COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BLOG

Did you know that J.R.R. Tolkien inspired the world-building & fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D)? And, did you further know that the first game of D&D was played right here in Wisconsin?  On November 5, 2022 the Haggerty Museum of Art—in conjunction with its exhibition J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript—celebrated these connections by hosting D&D games in its galleries. Gamers learned about the history and influences of D&D, participated in a mapping activity, enjoyed the Tolkien exhibition, and played D&D! There was also a raffle with prizes generously provided by Wizards of the Coast.

The event began with a presentation by D&D expert James Lowder, a Marquette University alumnus and successful writer, editor, and game designer—including work on D&D.

The mapping activity was inspired by the maps created by J.R.R. Tolkien for his legendarium. This activity required participants to roll a twenty-sided dice to add elements to their maps. Then they created an imagined world map using the same symbols that Tolkien did!

Each gamer was assigned a table led by a Game Master, who guided the group through a game scenario in the Museum space. Special thanks to our fantastic Game Masters Tobias, Andy, Chris, Glenn, Brian and Max!

 

The event concluded after four hours of learning, world-building, and exploring fantasy realms inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien. Thank you to everyone who played and/or spectated!

And special thanks to our collaborating partners Milwaukee Public Library and Board Game Barrister.

 

For more information on events and opportunities relating to D&D, take a look at our handout: DD Event Handout

Written by Olivia Brown, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee ArtsECO Intern

On October 8, 2022 the Haggerty Museum of Art hosted a J.R.R. Tolkien-themed Community Day celebrating its exhibition J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript. Museum visitors and Tolkien fans of all ages enjoyed entertainment provided by local partners and a variety of specially curated activities including calligraphy and letterpressing!

Art making with Marquette University Art Club

Our friends at the Marquette University Art Club organized a casual art-making experience with painting, drawing, and more!

 

Storytime with the Milwaukee Public Library

Thanks to our talented partners at the Milwaukee Public Library, young Museum visitors enjoyed listening to storybooks right in the Tolkien exhibition galleries. This unique, captivating experience thoroughly immersed listeners into a world of fantasy.

Letterpress printing with The Bindery

Perhaps the biggest hit at Community Day, The Bindery provided a letterpress for visitors to create their own Tolkien-related bookmarks.

Local artist Diana Chu, who is also Design Director at The Bindery, created a dragon design for the bookmarks using a Risograph printing process. The bookmarks featured a quote from “Beowulf,” an Old English epic poem that Tolkien was well known for studying and translating.

Hopefully this unique experience inspired readers to pick up a Tolkien masterpiece!

Calligraphy and Drawing with UWM ArtsECO

Have you ever tried your hand at calligraphy? Tolkien most certainly did, and Community Day participants had the chance to as well! Guided by talented students from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's ArtsECO program, visitors used a variety of calligraphy tools to write their name in Latin, Hobbit Runes, and in Tolkien’s invented languages Cirth and Tengwar.

Tengwar was a language that Tolkien invented for use by Elf Fëanor in the First Age of Middle-earth.

Performances with First Stage Children's Theatre

Throughout the event First Stage staff led theatre workshops with visitors. Be sure to see their upcoming show, The Hobbit, from February 3 – March 5, 2023.

Tolkien Trivia with Quizmaster Trivia

To wrap up our action-packed Community Day, Quizmaster Alex led visitors in Tolkien Trivia to test our knowledge, and to learn a thing or two about Tolkien’s work!

Special thank you to the 137 visitors who spent their Saturday enjoying a diverse selection of activities, including the Tolkien exhibition. We are so grateful to our partners from The Bindery MKE, First Stage, UWM ArtsECO, The Milwaukee Public Library, and Quizmaster Trivia for making Community Day a tremendous success!

Written by Lauren Hickey, MU Social and Cultural Sciences Multidisciplinary Intern

In celebration of Keith Haring’s birthday May fourth our Spring Community Day was inspired by Haring's Construction Fence, a 1983 gift to the Museum from the artist.

