's clothing at Kohl's, and worked at Saks Fifth Ave and the VF Corporation. Donna Ricco is an Executive Fellow at Mount Mary, she is also an alum of Mount Mary University, and started and led her own brand: Donna Ricco New York.   During the conversation, they reflect on fashion design as both a creative and pragmatic enterprise, and an industry with many career paths. They speak about the origins of the MM Fashion Program, which began in the 1960's under the leadership of Sister Aloyse. Milwaukee's place in the fashion industry at that time was buoyed by a diversity of manufacturing outlets that were based in the region, and Milwaukee's history as a tanning center and fur trading outpost. The Milwaukee of today does not have the same diversity of manufacturing expertise needed to support a large-scale fashion industry—but the graduates of the program are eking out new niches through creative collaborations, as part of their participation in a wider artistic ecosystem. “Designers can't cut it on their own,” as Ricco says. Many fashion puns are woven into the conversation.   Mount Mary will host the CREO Fashion Show: Prismatic Parallel,  at 3pm and 7 pm in Notre Dame Hall on Saturday, May 14.   Learn more about the https://mtmary.edu/about/creative-campus.html (Mount Mary's Creative Campus) and the https://mtmary.edu/news-events/events/creo/ (2022 CREO Fashion Show: Prismatic Parallel on 5/14)  413 Ephemera  https://digitalcollections.mtmary.edu/exhibits/show/mountmaryuniversityfashionarch/digitalfashionarchive (The Mount Mary University Fashion Archive)  https://www.facebook.com/mountmary/photos/10156343105051420?_rdr (Sister Aloyse, Donna and Ashley) 

This week's pod episode kicks off with a discussion between Mac, Lindsay and David in which they discuss Lindsay being in “good COVID company” and dig into memories of negotiating a sense of belonging within new communities. Rhoan Garnett—or “Dr. G” joins Mac and David around 12:00.   Dr. Rhoan Garnett was most recently the Milwaukee Public Museum's inaugural Director of Inclusion Diversity, Equity and Accessibility. He has a background in higher education, and recently acted as principal consultant at YXM Consulting, a research-based and higher education-focused consultancy firm. In the conversation, Dr. G shares a poem about his youth, that focuses on experiencing educational choice in the aftermath of witnessing a friend and fellow athlete veering from the path to higher education after an act of violence led to his incarceration.   In the course of the conversation, Dr. G reflects on how within individuals and communities, a sense of inclusion and belonging are born out of the existence and maintenance of safe spaces where “everyone can be there, and anything can happen.”  Dr. Garnett cites relationships, and “network mentoring” as crucial to helping young marginalized students today navigate a landscape full of unconscious bias and institutionalized segregation. He finds himself humbled by the youths he engages with, and the ways in which they inspire him and others to “show up listening” and cultivate a “different kind of empathy” towards the end of parsing through the complex layers of social structures to access belonging. Learn More about Rhoan https://rhoangarnett.com/ (online at his website)  412 Ephemera  https://youtu.be/WyY0KrdpSLk?t=23 (Luke Matheny's 2011 Oscar Speech)  https://www.exfabula.org/ (Ex Fabula)  https://uwm.edu/lubar-entrepreneurship-center/i-corps/ (The Milwaukee I-Corps Program)  https://linkunlimited.org/ (LINK Unlimited Scholars)  https://resources.depaul.edu/abcd-institute/publications/Documents/Judith_book_1.1%20copy.pdf (Great Questions: The Writings of Judith Snow)    GUEST BIO:  https://rhoangarnett.com/ (https://rhoangarnett.com/) 

