ART GALLERY (NON-MUSEUM)
Redline Milwaukee 1422 N. Fourth St. 414-491-9088 redlinemilwaukee.com
RedLine Milwaukee is a “501(c)(3)” organization dedicated to fostering the arts in Milwaukee and bolstering their connection with the community. The organization is housed in ample 22,000-square-foot facilities spread over three-stories and including an exhibition space, artist studios, a community print shop, dye lab and papermaking studio. The exhibition space is a venue for both emerging and upcoming Milwaukee artists, often emphasizing art concerned with issues of social justice. (Tyler Friedman)
Runners-up: Gallery 218 Portrait Society Gallery Landmarks Gallery
ART MUSEUM
Milwaukee Art Museum 700 N. Art Museum Drive mam.org
The perennial winner in this category keeps getting bigger. In recent years, the Milwaukee Art Museum added 25,000 square feet to its gallery space, allowing it to display an additional thousand artworks. New galleries are dedicated to Haitian art, monumental sculptures, American folk art and photography. The main space in the landmark Calatrava addition—whose soaring spires are a symbol of Milwaukee—is the site of many interesting traveling exhibitions ranging from the work of living artists to explorations of historic periods. (Morton Shlabotnik)
Runners-up: Charles Allis Art Museum Grohmann Museum Haggerty Museum of Art Museum of Wisconsin Art
CHURCH FESTIVAL
Saint Gregory The Great Parish Festival 3160 S. 63rd St.
They’ve been hosting a summer festival for more than 60 years and recent times have featured the Catholic church fest format of rides, cover bands, karaoke, games, raffles, an outdoor mass and—of course—fish frys and other dinners food. Recent years have seen the addition of Mexican dishes to the menu. (Morton Shlabotnik)
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Runners-up: Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Our Lady Of Lourdes Saint Rita Primary School St. Sava Serbian Days
DANCE COMPANY
Photo credit: Paul Ruffolo
Danceworks, Inc. 1661 N. Water St. 414-227-8480 danceworksmke.org
A groundbreaking professional contemporary dance company, a school with more than 85 classes in every style for every age group, and a community service providing intergenerational programs, a youth performance company, a bold platform for experiment, an intelligent tap company and the citywide Mad Hot Tap and Ballroom school programs, Danceworks touches many lives. Danceworks Performance Company under director Dani Kuepper is especially celebrated for its highly inventive collaborative works with area artists of all disciplines. (John Schneider)
Runners-up: Catey Ott Dance Collective Milwaukee Ballet Panadanza
LOCAL RADIO PERSONALITY
Bob Uecker
Generations of Milwaukee Brewers fans have never known a world where Bob Uecker wasn’t the voice of the franchise, so it can be easy to take the 83-year-old legend for granted. Every so often, then, it’s helpful to step back to appreciate just what a miracle it is that somehow one of the funniest, most iconic sports broadcasters of all time decided to devote his entire career to one of the smallest markets in baseball. No matter how many times he tells the same stories, they’ll always be worth hearing. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-up: Dori Zori Justin Barney Marcus Doucette
LOCAL TV PERSONALITY
Katie Crowther
Local TV news shows follow a similar format here and across the nation. Choosing a favorite often comes down to personality. This year, our readers chose Katie Crowther of Today’s TMJ 4. Reporting as well as working the anchor desk, Crowther brings an unfailing cheerfulness to the news—except when the subject demands a more serious tone. Generally, she radiates optimism in the face of unpredictable weather, crime and traffic incidents and an up-and-down Packer season. (David Luhrssen)
Runners-up: Bob Uecker Brian Anderson John McGivern Mark Baden
MILWAUKEE AUTHOR
John Gurda
This year, John Gurda had a diverse cast of competitors, include local self-help author Neil Panosian, nationally known novelist-playwright Ayad Akhtar and, well, me, a cultural historian when not busy penning Best of Milwaukee blurbs for the Shepherd Express. Gurda appears unassailable for this award and with good reason: He has done more than anyone to raise awareness of Milwaukee’s unique heritage. (David Luhrssen)
Runners-up: Ayad Akhtar David Luhrssen Neil Panosian
MOVIE THEATER