During the 1980s, Haring drew hundreds of chalk images on black paper that covered unused advertising spaces in New York City's subway stations. These iconic images eventually found their way into works of art residing in major museums around the world. Haring's commitment to community and public art is mirrored in the Haggerty Museum of Art's commitment to inclusivity and accessibility. More information about the creation of the Haggerty's Construction Fence by Keith Haring can be found at the Google Arts & Culture site.

For this event we decided to try something new! Our goal for this event was to engage youth – adult audiences in art marking to build community on the Marquette campus. To engage our past community partners, we invited all to participate. Partners had the choice of four levels of collaboration:

• Help spread the word about the event.
• Help spread the word about the event and participate with a group from your organization or Marquette department.
• Help spread the word about the event, participate with a group from your organization or Marquette department, and collaboratively plan the event.
• Help spread the word about the event and host a congruent event at their location.

Our partners in the MU Office of Engagement and Inclusion, Learn Deep, Milwaukee Riverkeeper, and Urban Ecology Center helped spread the word about the event. MU Burke Scholarship Program helped spread the word about the event and participated. MU On Your Marq, MU College of Education, MU Student Government, MU Late Night, and UWM ArtsECO helpArtsECOad the word about the event, participated, and collaboratively planned the event. Musekgo Way Musekgo and Sixteenth Street Community Center helped spread the word about the event and hosted a congruent event on West Forest Home Avenue with additional partners: Safe & Sound, Wisconsin Bike Fed and Southside Organizing Center.

Pay the Devil played two hour-long sets, the first inside the museum, and the second outside so sidewalk chalkers couchalkers the music while they created!

Our partners at Wolf Studios brought two amazing performers, vocalist Tanya Reed and American Idol Contestant Felix Ramsey, to our outdoor stage near the Alumni Memorial Union AMU building in the afternoon.

The planning team recommended our three black owned food truck partners: BeBe’s Bistro, Africa’s Finest Cuisine, and Twisted Plants.

The weather was perfect to grab some lunch, make some art and enjoy some live music.

Milwaukee area families, Friends of the Haggerty, Marquette students, staff and faculty, and Marquette alumni worked together to decorate 93 sidewalk squares cutting across the heart of campus between the Haggerty and the AMU.

We are thankful for our partners and over 300 people that attended.

Mark your calendar for our next Community Day: October 8, 2022! We will be celebrating themes from our Fall exhibition, J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript.

We start planning our Community Day events months ahead of time. Our partners were thrilled to collaborate on our Community Day event celebrating our Fall 2021 exhibition María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Sea and Self and Hispanic Heritage Month. You can learn more about the artist Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons on our digital interpretive space.

We invite partners early in our planning process so each can co-create this bi-annual event. Each partner decides what they would like to do, make, or celebrate during the day. De La Bunea perforBuneawo hour-long sets during the day.

Adekola AdedAdekolaeAdedapoultural Programs Coordinator/African American Student Engagement, from the International & Intercultural Center at Alverno College worked with Alverno students to create community altars celebrating four different cultures.

Each altar included information so visitors could explore the altar with context.

For example Stephanie Y. Becerra, a Studio Art Major, Doherty Scholar and Gallery Docent, created the Dia de los Muertos altar:

"In some Hispanic cultures families create altars to commemorate loved ones who have passed or people we’ve personally looked up to who have passed. We believe that on the day of the dead the spirits of those who’ve passed come back for two days to visit the living. These two days are November 1st and 2nd. On these altars we place offerings that they enjoyed when they were still alive. Some offer just fruits and veggies but in most personal altars people place hot meals, alcohol, deserts, etc. We also sometimes place some of the belongings of the person to remind them we still keep them close. The marigold flowers, also called CempasuchitlCempasuchitlhow fragile life is since they bloom in summer and die in fall. They are also used to guide spirits to the altar since they are so bright and vibrant. Just remember that these altars are meant to commemorate the dead in a respectful way."

