Creative MKE

This week’s Road of Democracy Conversation, hosted by Antoine Carter, Director of Neighborhood Partnerships at Imagine MKE and co-host of Black Imagination, focuses on the role of artists in driving racial justice, equity and change. The panelists in this conversation are:

Miela Fetaw, Director/Producer, 371 Productions

Anna Rose Menako, artist

Tarik Moody, Director, Digital Strategy and Innovation, 88Nine Radio Milwaukee

Rosy Petri, artist and storyteller

Jamaal Smith, Violence Prevention Manager, Office of Violence Prevention - City of Milwaukee Health Department

This week's Road of Democracy conversation focuses on the role of "Citizen Artists" in our communities and how the community of citizens can support their work.

Our panelists are Shalina Ali, co-Executive Director at https://www.facebook.com/trueskool414/ (True Skool), Nailiah Johnson, Cultural Organizer at https://www.litwi.org/ (LIT), https://belasuresh.com/ (Bela Suresh Roongta), and Sam Rikkers, Deputy Secretary, https://wedc.org/ (Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation).

Audio transitions: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7atE55vExM4e6UD6ZqpqMa (Let Go, Lex Allen)

Episode ephemera:

https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/artsprogram-2/citizen-artists/ (Aspen Institute definition of Citizen Artist)

https://news.artnet.com/opinion/deborah-fisher-blade-of-grass-op-ed-1847463 (Blade of Grass op-ed)

https://wedc.org/programs-and-resources/wai-small-business-grant/ (We're All In Small Business Grant, Phase 2)

For the next four weeks, we have dedicated our podcast to rebroadcast our Road of Democracy Conversation Series, which centers on the role of the arts, culture, and artists in shaping and leading our civic conversations.

In the kick-off to this series, David welcomes https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2019/legislators/assembly/1813 (Representative Jonathan Brostoff), 19th Assembly District, https://metcalfeparkbridges.org/about-us/ (Melody McCurtis,) Deputy Director of Priorities/Organizer, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2020/02/26/leana-nakielski-american-family-insurance.html (Leana Nakielski), Director, Strategic Partnerships, American Family Insurance, and https://www.marquette.edu/history/directory/robert-smith.php (Dr. Robert Smith), Associate professor of History and Director of the Center for Urban Research, Teaching and Outreach Marquette University for a conversation about the state of road of democracy from the civic, non-profit, business, and academic perspectives.

Audio Transitions: https://open.spotify.com/track/2Ewp5goEYkMVaFxxCsj11D ("Let Go," Lex Allen)

Episode Ephemera

Listen to: https://soundcloud.com/user-553698341/of-1 (Dasha Kelly Hamilton reads “Of”) (SoundCloud)

Read more: https://www.milwaukeedowntown.com/bid-basics/community-projects/road-democracy (The Road of Democracy) (Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21)

Listen to: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4THoxe1DRFDGxx8ThF9rtj (Dasha Kelly Hamilton on Imagine this Podcast) (Spotify)

https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/ (Make sure you are registered and up to date on your voting options)

https://www.imaginemke.org/be-an-arts-champion/action-center.php (Tell your Mayor and County Executive to invest in the arts)

https://www.imaginemke.org/art-stories/road-of-democracy.php (Learn more about future Road of Democracy conversations)

We've been long overdue for our Expert Insight Bonus episodes, where we ask guests of the pod to dive deep into one of their passions.

This week, you will hear from Kristina Gomez, Events and Programming Librarian, Milwaukee Public Library, talk about getting to know people through songs and playlists (6:15), Rosy Petri, Artist, Paradise Home, talk about functional art (11:55) Gabe Yeager, Downtown Environment Specialist, Downtown BID #21, talk about the ten elements of activation in public spaces (15:20) and Beth Weirick, CEO of the Downtown BID #21, talks about how she sees life interacting with public space (18:16).

Audio transitions: https://soundcloud.com/shonnhinton/milwaukee-strong-featuring-the-milwaukee-all-stars ("Milwaukee Strong," Shonn Hinton, featuring The Milwaukee All-Stars)

Ephemera:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0gLEAnw6O36KPNQWTdgpX2 (Expert Insights Episode 1)

https://www.facebook.com/events/660266108219838/?post_id=660266128219836andview=permalink (Join us for Road of Democracy Conversations, every Friday in October at Noon. Kick off panel - Our Journey on the Road of Democracy, 10/9 at Noon Streaming on Facebook)

It is not everyday that you get to talk to the arts/non-profit/social change/academic equivalent of an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony winner), but that's what we have for you today with artist, educator, scholar Anne Basting who is the Founder and President of TimeSlips, English Professor at UWM, and MacArthur/Ashoka/Rockefeller Fellow.

