Uniquely Milwaukee

Allied in the Fight: Jews, Blacks and the Struggle for Civil Rights, an exhibition presented by Jewish Museum Milwaukee, is back as a traveling exhibit for local organizations to use to foster discussions.

For three decades, Milwaukee has celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday with a celebratory event hosted at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. The free program is packed with performances from numerous cultural arts organizations but at the core of the event, the main focus is the contest winners.

Within the Milwaukee area, one in three Milwaukee families who are renting spend over 50 percent of their total income on housing alone. According to data, residents living in Harambee, the median household income is roughly $20,000. The average price point for a small one-bedroom apartment is around $850, at it's lowest.

Ruben Flores grew up almost like every other kid in Milwaukee. He went to Riverside High School and became valedictorian. He loved playing the piano and was passionate about robotics. In 2009, during his senior year of High School, just like his peers, he was applying for college and had ambition but he was faced with the information that he was undocumented.

About 10 years ago, Lynn Tachick started her own pottery business and like most people who open up shop, she didn’t realize her home pottery studio would turn into a space breast cancer survivors to share their stories.

In 1984, Robert Berry, a Milwaukee public school teacher, helped to start a tradition at his Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts. He added a student-run dinner theater to its annual productions where students would serve attendees a catered meal before the opening night show. Even after switching schools a retiring, he is continuing the tradition alive at Clement Avenue Elementary. Meet Mr. Berry in this audio story.

Where do people go in the daytime if they are homeless or in a housing crisis to work and improve on their situation?

The year 2015 was the year of self-publishing blogs. It was during that period of time anyone can make something or say something as long as they have the means to connect to the internet. That’s exactly what Julia Nusbaum did, she found an avenue that was untapped and decided to roll with it. Nusbaum is the founder and editor of chief of HerStry, an online literary magazine that provides a platform for women to write. Both here in Milwaukee and globally.

Have you ever watched a good film and think to yourself, “I wonder how that was made? Who are the brains behind this project?” If you’re anything like myself, you might go on a tangent and start thinking about local filmmakers, how they might make it to the big screens and how they could walk among us waiting for the big opportunity. Now you don’t have to wonder because Saint Kate Hotel presents a monthly curated screening known as Saint Kate's Filmmaker Show + Tell, where local filmmakers show their work and talk about it afterward. Filmmakers Kristin Peterson and Martin Kaszubowski are the ones behind this simple yet brilliant idea.

Black Arts MKE is a non-profit organization that collaborates with artists and art organizations here in Milwaukee. Executive Director, Barbara Wanzo said the main goal of the organization is to spread representation by providing a space for African American artists to be creative.

The Milwaukee initiative to add colorful lights to the Hoan Bridge keeps moving forward. Thanks to a major gift from an anonymous donor via the Greater Milwaukee Foundation last month, the organization Light the Hoan is about halfway to its more than $4 million fundraising goal. Learn how it is tapping into young local talent to program how the lights will respond.

This past weekend, The Milwaukee Public Library hosted an event called “The story of Menominee with Richard Plass” to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. Plass is a Menominee, Stockbridge/Munsee Indian from northern Wisconsin who was raised on the Menominee Indian Reservation. His Menominee name translates to the one who changes feathers.

Although the weather outcast was rainy, chilly and gloomy, it was balanced by the cozy atmosphere within the 10th annual hovercraft market, Milwaukee’s annual holiday shopping extravaganza. Located inside the Pritzlaff Building there were more than 100 local vendors selling goods that ranged from pottery, prints, jewelry and many more. The filled space was booming with energy and community.

Afternoon host Ayisha Jaffer and Nate Imig traveled to the Schlitz Audubon Center to learn about its raptor program, featuring hawks, owls, eagles and falcons. Go behind the scenes.

Milwaukee's eviction crisis continues

If you only had three minutes to grab your personal items from your home before fleeing your country, what items would you grab? Would you grab documentation? Would you grab sentimental items like your grandfather's watch or a family photograph? Can you even pack up your life in three minutes? What about half an hour, is that enough time?

Social roles and norms are the root substance of Vaughan Larsen’s work. Larsen is a Milwaukee based artist and photographer, primarily focusing on self-portraiture dealing with queer identities and relationships within society with their latest project being Rites and Parenthood.

Victress Vibes, co-founded by Courtney Hellendrung and Alaina Landi, is a sustainable hand-printed clothing brand aimed to share the stories of women.

More than one million immigrants arrive in the United States each year and Milwaukee's diversity is because of the immigrants that live within our city. This year we partnered with Ex Fabula and No studios to bring Community Stories Live event called “Coming to Milwaukee, Immigration Stories”, where multiple Milwaukeeians share their experiences with immigration. Iuscely Flores is a UW-Milwaukee student, she came to America when she was four with her parents from Durango, Mexico. When she was nine, they settled in Milwaukee. This is her full story.