Our friends at Sixteen Street Community Health Center led an identity collage portrait activity.

The young and the young at heart were all proud of their creations!

Brenda Cárdenas, AsCárdenasProfessor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and co-creator of the Letras Latinas inaugural Pintura : PaPinturaPainting : Word) writing workshop, discussed the tradition of ekphrasis--cekphrasisriting inspired by the visual arts--and gave pointers on various ways you might approach writing a poem or story inspired by Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons' work in Sea and Self in this video:

Marquette University's Latin American Student Organization (LASO) decoraLASOsugar skull cookies and colored skulls. 

We are thankful to our partners and the 111 people that attended. Mark your calendar for our next Community Day May 7, 2022!

In March 2017 local environmental artist Melanie Ariens and fArienster scientist Carmen Aguliar led AguliarMarks walk from Acosta Middle School (AMS) to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s (UWM) School of Freshwater Sciences. AMS students and teachers, as well as neighborhood residents, explored Blue/Green infrastructure on both the United Community Center (UCC) Campus and in the neighborhood—such as rain gardens, green roofs, and pervious pavement. Ariens and AAriens explAguliarhat these features work to protect Milwaukee’s drinking water, and that Milwaukee is helping lead the charge in protecting water. The walk was followed by discussion and activities at the School of Freshwater Sciences, where students were encouraged to continue their journey of becoming community water leaders. 

Following this walk, Melanie proposed a project to transform nine pillars located in front of the school—and beneath the 94-expressway, at the intersection of 6^th and Washington Streets—into canvases for a collaborative mural. This mural installation was planned to complement the first WaterMarks Marker, which was installed at the newly-built UCC Acosta Middle School. The Marker features the letter A for Agua, Arts, Acosta, and the highest letter-grade that students can achieve. 

Melanie engaged students in all three of AMS’ grade levels through focused sessions that resulted in a co-created final mural design. In fact, Ariens’ initial proposal noted that elements of her plan would be subject to change based on the student input she received.  

Melanie wrote, “I would like to take the students through a mind-mapping process to examine how water affects their lives and their neighborhood and look at possibilities of sharing their knowledge of water with the community. I hope to inspire them to design a meaningful addition to the neighborhood that clearly comes from their voice. The goal is to make students feel empowered and knowledgeable about water facts and issues in Milwaukee. They don’t have to wait to be water leaders, they can start now.” 

Melanie worked with AMS students from March through June 2019, in both science and art classrooms. Each activity was geared to inspire the students, as well lead towards the final mural design.  The artist led the students in a mind-mapping activity exploring how water affects all aspects of their lives, incorporating both English and Spanish terms. During the next session students silkscreenedsilkscreened based on the mind-mapping project that were shaped like water droplets. Every student was able to take a print home, and prints were distributed to the UCC and the Haggerty Museum of Art. Next, students engaged with an interactive watershed model to learn what goes on the land, what goes in the lake, and how this affects both human and aquatic life. This was followed by making Papel PicadoPapeliPicado water critters. The last classroom activity was a photo shoot with students and assorted water-related props, including giant cut-outs of the Great Lakes. These activities were all aggregated into the final mural design. In fact, you just might recognize some of the AMS students pictured in the final murals!

On June 6, 2019 everyone turned out to see the completed work and celebrate with Latino Arts Inc. drumming instructor Cecilio Negron and sNegron the students. Pizza was served, and a ribbon- tying ceremony was performed. Stop by Acosta Middle School to see this project in person! It has brightened and transformed an otherwise gray intersection, and celebrates the creativity and depth of the AMS learning community. Thanks to all who supported and otherwise played a role in the creation of this public art project!

After co-leading the June 9, 2018 WaterMarks walk with Nancy Frank, artist Mollie Oblinger decided to present a proposal for a public art installation during the KKRNIA and SKKRNIAummer Picnic. The proposals from all three artists were so popular that many community members wanted to see all three realized. The Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers subsequently applied for and received funding through a Milwaukee Arts Board grant to support Mollie’s Bird, Bat, and Owl Houses.   