We invited her on to talk about a new program that connects artists with isolated seniors during COVID but we got so much more than we bargained for. As the name of the episode suggests, this is like talking to TED (rather than a TED talk) and you're in for a real treat.

Recap of Rekindle (3:03), State grant for arts and cultural organizations deadline reminder (10:51), Road of Democracy events (12:11), Citizen artists and intro to Anne (14:04), Enchantment, wonder and awe (19:26), The ability to code switch between groups and institutions (28:52), The origin story of TimeSlips (32:50), Leaning into authority vs. leaning into beginner's mind (37:30), Stretching an idea like taffy (46:24), Making art with non-artists (48:34), Anne takes control of a segue into her new program yet Mac stays on the soapbox (53:52), Bringing together professional arts with social service through Social RX (1:01:27), Anne's reign as Arts and Culture Czar (1:08:30), Plugs (1:12:36), Lost in the wonder, the gang stumbles through the outro (1:14:07)

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Care-Anne-Basting/dp/0062906178 (Creative Care) | Web: http://www.timeslips.org (TimeSlips), https://uwm.edu/english/our-people/basting-anne/ (UWM English Department), https://www.anne-basting.com/ (Personal), and of course, Anne's https://www.ted.com/speakers/anne_basting (TED) page.

Audio Transitions: https://open.spotify.com/track/2Ewp5goEYkMVaFxxCsj11D?si=9DIgvXeDTMm_v8jOeqKGvQ ("Let Go" by Lex Allen) (Spotify)

E.35 Ephemera

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5F13DjN06GU4tiWlJePN4D?si=lDWewowFSGiMxgJSvp_JFg (Rekindle: Empowered Playlist)

First Road of Democracy Panel will be 10/9 at Noon, more info to come

https://www.imaginemke.org/art-stories/road-of-democracy.php (Road of Democracy Call for Projects) (deadline 10/2)

https://www.americansforthearts.org/news-room/americans-for-the-arts-news/violinist-and-social-justice-advocate-vijay-gupta-to-deliver-nancy-hanks-lecture-on-arts-public (Vijay Gupta)

https://www.imaginemke.org/be-an-arts-champion/action-center.php (Take action today to speak up for public funding for the arts in Wisconsin)

Subscribe: http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/imagine-this-podcast/id1498274745 (Apple Podcasts) / http://open.spotify.com/show/29BQ7G7y4mzdPiHx6dlqhH (Spotify) / http://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vaW1hZ2luZS10aGlzLXBvZGNhc3Qv (Google) / http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/imagine-this-podcast (Stitcher)

This week, for episode number 34, the gang finally welcomes Christine Fleming, Community Engagement Manager at The Haggerty Museum of Art, who was supposed to be the first guest on the podcast back in February.

Suffice it to say, a lot has changed since then.

Mac's scat take on our tropical house intro (00:21), Our recent advocacy output powered by the Imagine network (3:43), New hashtag: #ImagiNationMKE (5:45), Road of Democracy/Road to Wrestlemania (6:20), Road of Democracy Call for Artists (9:52), Christine Fleming intro and context - guest #1 or #34 (12:01), Great grandmas and mean art teachers (16:33), Museum education as the "dark side" (23:00), Museums at academic institutions (27:10), Holding physical space in the age of coronavirus (31:52), Innovations to increase access to museums (37:44), Seeing the unseeable and Google Arts and Culture (39:47), Big Stantion (43:09), "Dubious Means" (48:33), Arts and Culture Czar reign (50:56), Plugs (55:15), Mac signs his own death warrant (57:55), Outro Easter Egg (1:01:03)

Web: https://www.marquette.edu/haggerty-museum/ (The Haggerty Museum of Art) | Like: @HaggertyMuseum | Browse online: https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/haggerty-museum (The Haggerty Museum of Art on Google Arts and Culture)