Landmark Oriental Theater 2230 N. Farwell Ave. 414-276-5140
The Oriental Theatre is one of a kind among surviving movie palaces. A unique and monumental architectural hodge-podge of Near East and Far East, the building’s integrity was preserved when it was converted into a triplex (you’d never know it wasn’t constructed that way). In recent decades programming has largely been devoted to indie, foreign and non-mainstream films. One imagines its trajectory will continue in June when the Milwaukee Film Festival assumes the lease on the historic cinema. (David Luhrssen)
Runners-up: Avalon Atmospheric Theater & Lounge Marcus Ridge Cinema Rosebud Cinema Drafthouse
MUSEUM (NON-ART)
Milwaukee Public Museum 800 W. Wells St. 414-278-2728 mpm.edu
Even as it looks toward the future in a new location, the Milwaukee Public Museum remains a local institution. A cutting-edge natural history museum when it opened in 1962, the most popular exhibit remains the newly-remodeled Streets of Old Milwaukee. With 19th century-era storefronts and homes, it truly is a walk through the lost days of the Cream City. Be sure to stop by the Nickelodeon for a picture show and the candy shop for post-movie treat. (Matthew J. Prigge)
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Runners-up: Chudnow Museum Of Yesteryear Discovery World North Point Lighthouse
OUTDOOR FESTIVAL
Courtesy of Summerfest
Summerfest summerfest.com
In a city that prides itself on its many festivals, none looms larger than Summerfest, the city’s flagship gathering. Over the last decade, the festival has updated its grounds, expanded its food offerings and freshened up and diversified its music lineups. Even as new festivals have sprung up all over the country, Summerfest remains one of a kind: an 11-day blowout that offers something for everyone. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-up: Irish Fest PrideFest Wisconsin State Fair
RADIO STATION
radiomilwaukee.com
88.9FM WYMS (Radio Milwaukee)
Radio Milwaukee’s DJs offer a charmingly eclectic mix of rock, hip-hop, soul, indie and electronic music, but where the station really has really distinguished itself is through its embrace of Milwaukee music, which it seamlessly integrates into its playlist. That platform has proved invaluable for the local music scene: Now bands that might have previously struggled for exposure are reaching a wide, loyal listenership, helping fuel newfound enthusiasm for Milwaukee’s music scene. It’s amazing what a difference one station can make. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-up: 96.5FM WKLH 91.7FM WMSE 89.7FM WUWM
STAGE ACTOR
John McGivern
Few Milwaukeeans have made the leap from local stages to local television quite as seamlessly as John McGivern, the actor/comedian behind some of the city’s most popular one-man shows. For those who’ve never seen him on stage, McGivern may now be best known for his Milwaukee Public Television series “Around the Corner,” a lighthearted but informational tour of Wisconsin towns and neighborhoods. Its sixth season featured episodes on West End, Eagle River, Fish Creek and Beloit, among other destinations. (Evan Rytlewski)
Runners-up: James Carrington James Pickering Robby McGhee
STAGE ACTRESS
Angela Iannone
Working for a variety of companies in Milwaukee and elsewhere, Angela Iannone erases the distinction between actor and character. In her 2014 performance for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s Master Class, for example, she didn’t simply evoke opera legend Maria Callas but willed her into being on stage. She was seen most recently in the Milwaukee Rep’s production of A Christmas Carol at the Pabst Theater. (David Luhrssen)
Runners-up: Gretchen Mahkorn Michelle White Rachael Zientek
THEATER COMPANY
Milwaukee Repertory Theater 108 E. Wells St. 414-224-9490 milwaukeerep.com
First-rate acting, directing and designing are givens on the Rep’s three stages. The thoughtful programming aims to strengthen relationships with a range of communities. The company has made itself an example of cultural inclusiveness and is working toward gender equality. A commitment to fostering playwrights is producing more world premieres. There are exciting commissions for new works from the brilliant Milwaukee native Ayad Akhtar and the brilliant African American playwright Dael Orlandersmith. (John Schneider)
Runners-up: All-In Productions Milwaukee Chamber Theatre Renaissance Theaterworks Skylight Music Theatre