Mollie started by making early pencil drawings after talking to the community about the project.

 

While working on the proposal, Mollie went on bird walks like the June 9 walk to learn, to meet people, and to observe. 

The next step for Mollie was to create digital drawings of the bird, bat, and owl houses.

Mollie then focused on the construction of the Bird, Bat, and Owl Houses, using plans from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website.  Most components were constructed from cedar; however, the posts and bat house were made from exterior grade wood as recommended in the Cornell plans.

Along the way, Mollie realized that she should invest in better dust collection!  But, as she said, “at least cedar smells good.”

The next step was to apply a primer.  Mollie only applied primer to the exterior of the boxes.  While people like bright colors, birds are pretty happy with natural wood. One exception is bats, who need a black box to help keep them warm during Wisconsin’s cold winters.  That is also the reason that Mollie’s bat house faces south.

It was a cold, wet spring in 2019! But Mollie had to keep working in order to be ready for the scheduled May installation.   She used a farmer’s shed and a portable heater to work on the posts. Since there weren’t any lights in the shed, Mollie wore a headlamp on cloudy days.

Indoors, painting the smaller parts was easier.

Mollie took over all of the tables in the studios at Ripon College during the 2019 spring break.

When the houses were ready to install, community members came off their porches to help!  It was a great day, and the support and hard work from everyone was so heartwarming. 

The many people involved that day represented the Haggerty Museum of Art, Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, YouthBuild, YouthBuild River Neighbors in Action.  

Esperanza (a local neighbor) brought everyone lunch. Travis (from KKRNIA) workKKRNIAhard, and Stephanie (from SSCHC) was amazing! 

On May 25, 2019 we celebrated the sculptures during a Garden Day at Pulaski Park. This annual event serves as the opening day of the community garden. Once again, the community really came together and pitched in. This time, they formed a mulch brigade to get the garden ready for planting! Signage was installed on each of the bird and bat house posts, and then Mollie led a tour explaining the unique design of each house. 

 

At the end of the tour, DanceCircus' Betty Salamun led Salamunup in a special water-inspired dance.

 

Mollie Oblinger, Bird, Bat, and Owl Houses, 2019. Six sculptures, wood and acrylic latex paint mounted on wooden posts. Dimensions variable, Installed along the Kinnickinnic River Trail.

Staff from the Haggerty Museum of Art and, Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers were instrumental in making this project possible, as was funding from the Milwaukee Arts Board.  Travis, Esperanza, and all of the KK River Neighbors in Action are the heart and soul of this project. Without their enthusiasm, sweat, and support it would not have been possible!

We spent the afternoon dodging a late April snowstorm while discussing Jones Island and the Milwaukee Harbor with an artist, an urban planner, and thirty deeply committed community members. The walk explored Jones Island with artist Alexis Rockman, and Harbor District, Inc. Planning Director Dan Adams. An exhibition of Alexis Rockman’s work, The Great Lakes Cycle, was on display at the Haggerty Museum of Art from February 8 – May 19, 2019.

Alexis Rockman discussed his interest in exploring the changing natural landscape of America. Mixing research and observational studies, his work seeks to bring awareness to the human impact on the natural environment in and around the Great Lakes area, and beyond. In many ways this work demands a call to action. Participants explored historic images of Jones Island and learned about Milwaukee’s smallest piece of public land, Kaszubes ParKaszubesDan Adams.

Next we heard from Adam Schlicht, Director of the Port of Milwaukee. Adam shared a bit about the partnership between the Port and Harbor District, Inc. Their goal of creating a port experience includes transforming the port area into a choice neighborhood, while maintaining the port as a vibrant economic asset for the community. The port is busy, in 2018 the port carried 2.5 million tons of cargo!

Next Dan spoke about the water reclamation facility. Most of the metro area’s sewage drains through twenty-six miles of deep tunnel system, to this site. The water reclamation facility is the country’s oldest activated sludge plant, and it opened right here in Milwaukee in 1926. Milorganite Milorganitee! Learn more about Milorganite,Milorganitey’s oldest recycling effort, and how we contribute to the process every day. 

