OCTOBER 2025
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1037 W. McKinley Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53205
The Native Heritage Celebration
When: Friday, September 26th
Where: Marcus Performing Arts Center Outdoor Grounds, Milwaukee, WI
By Anna Rose Menako
The inaugural Native Heritage Celebration at the Marcus Performing Arts Center brought together tribal representatives, artists, and educators from Wisconsin and beyond, including Ho-Chunk, Potawatomi, and Anishinaabe nations.
The “Living Village” highlighted how Indigenous communities historically used natural resources with reverence and ingenuity to create items that are aesthetically beautiful as well as functional. Deer, moose, and buffalo hides became soft-sole moccasins, moss provided insulation, and smoke dyed leather. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Artist in Residence Rachel Jeske explained how these techniques varied from tribe to tribe, shaped by their environments.
Learning about the knowledge and techniques that were passed down Native Ancestors always makes me wonder how much more Native American knowledge was lost through genocide and colonization.
The displays also revealed how certain items and tropes that are positioned as being quintessentially “American”, actually have Indigenous roots. For example, black ash woven baskets, associated with old-fashioned picnics, are made using techniques that predate colonization. The bald eagle, treated as a patriotic mascot, is deeply sacred in Native traditions and is seen as a messenger to the spirit world. The contrast between traditional reverence and appropriative “mascotification” felt like a microcosm of how colonization and cultural erasure continue to impact Native communities.
The program closed with Supaman, an award-winning Apsáalooke performance artist and educator whose music blends hip hop with traditional elements, including flute. His work is a reminder that Indigenous art is living and evolving and powerful. Not only in the past, but present and future as well.
This celebration honored the endurance of Native traditions while showing how they continue to shape and inspire our shared present.
Anna Rose Menako
annarosemenako.com
Clockwise from top left: Ryan Laessig, founder Milwaukee Makers Market, Jason Krukowski’s studio, Artery Ink, Madeline Martin
Bay View Gallery Night
When: Friday, September 26th, 2025
Where: Bay View
By Marie De Garo
Bay View is the place for artists. Creativity is bubbling from every nook & cranny of this lively neighborhood. From music to digital art to murals & everything in between, Bay View births some of the most unique finds.Bay View Gallery Night is a bi-annual event hosting festivities that treat locals & visitors alike to share in local cuisine, shops, & the inspired works of artists & makers.
The Crown Jewels of this event are the Milwaukee Makers Market & Scout Gallery inside the Hide House. The Milwaukee Makers Market hosts over 50 local vendors for shoppers to enjoy. Just beyond the small business offerings, there are a few galleries displaying works from local artists. If you happen to like a piece, or even a few—the art is available for purchase as well.
Supporting local small businesses & artists help our communities flourish.If you’re looking for a lively scene-Bay View is where it’s at. You’ll find that familiar Midwest Milwaukee charm with a chic edge no matter what neighborhood spot you choose
Left to right: "The Subtraction of Children” by David Najib Kasi, “Wild Bill” by Brent Schoonover and Hannah Tews
Doors Open Mural Festival
When: Saturday, September 27th
Location: Black Cat Alley, E Ivanhoe Place, Milwaukee WI
By Nicole Baillargeon
As a part of Milwaukee’s Doors Open event, vendors filled the street corner as a part of Mural Fest. There are 9 new murals to find in and around the iconic Black cat alley. A common theme within some of the artwork is family, community and the things which unite us as a city. These art pieces have brought new color, light and perspective to Milwaukee’s East Side.
One such mural is “The Subtraction of Children” by David Najib Kasir. The image uses geometric shapes to display a mother holding her child close to her. This mural stands out because of the current anxieties around our immigrant neighbors that make Milwaukee the beautiful diverse city we love. The painting reminds one of what a privilege it is to hold our loved ones.
Another mural “Wild Bill” by Brent Schoonover and Hannah Tews, depicts an amine style portrait of two-time all-star Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contraras. In the background of the painting, you can see at least two iconic Milwaukee symbols, the Milwaukee Art Musem and of course the American Family Field. The unique art style makes it pop among the other paintings.
Marcus Center Doors Open
When: Saturday, September 27th
Where: Marcus Performing Arts Center
By Marie De Garo
The doors of Milwaukee were open this weekend!
I had the pleasure of touring the Marcus Performing Arts Center as part of Open Doors. This is truly a magical place. The Milwaukee community & the arts of all kinds come together in this space. Kindness, inclusivity, & accessibility are all a big part of making that magic happen.
Upon entering the building, I was greeted by friendly staff that were eager to help me find my way. I was guided to the welcome table for visitors that displayed information for the upcoming season. Let me tell you, there are some AMAZING events this season. From Broadway to the ballet to concerts there is something for everyone. Not only do visitors get to enjoy a show, there is a new vendor providing refreshments to fit every taste.
I got to chat with Lory Bowman from MPAC about the exciting new things to expect this coming season. For shows, there will be new concessions offered-including special themed items offered for each production. Some drinks available will also have themed offerings. While the Broadway productions are fantastical events, there is so much more the Marcus Center has to offer. Ballet productions as well as concerts are wonderful to experience at the Marcus Center. Making connections with the Milwaukee community & inviting everyone from all walks of life to experience the treasures that the Marcus Center has to offer is the goal.
The arts are so vital to opening our eyes & hearts to new experiences. These productions are books that come to life & human stories that help us connect better with one another. The visual arts help expand our worldview in ways we could never imagine on our own. We need each other & we need the arts. The Marcus Performing Arts Center is the guardian for the arts in Milwaukee. It’s a place where we can all connect no matter where we come from or where we are going.
The Dry Points
When: On View now thru December 15th
Where: MIAD'S Frederick Layton Gallery, 273 E. Erie St., Milwaukee, WI
By Anna Rose Menako
As a Milwaukee native, The Dry Points exhibition, curated by Max Yela, felt like stepping into a living collage of historical figures whose names have been in the air for as long as I can remember. The men featured in the portraits built legacies that continue to shape the city’s identity and live on in its infrastructure, whether or not we ever asked for their presence in our lives.
The portraits on display, drawn from 19th- and early 20th-century steel engravings, remind us that the faces of power in Milwaukee were overwhelmingly white, male, and wealthy. That reality is an elephant in the room that this show doesn’t shy away from. By reworking the engravings with contemporary motifs and mischievous interventions,The Dry Points poke fun and punch up at these moguls of yesteryear, inadvertently holding their cultural dominance up to the light and acknowledging their lingering relevance in our city’s infrastructure and memory.
What’s most compelling is how personality creeps into the reimagined works. The original steel engravings, created with the painstaking practicality of its time, left little room for individuality or warmth. Here, flamboyance, humor, and idiosyncrasy are brought in, as if the artists are resurrecting subtleties that time and technological limits once flattened.
Much like a sonic rock band, The Dry Points bring together distinct artistic voices to form a sum that is richer and more nuanced than what any individual artist could create. Their mashup of historical gravitas with enigmatic, pop-cultural irreverence transforms these portraits into a collaboration across time. More specifically: a collaboration that examines who we immortalize, how we remember them, and who today might be building the kinds of legacies that will loom over Milwaukee tomorrow.
Anna Rose Menako
annarosemenako.com
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