The pod episode kicks off with the team discussing a possible “font-off” contest, the creative process, David's reanimation and staged reading of a play from 20 years ago through Milwaukee's Sunstone Studios, and the triumphant return of the in-person Milwaukee Film Fest in spring of 2022.   Oscar joins Mac and David around 16:30 to discuss his film, “A Life On The Farm,” which will screen at the MFF on April 30th. The feature length documentary builds upon found footage from a video created by his grandfather's neighbor, Charles Carson, in the 1980's on a farm in Somerset, England. Carson was filmmaker and a farmer, an outsider artist, an inventor and a pioneer of “death positivity.” The film centers around the process of uncovering Carson's creative genius, as Oscar and his filmmaking partners endeavor to learn about this unconventional filmmaker and his work through interviews with neighbors.   In the conversation, Oscar touches on formative influence of movies and theatre on his young life, and on being drawn to the electricity of the live performance. He details his career trajectory within the film industry, beginning with working to support the critically acclaimed film “Theeb.” Though Oscar now calls Milwaukee home, he is both Irish and British, and shares insights about state-funded arts and film funding access abroad, and reflects on how Ireland far exceeds the U.K. and U.S. in these opportunities. He remarks about how environments with limited funding end up proliferating elitism in the arts, and have the consequence of sidelining the voices of filmmakers of marginalized communities and diverse identities. Oscar reflects on his own journey from working on narrative film, to letting the footage of Carson inspire him to work in the realm of documentary film, in order to tell his story.  GUEST BIO:  Web: https://sonderbar.onfabrik.com/portfolio (Sonderbar Pictures)  Facebook: @ALOTFdoc    Twitter: @ALifeOnTheFarm   Insta: @SonderbarPics  https://linktr.ee/alifeonthefarm?fbclid=IwAR3b_sQZsze97sRwB3g8AvP2GJV-2XSbMy-VJzqCJWk0DhJ4tVT7I_hQhDk (Get Tickets for “A Life On The Farm”)  https://sonderbar.onfabrik.com/portfolio/a-life-on-the-farm (“A Life On The Farm” Trailer)  411 Ephemera  https://designmodo.com/font-psychology/ (Font Psychology) (Design Mondo)  https://stagemag.broadwayworld.com/classic/Evolution-of-Sunday--staged-readingSunstone-Studios-7688 (“Evolution of Sunday”) at Sunstone Studios, Online Program  https://www.justinawalford.com/ (About Justina Walford)  https://www.chantclaire.org/concerts-events (Chant Clair, Spring Concert 4/29)  https://mkefilm.org/mff (2022 Milwaukee Film Festival)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9d_sLRXOH4 (Have you ever fired your gun in the air and gone, “ARGH?”) (Hot Fuzz)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHUsPCkaQqM (Hott Fuzz & Point Break scenes)  https://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/death-positive-movement/ (Death Positive Movement) 

This week, the whole gang is reunited to speak with artist Molly Hassler. Mac, Lindsay and David kick off the episode reflecting on the witches of Salem, Lindsay's experience of relating to Milwaukee from afar while visiting other cities on the East coast, and The Office Season Four. They also discuss the afterglow of this year's 414 Day video, which features a poem by Dasha Kelly Hamilton, and was directed by Samer Ghani.   Molly joins the group around 16:00. Molly is a queer interdisciplinary artist who was the recipient of a Mary L. Nohl Fund Emerging Artist grant in 2022. Molly's work is “often embracing collaboration and primarily using drawing and fibers techniques to mine the complex relation between representation and identity as a queer person in the Midwest.” During the conversation, they reflect on how as an artist, their role is about “enhancing a community's ability to care for itself.” They speak about the role of play in their practice, the influential experience of being a working artist at East Castle Assisted Living, and how they've persistently applied to opportunities despite receiving rejections. Molly reflects on the working-class communities that have shaped them, as well as artists' unique capacities for looking and physically manifesting ideas into the world. They speak to the quandary of being advised early on to pursue either community art or fine art—and resolves that instead of choosing, each artist must instead “just do what they want” and carve their own path.   Follow Molly @MollyHassler on all of the socials and online at http://www.mollyhassler.com/ (www.MollyHassler.com)   410 Ephemera  “http://puntourbanartmuseum.org/mural/here-for-the-imaginable/ (Here for the Imaginable)” by Meg Zany  https://www.google.com/search?q=season+4+the+office&oq=season+4+the+office&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i512l9.11666j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 (Season 4 of The Office)  https://imaginemke.org/art-stories/happy-414-day-milwaukee.php (414 Day 2022: Fire Light) 

The show kicks off with Mac and David bantering about Moonlighting and Bruce Willis, followed by a discussion about the forthcoming third iteration of Imagine MKE's 414 Day Video featuring an original poem by Dasha Kelly Hamilton and created by filmmaker Samer Ghani, which will be released through Imagine MKE's social channels on 4/14.   Grammy Award-winning musician and entrepreneur Grace Weber, a Wauwatosa native, joins the crew around 16:00 to discuss her 414 Day release, “414” (feat. Mudy). The work is a “love song for the city,” and speaks to her sense of Milwaukee hometown pride. In the conversation, Grace shares her impression of the authenticity that is characteristic of the city, and speaks about her current experience living in the “213”—and the synchronicity of frequently crossing paths with other Milwaukeeans within the Los Angeles music scene. Grace reflects on her own journey to stardom, and a sense that Milwaukee's own music community is about to have “a moment,” and come into its own as a national music destination.   Personal website: https://www.graceweber.com/ (https://www.graceweber.com/)   Follow Grace Weber https://linktr.ee/graceweber (online) and on all of the social media @GraceWeber. https://smarturl.it/8mjzba (Pre-Save “414” on Spotify)  409 Ephemera  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuSigLjgpkw (Season 4 of Moonlighting,) Opening Theme by Al Jarreau  “https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-03-30/bruce-willis-aphasia-memory-loss-cognitive-disorder#aoh=16492491629407&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment-arts%2Fmovies%2Fstory%2F2022-03-30%2Fbruce-willis-aphasia-memory-loss-cognitive-disorder (Concerns about Bruce Willis' declining cognitive state swirled around sets in recent years)” (LA Times)  https://imaginemke.org/art-stories/featured-artists/ (2020: Life in Motion)  https://imaginemke.org/art-stories/414ward.php (2021: 414 (New) Day)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaEH1e_DLm0 (“Joyful Joyful” from Sister Act 2) 