Just as the snow started to pick up, we heard a bit more about the Harbor District, Inc. The organization spent two years working with the city to create a Water and Land Use Plan for the area. Check out details on their website here: https://harbordistrict.org/plan/.  Thanks to all that braved the weather to join us!

With our walk series at the KK River concluded, it was now time for residents to vote for their favorite artist proposal to be installed along the new river trail Sixteenth Street Community Health Center’s Environmental Health Department worked to transform. All three artists who led WaterMarks walks communicated with residents and spent lots of time and energy on proposals that reflected what community members expressed they wanted for the space.

Everyone was excited for the picnic where the artists would reveal their final project proposals. When Saturday, July 21st rolled around, grey clouds were making their way across the sky. Rain was in the forecast, and at first this prospect dampened our spirits.  Yet, this year’s art-themed Kinnickinnic River Neighbors in Action and Sixteenth Street Community Center Summer Picnic was destined to draw residents out to celebrate the beautiful natural environment and enjoy food, music, screen-printing, face painting, and last but not least, time for talking to the WaterMarks artists.

The event was a huge success, and it turned out to be a beautiful day with only a few small rain showers. Gabriella Riveros and Riveros Meuninck GanMeuninckyed speaking with people about the ideas for their projects and showing off the beautiful illustrations and proposal materials they brought along. 59 people cast their votes for an artist’s installation, including Alderman José Perez who said all three projects were so wonderful that we needed to find funding for all three! The picnic was a joyful occasion where a community came together to celebrate, enjoy the outdoors, and give voice to their vision for Pulaski Park.

The third WaterMarks walk along the Kinnickinnic River brought our largest group of residents, neighbors, and friends of art and sustainability out to Pulaski Park on a beautiful Thursday evening! We gathered at the Pavilion where Joanna Demas, Land Demaser for the River Revitalization Foundation, and Jessica Meuninck-GanMeuninckir of Arts and Design at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, welcomed participants to the “Re-greening the KK River” walk.

Joanna and Jessica explained the impact of the concrete riverbed on the wellness of the community and landscape, discussing the river’s current state and reputation since the 1960s as a “lost river.” Joanna discussed the goals of the revitalization project and explained how replanting native species in the restoration area would help to naturally control flooding and reduce erosion due to the stronger and larger root structures native plants can achieve. They shared images of the river before its channelization, and the group discussed the river’s relationship with the community in the past as a vibrant hub of recreation and wildlife.

A fun feature of the walk was Biodiversity Bingo, and along the walk, participants asked questions about the trees and plants in the park -- their ages, types, health, and if they would be preserved. The kids especially enjoyed looking for plants and animal species as we walked, and three Bingo winners took home a packet of native plant seeds.

The final walk destination was “Victory Garden” where Jessica set up a demonstration with UWM’s Peck School of the Arts students, who cooked paper fibers from invasive plants removed from the hillside days prior to the event. Jessica’s research at UWM in sustainable practices involves transforming discarded invasive plant specimens as well as growing and harvesting native plants for papermaking papermakings.

Claire LaFontaine, a recent UWM MFA alumna and biologist, described her research in growing native Wisconsin plants for papermaking papermakings. She described the PMF (PaperMaPMF’s Farm) at UWM as an outdoor lab that fosters sustainable research in papercraft ppapercraftParticipants got to glimpse part of the process firsthand and pass around examples of paper made from invasive species such as Japanese knotweed and reed canary grass. This activity led to an exciting discussion about the relationships between arts, culture, and sustainability.

At the conclusion of the walk in the Victory Garden, residents expressed their hopes for the river restoration, and their faith in the project due to their previous relationships with project partners Stephanie of SSCHC and Travis of the KK Neighbors in Action Association.  We are eager to see this project progress!

