Gearing Up for the Annual Members Show

OPENING RECEPTION:
Friday, June 5, 5 pm to 9 pm

Exhibition runs through July 2nd.

Work drop off:
Saturday, May 30,
10 am to 5 pm.
Monday, June 1,
10 am to 5 pm.

Each member is eligible to submit up to three recent pieces (from the last 3 years). No-jurying - All Welcome!

Chicago Alderman orders mural destroyed

As we continue to discuss public art here in Milwaukee, I received an e-mail from artist Gabriel Villa that stated“The city white washed my mural.” Villa recently organized the Artists of Pilsen exhibition at WPCA. Villa has been working on the mural in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood at Kaplan’s Liquors 960 W 31st St. Days ago it was destroyed by the city on orders of Alderman Balcer. Gabriel was granted permission by the owner of the building to paint the mural.

Announcing "Public Art in Milwaukee - a Panel Discussion"

Recently public art became a bone of discontent and heated debate in the community with the discussion of Janet Zweig's proposal for the project slated for the east end of Wisconsin Avenue. Milwaukee’s artistic community successfully came together to save the project, yet, this one-time action did not clarify many issues pertinent to public art implementation.
Therefore, we're pleased to rely the message that MARN is hosting a panel discussion on Public Art in Milwaukee:

Monday May 18th, 2009
7-9pm
Bucketworks
1340 N. 6th St.
Milwaukee, WI
Admission is Free

It seems that he fight over Zweig's proposal left the community with a number of unanswered questions, including:

• What is Milwaukee's Public Art Process?
• Who has the voice?
• How does the public effect change in this process?
• As an artist how do you "get in on the action"?
• How to make sure things don't go haywire?
• What to do when things DO go wrong?

Join MARN as they moderate a panel discussion to address these issues. The panelists include:

Alderman Micheal Murphy: City of Milwaukee
Anne Katz: Arts Wisconsin
Polly Morris: Milwaukee Arts Board
Jill Sebastian: MIAD
Beth Haskovec: IN:SITE

MARN Mentors Opening

On Friday, May 1st, WPCA was tightly packed. A perfect convergence of a great group of artists (literally and figuratively) and a warm spring weather brought the Milwaukeeans out in force to attend the opening of MARN Mentors exhibition. In fact, we counted a ground breaking attendance of over 300 people.
Thank you all for coming and perhaps you can see yourself somewhere in the background of the photos.


Jake Palmert and John Riepenhoff (of Green Gallery) and Melissa Musante. In the background, Josie Osborne.

Tamiko Dargan (Artist, WPCA board) and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Mary Louise Schumacher.

Dorota Biczel Nelson (WPCA's Marketing/PR/membership Coordinator) and Tiffany Knopow, artist.

A. Marie Phillips (photographer) & Richard Taylor (sculptor).

Boris Osterov.

Barbara Miner (photographer) with friends.

Artists katherine e. martin & Collin Dickson, and Pegi Taylor.

Artist/designer Simon Phillips and Kate Bradley (WPCA's Education Director)

Artists Cheryl Olson Sklar, Tiffany Knopow, Jennifer Harris and Leah Schreiber.

MARN long-standing Mentor Jason Yi and artist Lisa Moline.

Ben Rothschild with friends.

Kevin Miyazaki, Lane Hall, Ben Rohschild.

Pegi Taylor and Laura Maker.

Karin Haas and Fahimeh Vahdat.

Bob Smith, Melissa Musante (MARN's Executive Director), River Bullock.

Boris Osterov and Holly Vanderbusch.