The COA Youth and Family Center, established in 1906, has been serving low-income families and children in Milwaukee for 113 years. The center is divided into three divisions; early childhood development, youth development and community development. The youth development sector focuses on preteens and teens through afterschool and summer programs, one being the Kohls Explore Your Future Program, an afterschool STEM program.

torically, Hmong people were once a stateless group living in the mountains of Laos and Thailand. In the mid 70s, The Hmong people were political refugees in the United States as a result of their involvement with the American military. Roughly more than 130,000 refugees settled in the States after being sponsored from schools and churches.

First Stage presented the production “On the Wings of the Mariposa” by Alvaro Saar Rios on Oct. 18. The play is an adaptation of the children's book “Ghost Wings” written by Barbara M. Joosse and follows 10-year-old Pilar who struggles with the passing of her Abuelita. Pilar uses the associates the scent of her grandmother's scarf in order to keep her memory alive.

Libraries are an integral part of a community. Beyond just storing thousands and thousands of books, Milwaukee Public Libraries, across 13 branches have programs that cater to everyone.

Helium books, co-founded by Jacob Carlson and Ian Buchanan, is a free library book delivery service here in Milwaukee. Just like the name Helium, their mission is to uplift readers through the power of reading.

Next time you're at the Milwaukee Art Museum, be sure to stroll through a temporary exhibition on view now through February. It's called Portrait of Milwaukee and features more than 100 black and white photos from 20th century Milwaukee. Learn how one set of photos were miraculously salvaged from a massive fire in this community story.

Filipino cuisine probably can’t be defined under a singular term or even a few terms. A reason why is because it’s hard to pinpoint a sole description when the Philippines consist of roughly seven thousand islands. However, Meat on the Street, a Milwaukee family-owned Filipino storefront, and food truck bring some of the flavors of the islands to you.

It’s fair to say that at some point we all have been critical or at least aware of our body. One might look at themselves and think that their nose is crooked, their arms are too long or even have few extra rolls. We might even associate those features as negative. UW-Milwaukee’s Peer Health Educators hosted a “Love Your Body Day” as a celebration for everybody.

It has been just over three years since the unrest in Milwaukee’s Sherman Park neighborhood. Talk to many residents in the neighborhood now, and they’ll point to how the community has rebounded. But it took time. Now a group of youth from the neighborhood have recorded an album to communicate how the events affected them through music.

The topic of hijab, a headscarf worn by Muslim women, has always resulted in a variety of opinions. If we add wearing a hijab while competing in a sport, the focus becomes on the attire of the athlete rather than the skillset.At Salam High School, 4707 S. 13 St., Coach Martie Budnowski says the high school varsity volleyball team is currently in the works of changing the perception around Muslim female athletes that wear a hijab.

“111 Places” is a worldwide guide book series that originated from Cologne, Germany. You might think the number 111 is random but it isn’t accidental. In the city Cologne, the number 11 is considered a lucky number, there is even is a carnival celebration every year that begins on Nov 11 at 11:11 a.m. Since a book that highlighted 11 spots isn’t enough to be considered a guide book, they added another one, making it a total of 111 places. This year the guide book unraveled some known and possibly hidden gems in Milwaukee in their new book, “111 Places in Milwaukee That You Must Not Miss” written by Michelle Madden.

Just in time for International Deaf Awareness Week, Milwaukee nonprofit Ex Fabula hosted a special event featuring seven Deaf storytellers. The Deaf story slam took place at the Mitchell Street Library in front of capacity crowd. A video version of the stories is available here: https://radiomilwaukee.org/story/community-stories/ex-fabula-hosts-deaf-story-slam-to-kick-off-awareness-week/

If you looked up the definition of the term Botanica, your search results would show you that it's defined as a small store that sells herbal and traditional remedies. That definition doesn't come close to scratching the surface of what Botanica Galactica truly is. It’s charming and welcoming. It plays a role in gathering the community through wellness and art. One of the ways that’s achieved is by a night market. Salam Fatayer reports

The Manfred Olsen Planetarium might be considered a hidden gem that’s tucked away within the UW-Milwaukee campus. The planetarium specializes in five major productions every year. This fall semester, they are kicking it with 'Creepy Cosmos', starting Sept. 27. The spooky production is described as combing the fun of Halloween with the intrigue of astronomy that intends to energize your sixth sense. Salam Fatayer reports.

Pride is a sentiment that many identify with when wearing a pair of hoop earrings. For some time, big hoops were associated with cheapness. A person who wore them could be considered immodest and loose. However, there are acts that are reversing the connotation and reclaiming back the power.One of those acts is by the LUNA, a collective of Latinx artists in Milwaukee. LUNA is currently showcasing an exhibit titled Hoops, representing the diversity through art within the Latinx community. Salam Fatayer reports.