On June 16th, Patrick Elliot, Senior Project Manager from Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), and iMMSDtrator Gabriela Riveros led RiveroserMarks walk entitled, “River Development and River Myths.” We gathered at Pulaski Park Pavilion on a hot, sunny day, a group of both residents and community members, some of whom worked in the neighborhood.

Patrick talked about the Kinnickinnic River in regards to engineering and development – he spoke of the previous attempts to manage flooding and control the river through design. He also provided a deeper look into the new proposal for the river restoration. Gabriela spoke about water deities from around the world, as examples of how people throughout history have understood the nature of the river, its importance, and the ways it served them. Gabriela began the walk by acknowledging that we are on indigenous land and telling the Ojibwe creation myth of Turtle Island, because it was the Ojibwe that named the KK River.

Patrick and Gabriela led the group down to a river bank that intersected the train tracks. Here, Patrick pointed out some invasive species, such as wild parsnip and talked about how the river restoration plan will include a sizeable area where native species will be replanted and used as a buffer zone to decrease erosion and flooding hazards. He also spoke of 100-year flood events, which describe an amount of rainfall that occurs, on average, once every 100 years. Patrick pointed out the railroad bridge, which stood about 10 feet above the water level, that was once flooded during one of these rare events. 

Here, Gabriela paused and asked us to engage in a brief, silent mediation. She asked the group to pay close attention to the sounds of the river, and we all were transported from a dense urban city to a natural oasis for those brief moments in time. We ended the walk by crossing 16th street, where we stood in the area which was cleared of homes to make room for the restoration.

Residents expressed their concerns for safety during the construction and transition time, and Patrick and Stephanie from Sixteenth Street Community Health Center talked about the temporary trail and public art that will be installed later this year to help unify and activate the green space along the river.

The walk was a fascinating way to reflect on the different perspectives Patrick and Gabriela brought regarding the ways in which people from different cultures and time periods understand and work with rivers.  Water can both take life and give life, and when we try to control the river, it reminds us of its power and finds ways to push back.

On June 9th, community members convened at the Pulaski Park Pavilion on the southside of Milwaukee for the first WaterMarks walk along the Kinnickinnic River. Over the course of the walk, Mollie Oblinger, Associate Professor of Art at Ripon College, and Nancy Frank, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Urban Planning at UWM, led the group through the history of the area of the Kinnickinnic watershed, beginning with the Ice Age in 10,000 BCE and extending into the future. Each stop marked a different point in the history of the watershed and the surrounding neighborhoods, and Mollie and Nancy invited participants to help them present each “timeline stop.” Some attendees were surprised to learn that the neighborhood was once comprised of Polish immigrants, as it is now primarily a Latinx community. Nancy explained how the timeline illustrated "a narrative of the geology, people, and transformations of the land beneath our feet and the river flowing by."

During the walk, she continues, "We honored the PaleoindiansPaleoindiansed this land as the Ice Age melted away, forming Lake Michigan and the Kinnickinnic River.  We recognized the subsequent diversity of indigenous people and the waves of immigrants from Europe and Mexico escaping ethnic and political persecution.  All these people found a home along the banks of the KK." Exploring the rich history of these communities along the river with Nancy and Mollie gave the group a chance to appreciate and honor what has come before, as the neighborhood transforms yet again with the widening of the river and the KK River restoration project led by MMSD.

MollieMMSDustrated how the concrete lining of the river established in the 1960's constrained the river by passing out a blue ribbon, which each participant held as we walked single-file and parallel to the tamed waters. She pointed out the contrast between this movement and the free-flowing movement the river will once again exhibit once the restoration project is complete.

We concluded the walk by sharing hopes for the future of the space using a talking stick, as another way of honoring the traditions of people who had previously inhabited the space we held. Thank you, Mollie and Nancy for helping us reflect on the KK River’s past and helping us envision what is to come!  

The WaterMarks walk series with United Community Center’s Acosta Middle School culminated in the May 8th Workshop, where we gathered at UCC AMS to celebrate what students, teachers, and community members learned through exploring water in their neighborhood. Students also voted on the letter to sit atop the first WaterMarks marker, which will be installed outside of the new UCC AMS building in August 2018.