Audio Transitions: https://amandahuff.bandcamp.com/track/carolines ("Caroline's" by Amanda Huff) (Bandcamp)

Episode 34 Ephemera:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WrestleMania_2 (Wrestlemania II) vs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WrestleMania_III (Wrestlemania III) (David was right that it was Wrestlemania 2 in three locations, Mac was right that it was the British Bulldogs vs. The Dream Team, and Hulk Hogan body slammed King Kong Bundy in WM2 and Andre the Giant in WM3. Big John Studd was definitely body slammed somewhere. Also, professional wrestling is a performing art. We encourage you to at us.)

https://www.imaginemke.org/art-stories/road-of-democracy.php (Road of Democracy Call for Artists)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6roPx1KD4OTQ8rMH66Q7Ds?si=7r-pn-AEQNmk1Zj_T1-EPA (Songs for David's Wake (make a contribution!))

https://new.artsmia.org/ (Minneapolis Institute of Art)

https://fllac.vassar.edu/ (Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center)

http://g.co/milwaukee (Milwaukee on Google Arts and Culture)

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hegel-aesthetics/ (Hegelian aesthetics and the eschatology of art)

https://www.imaginemke.org/be-an-arts-champion/action-center.php (Take action to increase public support for arts and culture)

Subscribe: http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/imagine-this-podcast/id1498274745 (Apple Podcasts) / http://open.spotify.com/show/29BQ7G7y4mzdPiHx6dlqhH (Spotify) / http://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vaW1hZ2luZS10aGlzLXBvZGNhc3Qv (Google) / http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/imagine-this-podcast (Stitcher)

This week, the gang welcomes Joel Brennan, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration, to the pod to talk about the $5 million state grant program to help our state's arts and culture organizations through COVID-19 and how his former roles as the President/CEO of Discovery World and at VISIT Milwaukee inform his own view of the role of arts and culture in a thriving state. Along the way, Joel drops some basketball wisdom on Mac and David (don't worry, Secretary Brennan does not pose any threat to Giannis coming back next year).

David assays the damage after his weeklong break (00:23), Football: a billion dollar pop-up (2:00), Smallwaukee/Smallwood story time (3:28), Welcoming Joel Brennan and basketball wisdom (12:35), Joel's formative arts and culture experience and the entrepreneurial nature of being a creative (15:07), The role of the arts and creativity in building a great Milwaukee (17:59), The state's role in supporting at-risk industries and keeping the creative fabric of communities intact (21:23), How the public can help state administrative leaders and elected officials to increase public funding for the arts (30:04), Expanding public-private partnerships and future investments in the arts and culture sector (40:18), The challenge of leading arts and culture organizations - or any business that depends on bringing people together - in a public health pandemic that requires physical distancing (43:43), Mac breaks the first rule of pod club (49:18), Joel's arts and culture shout outs (49:40), Despite Mac breaking the first rule of pod club, Joel gets his plugs (51:42), The first rule of pod club (54:55), Extended outro with arts and culture catch-up (1:00:13), Easter Egg (1:03:00)

Web: https://doa.wi.gov/Pages/home.aspx (Wisconsin Department of Administration) | Like and Tweet: @WisconsinDOA | Apply: https://doa.wi.gov/Pages/LocalGovtsGrants/COVID-Grants.aspx (COVID-19 Cultural Organization​ Gra​nt Program) | Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W0B4hmZU6A (Grant Program Webinar)

Audio transitions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8-EXMxufG8 ("One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish," Wes Tank)

Episode 33 ephemera

https://www.imaginemke.org/content/20200914_162458.jpg ("Epstein was Murdered," Mixed Media, David Najib Kasir, March 11, 2020)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUj79ScZJTo (The Old Time Rock and Roll Scene, Risky Business)

http://www.shakespeareprisonproject.com/ (The Shakespeare Prison Project (Racine))

https://www.imaginemke.org/be-an-arts-champion/action-center.php (Thank Governor Evers and tell your federal elected officials that they must pass the next round of coronavirus relief to #saveourstages, #redalertrestart our creative economy, and #ensurethefuture of arts and culture)

Subscribe: http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/imagine-this-podcast/id1498274745 (Apple Podcasts) / http://open.spotify.com/show/29BQ7G7y4mzdPiHx6dlqhH (Spotify) / http://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vaW1hZ2luZS10aGlzLXBvZGNhc3Qv (Google) / http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/imagine-this-podcast (Stitcher)

In a banner week, the gang celebrates the announcement of the $5 million state of Wisconsin grant program for arts and culture groups and welcomes May Adrales, Associate Artistic Director at The Milwaukee Repertory Theatre for an enlightening discussion on taking risks, the advantages of being an outsider, and the 20/20 Vision for Milwaukee Arts that will be held on Wednesday, 9/9 in conjunction with the Black Theater Festival.