This week on the pod, we welcome the CEO of Arts @ Large, Sean Kiebzak.   In the intro, as Lindsay is on vacation, David and Mac indirectly discuss the Oscar's slap by way of discussing the context of acts of violence. They reflect on fights they recall, as well as moments of tender male camaraderie from their formative years.   Around 21:30, (the legendary) Sean Kiebzak joins the Imagine team and speaks about his progressive trajectory from artist to arts educator, to arts administrator, to becoming the CEO of Arts @ Large. In the conversation, Sean reflects on his diverse background in music, which includes experience as a drummer in a SKA band, a roadie for a touring band in the UK, and a member of a family band that was heavily drawn upon in the local Yoga Studio circuit. The group discusses the ways in which creativity is central to leadership development and problem-solving. Sean reflects on how Arts @ Large serves artists, students, teachers, and the whole community through a myriad of intersectional educational programs, and speaks about its physical expansion and programmatic pivots during the pandemic. On behalf of Milwaukee, Sean challenges Indianapolis to an arm wrestling contest for the right to host future Drumcore events.   Follow Sean and http://www.artsatlargeinc.org/ (Arts At Large) on Facebook and Insta: @ArtsAtLarge   408 Ephemera  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NsA5eCYjwA (The Slap Bet Saga (How I Met Your Mother))  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzprWwXvEDA (Nolan Ryan x Robin Ventura: A Jomboy Breakdown)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4REWM99_JSI (Malice in the Palace: A Secret Base Deep Rewind)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2b-2YnfZso (Lawmaker Brawls from Around the World (Time)) 

This week on the pod, we welcome Imagine MKE's Antoine Carter. Antoine is the Director of Neighborhood Partnerships and was the original employee of Imagine MKE. First, in the intro, David and Lindsay lament a lack of Gen Z references to draw from with Mac away on vacation. They discuss their own transformative professional development opportunities, including Lindsay's entrepreneurship award for a music programming organization that she founded and led, and David's experience as an NGen fellow within American Express's nonprofit leadership academy. Antoine joins the conversation around 16:15, and reflects on his journey achieving his longtime goal of being voted one of the Milwaukee Business Journal's 40 Under 40 in the 2022 class. In the conversation, Antoine details the experience of being part of the 2022 cohort, and highlights his ethos of “doing things fly”—for example, the balance of being bold enough to love pineapple on pizza, or to rock a turquoise suit at the 40 Under 40 awards ceremony, while still always leading with mission first. The team discuss Antoine's strength of vulnerability in his leadership, and the comfort he feels with being an arbiter of productive discomfort. Antoine reflects his pride in seeing collaborators in community work thriving and growing alongside him over the years.   Follow Antoine Carter's work @ImagineMKE and sign up for his work group at http://www.imaginemke.org/ (www.ImagineMKE.org) 407 Ephemera https://www.luther.edu/entrepreneurship-club/awards/Erdman/ (The Erdman Prize for Entrepreneurship) https://www.facebook.com/WaterStMusic/ (Water Street Music) https://independentsector.org/programs/ngen/ngenfellows/ (The NGen Fellows Program) https://philanthropynewyork.org/news/2012-ngen-fellows-project-hacking-ngen-experience (The 2012 NGen Project to democratize Leadership Development) https://imaginemke.sharepoint.com/:i:/s/Staff/EX0C7Q4XjUBMok58XSIgJYkBPi6R84wUxU0J7f8Y4xLWKQ?e=JtbYW4 (Celebration MURAL) https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2022/03/24/40-under-40-antoine-carter-imagine-mke.html (Antoine Carter: 40 Under 40) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCbEGmwoLJQ (Antoine's 40 under 40 Award Presentation) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb3Yup-sXj4 (IMKE Congrats and Celebration Video)