Three teams of students served as "captains," sharing their new knowledge with peers in a poster-board session and were accompanied by the walk facilitators. We then broke out into three groups, led by the artist and scientist co-facilitators. Here, students were invited to share ideas about improving water management in their neighborhood, based on what they had learned during the walks. Students shared creative and innovative ideas and discussed how painting rain barrels, organizing their own neighborhood cleanup walk, and marking storm grates with aquatic animals could help call attention to the connection between water and the larger ecosystem. We re-convened as a large group where both students and parents shared stories about what water means to them and how it plays a role in recreation, cooking, and special celebrations.

Finally, it was time to count the votes for the letter and concept to represent the role of water in the neighborhood!  The group selected the letter “A” for several reasons; A is for Agua, Acosta, and Art, and it represents the highest grade that a student can receive. The first letter of the alphabet also seemed like an appropriate choice for the inaugural marker at this new pioneering school. We look forward to seeing the marker installed later this year!

WaterMarks celebrated Earth Day on April 22nd, 2018 with another artist and scientist-led community walk. The walk, “Identifying, Understanding, and Envisioning Storm Water Management”, concluded the spring program series with community partner UCC Acosta Middle School. Marquette Civil Engineer PHD Candidate Paige Peters, who is also the founder and CEO of Rapid Radicals Technology, led the walk with Milwaukee artist Colin Matthes, who writes that, “traveling [a] very local and familiar landscape provide[d] the opportunity to introduce the hidden in plain sight architecture of storm water management.”  The walk began outside UCC Acosta Middle School on Washington Avenue with an introduction to the topic by Paige, who is an expert in rapid water treatment and its applications in stormwater management, especially during extreme weather events. Paige notes that "an entire network the footprint of the city lives underground where our wastewater and drinking water infrastructure provides necessary services to taps and toilets, [which allows] us to live in an urban setting."

A scavenger hunt encouraged kids to identify stormwater infrastructure along the route, including manholes, storm grates, downspouts, and pavement types. Walking north toward National Avenue, Colin and Paige stopped to discuss the fish markings on a manhole cover. The fish was accompanied by a sign reading, “Dump No Waste,” alluding to how stormwater travels from the streets through the sewer system and eventually into a fish’s habitat in Lake Michigan.

In making this connection, the kids on the walk became energized to pick up litter from the streets, making a timely Earth Day contribution to cleaner, healthier rivers and lake! The group stopped on National and 7th to discuss a new development that includes designs for green infrastructure such as rain gardens, green space, and, as one of the participants pointed out, possibly a green roof. Participants learned about the importance of integration of water management and green infrastructure in urban development.  At an empty lot, the group envisaged means for homeowners to contribute to a healthier water system by adding landscape features such as vegetation, intentional landscaping, and rain barrels to capture rainwater where it falls. Paige discussed how rain barrels help to reduce stress on the combined sewer system during periods of heavy rainfall. The day ended at Paliafito EcPaliafitork on 3rd and Walker where the group witnessed the epitome of innovative, green infrastructure right in their neighborhood. We concluded the walk with an energizing open discussion on visioning the future of green infrastructure in Milwaukee and how communities can contribute to a sustainable future.

Many thanks to Paige and Colin for spending Earth Day with us and helping us brainstorm how to best manage stormwater in our community!

On March 28th, 2018, 44 UCC Acosta Middle School students, teachers and community members met for the second installment of WaterMarks neighborhood walks. Melanie Ariens, artiAriensresidence for Water Commons, and Dr. Carmen Aguilar, Associate Scientist at UWM School of Freshwater Sciences, teamed up to facilitate a multifaceted exploration of green infrastructure in the neighborhood and its impact on water systems management.

