Dialing Up: To reach its goal of $40,000 to build a radio tower, Riverwest Radio is hosting a series of fundraisers, including a recent fun-filled art auction at the iconic Polish Falcon. More than 75 local and national artists contributed to the cause, with many of the artists on hand. They included Suzanne Rosenblatt, with her husband, Adolph, an artist; Nick Frank; Melissa Scherrer and Mike Paré; Chuck Quarino; Naomi Shersty; Anne Powell; Eriks Johnson and Jenny Heyden. Entertaining were musicians Ian Powell and George Darrow, Eric “Blowtorch” Beaumont, DJ Paul Finger and the Jon Burks Band.
Xav Leplae, the force behind Riverwest Radio, hosted along with board member/assistant manager Caitlin Reading, and Tara Gallagher, one of the 45 weekly on-air personalities. From the neighborhood were Katie Jesse of People’s Books, Centro Cafe’s Peg Karpfinger and Pat Moore, plus designer Barb Paulini, Peter Goldberg and Dr. Mary Washburne and Bob Boucher.
A Grand Welcome: More than 250 guests flooded Potawatomi Hotel and Casino’s Serenity Room to welcome Peter Holbrook, the Cream City Foundation’s new president and CEO. Board member Dan Sawall did the welcomes and thanked artists who contributed silent auction items, such as Terry Coffman, there with Nell Thorpe, Pamela Anderson and T.C. Hoffman. Board President Paul Milakovich outlined the foundation’s philanthropic accomplishments and thanked Jim Schleif, leaving the board after 13 years, and board members Renee Kirnberger of Potawatomi and activist Griselda Aldrete.
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Holbrook gave a delightful speech, saying that after an illustrious career, “This is where I belong.” He gave a nod to his family, including Tom Hoffman, his husband and the organization’s “first husband.” Holbrook brought Michael Johnston to the fore to announce the formation of the Michael Johnston’s Valentine Fund, underwriting the art therapy program at AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (ARCW), and Dan Mueller, ARCW’s development director.
In the crowd were Elaine Maly and Tom Taubert; Chuck Kahn and Patti Keating Kahn, a recent Historic Milwaukee honoree; public relations consultant Tracey Carson and her husband, Bill Zaferos, public information manager for Milwaukee County Board; Dashal Young, Milwaukee County outreach specialist; and the Zizzo Group’s Christina Steder. Winner of two Southwest Airlines tickets was Tonya Mantilla, there with pal LG Shanklin-Flowers.
Afterwards, B&D stopped downstairs at the hotel’s spiffy Locavore bar for a bit of bubbly and delicious Korean meatballs, whipped up by chef Van Luu and served by bartenders LaToya White and Ann Hancock.
Honoring Women: In honor of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, the Grand Avenue Club hosted “The Women Behind the Paint: Colleen Kassner & Friends.” Executive Director Rachel Foreman introduced Kassner, who discussed her 15-year journey as an artist and the importance of the Grand Avenue Club, thanking her supportive photographer husband, Philo.
Kassner’s paintings, some whimsical, some dark, included beautiful portraits of Milwaukee women including her own daughter, Briana Shoop, as well as Debra Fabian, Della Wells, Susan Krause and Carol Curley. Admiring the display were Doug and Mary Krimmer, Angel French, Rosie Hartmann, artist Michael Flasch, painter/poet Tim Kloss, Iuliia Levchuk, Gigi Pomerantz of Youthaiti, poet/singer Harvey Taylor and photographer Art Elkon.
Poet Discourse: Express Yourself Milwaukee (ExYo MKE) hosted poet, former inmate and teacher Jimmy Santiago Baca to work with at-risk youth. A documentary about his gripping life story, A Place to Stand, was shown at the Oriental Theatre, with him fielding questions post-movie. Also on stage were the organization’s co-director Lori Vance, Milwaukee County Children’s Court Judge Mary Triggiano and poet Kwabena Antoine Nixon.
Fellow poets on hand were Muhibb Dyer and Dasha Kelly, plus musician John Sieger, with his wife, Linsey, and Victor and Dawn Barnett from Running Rebels. From ExYo MKE were co-director Daisy Bouman, Barb Wesson, KT Rusch, George Jones, Muneer Bahauddeen, David Wake and Holly Haebig and newest staffer Ammar Nsoroma.
Enjoying the film were We Energies’ Jennifer Morrison, Grace and Tony Navarro, Jerry Roberts and Mary Osmundsen from Bader Philanthropies, Randall Harlan with Enterforce, Mount Mary University’s Lynn Kapitan, activist Bill Sell, Rodney Sanchez, and Secily Clason of Outpost Natural Foods, soon heading to Mount Mary University.
Irish Shenanigans: The Irish were at it again for this Green Season, with parades, dancing and the always-popular blowout parties hosted by “Irish” Mary Kelly, her 49th annual “Gathering of the Leprechauns,” and Dubliner Frank O’Dwyer of Gaelic Web. Irish Consul General Aidan Cronin, based in Chicago, visited Milwaukee Irish Fest’s offices, talking with local notables about the pending international centennial fête marking the Irish Rebellion and founding of the Republic. Festians on hand were Executive Director Patrick Boyle, Ed and Cathy Ward, Colleen Kennedy, Jeff Ksiazek and Barry Stapleton. Others included Celtic Women International’s Jean Bills, Shamrock Club of Wisconsin’s Brian Witt, the Hibernians’ Shawn Lundie, Gary Schneider of the Emerald Society, architect Tadhg McInerney and UW-Milwaukee’s John Gleeson and José Lanters.
If you have any tips for Boris and Doris, contact them at borisanddorisott@aol.com. Their next column will appear in the April 2 issue of the Shepherd.