What some of our listeners do with their bookend bread slices (2:03), $5 million dollars!! (4:15), The #TanSuit debacle (5:00), Focusing on racial equity and inclusion in the arts (11:10), May Adrales joins the show (15:11), May's origin story stemming from family lore (17:45), Growing up in Appalachia (24:32), The two Bisayan phrases that Mac knows (27:18), Using stereotypes to her advantage, or how May assisted with surgeries as a teen (29:30), When getting fired is a gift (31:15), Milwaukee being May's artistic home (37:24), 20/20 Vision for Milwaukee Arts (42:54), The difference between directing a play and a conference (46:36), May's Arts and Culture Czar reign: Making Theatre Accessible and Free Coffee (48:21), Plugs (51:29), Looking into the future: Mac's bad performance review next year (52:59)

More: http://www.mayadrales.net/ (May Adrales) | Like: https://www.facebook.com/MilwRep (Milwaukee Rep) | Learn: https://zoom.us/j/94396851282?pwd=SHhCbm1zNktxYjlVZlVBZVU3RHlpQT09 (20/20 Vision for Milwaukee Arts) on Wed, 9/9 at 1 pm | Attend: https://www.milwaukeechambertheatre.org/milwaukee-black-theater-festival (The Black Theater Festival) (ends 9/12)

Audio transitions: https://radiomilwaukee.org/discover-music/milwaukee-music/vuca-and-barbara-stephan-celebrates-the-mother-child-bond-on-their-new-single-lovely-child/ ("Lovely Child" by The VUCA Collective), featuring Barbara Stephan

Episode 32 ephemera:

https://foodprint.org/issues/the-problem-of-food-waste/ (The massive problem of food waste) (40% of food in America is wasted)

https://www.ecoandbeyond.co/articles/reusing-bread-ends-crusts/ (Bread end recipes) (bread crumbs, bread pudding, crostini, etc)

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/solutions/2020/05/29/hard-hit-milwaukee-arts-groups-want-wisconsin-state-government-help/5259236002/ (The #TanSuit debacle that launched a thousand email messages)

https://www.imaginemke.org/be-an-arts-champion/action-center.php (Thank your state elected officials and tell your federal electeds that they must pass the next round of coronavirus relief to #saveourstages, #restart our creative economy, and ensure the future of arts and culture)

Subscribe: http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/imagine-this-podcast/id1498274745 (Apple Podcasts) / http://open.spotify.com/show/29BQ7G7y4mzdPiHx6dlqhH (Spotify) / http://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vaW1hZ2luZS10aGlzLXBvZGNhc3Qv (Google) / http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/imagine-this-podcast (Stitcher)

This week, the gang welcomes Jill Anna Ponasik, Artistic Director at Milwaukee Opera Theatre, for a wide ranging conversation about her sources of inspiration in the work of leading a small arts organization and applying the lessons from her artistic practice to creating a vibrant ecosystem of arts organizations, artists and creatives in Milwaukee.

The last BBQ of the summer and the Strauss-Howe generational theory (00:51), Call back to the conversation about time as a loaf of bread and also, do also love the "book end" slices of your loaves? (2:38), The current federal and state policy asks and push (5:15), Welcoming Jill Anna and the differences between COVID podcasts and conference calls (12:53), Jill Anna's Milwaukee Opera Theatre origin story (15:00), Jill Anna's three-pronged inspiration (19:57), What she has learned from failure (21:19), Getting to know and connecting with Imagine MKE (28:25), Building connections in the broader ecosystem (32:14), Creating opportunities for leading, learning, and doing, and getting to think about ideas, arrangements, and effects (35:22), Redefining the signifiers and expectations for success (43:53), Going beyond talking about the arts and creativity as instrumentally vital but also essentially vital to our city and communities (53:31), What makes Jill Anna hopeful in 2020 (1:02:14).