The walk titled, "Hidden Green/Blue," led students from UCC Acosta Middle School to the School of Freshwater Sciences by way of Washington Street, South Polycn StreePolycn Greenfield Avenue. Melanie Ariens stencAriensHidden Blue/Green" logos along the route, which students enjoyed pointing out at each stop along the way. The scientist/artist team pointed out the green roofs at UCC, Bruce Guadalupe, Braise restaurant, 88.9 Radio Milwaukee, the Clock Shadow Building, and the School of Freshwater Sciences as well as raingardens,raingardensls, pervious pavement, and water reclamation systems. Carmen Aguilar was excited "to see students using their knowledge about the water cycle and how that relates to the effects of rain." She started working with rain in North Carolina, looking at the effects on Chesapeake Bay, coastal areas, and open ocean in the Atlantic, and now continues her research in Milwaukee with Lake Michigan.
The walk engaged its audience by heightening awareness of green infrastructure and exploring simple ways to relocate water in concrete-dominated urban environments, highlighting community members and businesses, big and small. Students and community members learned how landscape choices and infrastructure help retain water and prevent runoff, and learned about the Greenfield Avenue Gateway, a fountain designed by UWM architecture professor Jim Wasley that Wasley runoff from the roof of the building.

The walk culminated at the School of Freshwater Sciences where participants viewed a classroom laboratory aquaponics saquaponicsobserved a quagga mussels science experiment that demonstrated the impact of invasive species on Lake Michigan. Melanie then lead a hands-on activity where students used origami to create a pamphlet about the Great Lakes. At the end of the day, everyone received a blue marble which represented the importance of water and put the "earth" in the palm of their hand.

Many thanks to Carmen and Melanie for sharing their knowledge and helping us become active stewards of water systems in our own neighborhoods!

On November 7, 2017 more than twenty-five students, teachers, interested community members, folks from local non-profits, and WaterMarks project partners gathered after school at UCC Acosta Middle School for the inaugural WaterMarks neighborhood walk. The interdisciplinary walk was facilitated by visual artist and longtime Walker’s Point resident Jill Sebastian and environmental engineer Justin Hegarty, director of Reflo - Sustainable Water Solutions.  Sebastian and Hegarty invited walk participants to uncover “hidden water stories” in the surrounding area.
In the heavily reshaped environ of Walker's Square, the walk explored the disjuncture between the historic natural water pathways and the legacy of industry and infrastructure on our current perceptions. At Walker Square Park, the group explored how the surrounding water and landscape in the area has changed due to human activity. They then followed storm drainage to a man-made canal sculpted from a landfilled Mlandfilledalley. The walk circled the massive I-94 interchange, allowing participants to consider its environmental and social impacts on the neighborhood. Cement dominates the area, burying from view the presence of birds seeking sanctuary among the ruins of factories.
Sebastian reflected, “As an artist who generally works in public space, I had exempted myself from doing projects where I live. Having been attracted by the diversity and grittiness of Walker's Point, I admit to rather liking it the way it is. However, that is changing around me, and like my neighbors, I am challenged by questions of gentrification. As I do with projects I have done elsewhere, I complemented my direct observations, in this case over 25 years, with research that filled out the questions I ruminate upon - things that catch and hold my curiosity. How has what we see come into being? What forces, commerce and habitation, have formed the unique character of how we live here?  The environmental engineering perspective that Justin Hegarty provided deepened my understanding of what we cannot see and what we might do.”
The group wondered—how can the ample water resources that were exploited in the late 19th and early 20th century be revealed to enhance our densely populated urban-scape? How might we live more responsibly here? In the area, local schools are becoming sites of responsibly—reclaiming green space from pavement. Under sections of the high overpass, one finds evidence of adaptive community engagement—activating underutilized spaces that currently work as barriers to community cohesion. As the group returned to their starting point, they explored historical photographs and discussed how local water use—and misuse—speaks to the potential power of water in an urban context.
The first WaterMarks maker will be installed at UCC Acosta Middle School in summer 2018.  In the coming months, we invite you to join us—along with Milwaukee-area artists and scientists—in considering how we can all become active partners in recognizing water as a resource that is vital to both life and general well-being throughout the region.