Picture this, you walk into the front doors and immediately you’re greeted with the caramelized smell of coffee. The inside space is massive yet comfortable enough to entice you to spend time there. In the back, there’s an art studio for any creative and there is even a bakery that specializes in a number of desserts such as challah and crinkle cookies. Luckily for you, you no longer need to imagine such a place because of Friendship Circle, a local non-profit organization that works with adults and kids with special needs. Salam Fatayer reports

In the nook of Milwaukee School of Engineering, the Grohmann Museum highlights Milwaukee engineers and their inventions with the exhibit, Magnificent Machines of Milwaukee. The exhibit follows the book "Magnificent Machines of Milwaukee and the engineers who created them" written by Thomas Fehring. Salam Fatayer reports

When asked to describe Harvest Day, an open-air market and street festival hosted by Walnut Way, Antonio Butts, executive director of Walnut Way said it was similar to a homecoming for the city. That’s what Harvest Day is for most people, a time to celebrate the neighborhood of Lindsay Heights and to connect with its residents. Salam Fatayer reports.

“It’s a home away from home,” said Carolyn Weber, one of the hostel owners. That's how the Cream City Hostel can be described when walking through the front doors. The hostel is located in the Riverwest neighboorhood, marking it as the first hostel in Milwaukee. Salam Fatayer reports.

Find out where in Milwaukee you can still see Haring's original piece.

Lara Spencer from Good Morning America recently made a comment about Prince George of Cambridge for taking ballet lessons that created an uproar of criticism both from the general public and the dance community. In response, the Milwaukee Ballet has taken a stance to speak against the negative stereotypes male dancers face in ballet. Salam Fatayer reports.

Milwaukee Art Museum interns designed a city bus as part of the program ArtXpress, to address an issue that impacts the city of Milwaukee. This year, the bus mural dealt with immigration and deportation. On one side the wraparound mural, there are two hands reaching towards each other with an ICE agent in the center. Salam Fatayer reports.

For ten years, Jim Brozek strapped his camera to his side while he worked as a laborer on Jones Island. In between cleaning and painting steel ore boats, Brozek would snap numerous photographs capturing the haunting yet peaceful atmosphere when working during winter layups. The images were taken from 1979 to 1985 and are now currently displayed at a storefront immediately west of Mo’s Irish Pub in downtown Milwaukee. Salam Fatayer reports.

YCAT started when a number of Madison high school students gathered to discuss the possibilities of a school strike to demand climate justice in the state of Wisconsin. On March 15, they drew a crowd of roughly two thousand amplifying their voices and their mission. Salam Fatayer reports.

What started out as The Spot, an afterschool space for students, quickly turned in Milwaukee’s United Community Center, a multigenerational agency that carries a magnitude of programs. There’s a hidden gem at the center. Located at the lowest level, you’re greeted to a restaurant called Café el Sol. The restaurant started off in 1983 as a program to help unemployed youth on food preparation and service. Now it’s a gathering scene for everyone. Salam Fatayer Reports.

If cities are measured by the quality of their museums, Milwaukee can certainly compete. Of course there are the big ones -- The Milwaukee Public Museum and The Milwaukee Art Museum two of the most notable -- but we also have several smaller ones scattered around. Visit the Haggerty Museum of Art in this Community Story.

Brigid Kinsella-Alba met Ryan when they were five years old. At the time, little did she know that he would later become her husband and they would create a school together. It was love that brought them together. Love for each other and love for Irish dancing. Salam Fatayer reports.

Murals are one way the public can access art. If we take a look at Milwaukee’s Black Cat Alley, we can see that it transformed the outdoors into an art gallery. In that alley, there’s one mural with a big yellow backdrop, framed with purple flowers surrounding a faceless figure of a mother with her children dressed in geometric designs. The figures symbolize a Syrian family who has recently become refugees. Salam Fatayer reports.

When you hear about the program Teens Grow Greens, you might just assume that teens are just planting greenhouses and growing produce. Well, you’re not completely wrong since that is a component but the main element that’s being planted is themselves. Teens Grow Greens is a nine-month paid internship program for high school students.

On July 19, Muslim women from all over the country came together for the third annual pageant, Miss Muslimah USA. The pageant was held in Dearborn Michigan and it aimed to break barriers and defeat stereotypes that surround Muslim women. This year, Rahma Mohamed, from Madison Wisconsin, was crowned Miss Muslimah 2019

On July 9, members all over the Milwaukee area gathered to take a workshop on mosaics at the new Arts @ Large Community Center. Arts @ Large is an organization that provides immersive art experiences for students from K-12. The mosaic workshop was the initial step towards creating a space where the public and community can incorporate art within their lives.