Ugh. We forgot to ask Jill Anna to for plugs and was, of course, too graceful to remind us. Sorry, but here they are in the show notes:

Visit: http://www.milwaukeeoperatheatre.org/ (Milwaukee Opera Theatre) / Stream: All four episodes of https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/arts/2020/06/24/milwaukee-opera-theatre-turns-canceled-doc-danger-into-radio-play/3242242001/ (Doc Danger and the Danger Squad: Radio Edition) on https://anchor.fm/milwaukee-opera-theatre (Anchor) or wherever you listen to us. / Social: https://www.facebook.com/Milwaukee-Opera-Theatre-56901674534 (Facebook) / https://twitter.com/MKEOperaTheatre (Twitter) / https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC49vwpsJHDg02GBLRhkTnUA (Youtube)

Audio Transitions: https://open.spotify.com/album/3iYPzHqffEu948YaXFUDb6?highlight=spotify:track:4WXlZBxOzQaWTku7QDXxqk (Caroline's, by Amanda Huff)

Take action to https://www.imaginemke.org/be-an-arts-champion/action-center.php (ensure the future of arts and culture in Milwaukee)

Other episode 31 ephemera:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory (Strauss-Howe generational theory) (Wikipedia)

That time a conversation about categorizing art in the office included a tangent about pizza and aliens and the concept of https://www.facebook.com/heydlee/posts/10162586194040035 (time as a loaf of bread) (Facebook)

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/ideas-arrangements-effects-systems-design-and-social-justice (Ideas Arrangements Effects: Systems Design and Social Justice) (Nonprofit Quarterly)

Subscribe: http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/imagine-this-podcast/id1498274745 (Apple Podcasts) / http://open.spotify.com/show/29BQ7G7y4mzdPiHx6dlqhH (Spotify) / http://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vaW1hZ2luZS10aGlzLXBvZGNhc3Qv (Google) / http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/imagine-this-podcast (Stitcher)

This week on the pod, Mac and David welcome #ImaginaryFriend https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannechoie/ (Dianne Choie) for the listener mailbag segment to talk about a connection she made through the podcast.

Then https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-peterangelo-a61a5b10/ (Joe Peterangelo), Senior Researcher at the Wisconsin Policy Forum, joins the gang to discuss "https://wispolicyforum.org/research/arts-and-culture-in-a-pandemic-an-existential-threat/ (Arts and Culture in a Pandemic: An Existential Threat)," their new COVID-19 Research brief.

In an alternate universe, the DNC in Milwaukee was... (0:24), Listener mailbag IRL with Dianne Choie and what happens when you listen to this podcast (2:57), As a new person to Milwaukee, Dianne's impression of the city (7:24), The diversity of the kinds of Asian food (9:24), The Milwaukee Art Museum's re-opening and new programming through Studio at Home (10:54), Audio transition and introduction of Joe Peterangelo (14:35), Fun ground rules, safe words, and burning questions (16:14), Origin story of the "Arts and Culture in a Pandemic" research brief (17:38), Getting data for the report (20:20), Key takeaways (25:05), Wisconsin is last in per capita funding for the arts (29:54), Focusing in on Milwaukee for the case study (34:24), The business model of congregating in the person (36:23), Pulling back for a wider view to include artists and smaller arts orgs (39:32). Joe's own passion for arts and culture and he unexpectedly invokes the safe word (43:27), Plugs (47:05)

http://www.mam.org/ (Milwaukee Art Museum) / https://mam.org/learn/youth-family.php (Youth and Family Programming)

https://wispolicyforum.org/ (Wisconsin Policy Forum) / https://www.facebook.com/WisPolicyForum (Facebook) / https://twitter.com/WisPolicyForum (Twitter)

Audio transitions: "https://soundcloud.com/shonnhinton/milwaukee-strong-featuring-the-milwaukee-all-stars (Milwaukee Strong)" by Shonn Hinton, featuring the Milwaukee All Stars

Subscribe: http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/imagine-this-podcast/id1498274745 (Apple Podcasts) / http://open.spotify.com/show/29BQ7G7y4mzdPiHx6dlqhH (Spotify) / http://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vaW1hZ2luZS10aGlzLXBvZGNhc3Qv (Google) / http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/imagine-this-podcast (Stitcher)