Photo via Cactus Club
Cactus Club Film Screening
If you have any sort of streaming service, you’re generally seeing the plus sign more than you ever have before, math classes excluded. At Cactus Club, however, the plus sign will mean much more than digital content, beginning this weekend. Saturday will mark the soft launch of Cactus+, a nonprofit arts and education organization created by the Bay View staple.
Since taking over ownership of Cactus Club in February 2020, Kelsey Kaufmann and her staff have worked to make the venue an inclusive community space, in addition to its role as an integral music venue to the Milwaukee scene and beyond. Cactus+ is the next evolution of that initiative.
“The organization will broaden the scope of our youth-centered industry assistantships, guest curation and multimedia arts community building” said Kaufmann. “In addition to programming, we are working to improve accessibility on-site with the addition of a ramp to the front door and accessible bathrooms.”
In many ways, Cactus+ is an umbrella to involve some of the existing programming that the club has launched in the last two years, and an opportunity to expand upon that. Core tenants of that programming are the Moving Image film program, which focuses on experimental film projects, and the Cactus Club Video Series, which pairs local videographers with Milwaukee artists of all genres for music video projects. In keeping with the theme of inclusivity, the club has already made their upcoming ADA accessibility plans available online. The venue is actively working towards an accessibility ramp and bathrooms in a two-phase plan to meet ADA standards.
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To commemorate the launch of Cactus+, the club will be hosting an indoor and outdoor party on Saturday, with music beginning at 4 p.m. for an all-ages crowd. The indoor portion of the event will begin at 8 p.m. for patrons over 18. A bill featuring six acts, three indoors and three outdoors, will feature Tru West, Bug Moment, Graham Hunt and more. The event is in lieu of Beet Street, the club’s annual fall harvest festival.
As has been the case for most weekends at Cactus Club, local vendors will be present in addition to a great lineup of Milwaukee music. Frequent food truck vendor Frida’s Cocina will be set up outside of the club, with seasonal drinks, both alcoholic and N/A, available at the bar. A photo booth from Aura Portraits will be on hand to document the day’s festivities.
For those looking to get involved with Cactus+, information will be made available at Saturday’s launch event. Community partners including Girls Rock MKE, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin and many more will also be on site. For more information on Cactus+ or Saturday’s launch event, visit the Cactus Club website.
