Milwaukee native and photojournalist Nick Hansen
Milwaukee native Nick Hansen is creating photo journalistic work throughout the black community under the alias Art Saves Lives MKE. He preaches that art can be a bridge. He feels a calling to tell the stories of those that live in the urban space.
Who is Nick Hansen?
I’m Nick Hansen, the artist, the MIAD [Milwukee Institute of Art and Design] grad, 30-something, who’s been doing art for a long time. I am behind the photojournalism of Art Saves Lives MKE but I am not solely a photo journalist. I paint murals, I illustrate and I have a repertoire of visual creative skills. I grew up in Milwaukee, on the edge of Bay View, with one parent, and poverty was something I could relate to. Art and sketchbooks were my thing. Art stopped me from doing the other stuff. I know how art can save lives because it saved my own life. I’m from what the phrase is: Art Saves Lives.
How did Art Saves Lives MKE come to be?
About a year ago I shifted my Facebook name to Art Saves Lives MKE and formulated the new website. I’m in transformation and transition. Last year I ended up buying a Nikon camera on Black Friday. It was post-Sherman Park and I thought, “How am I going to respond to this artistically? I have to buy this Nikon camera.” And I started taking pictures. These started with community murals with Tia Richardson who said, “It’s bigger than me or Heal the Hood.” I also met Dominic Inouye of Zip MKE, which was a strong impetus in showing me how photojournalism and art can change a community. Art Saves Lives MKE is about community and reflecting true stories of what art can do.
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What sparked your transition as a creative?
During the years after getting out of MIAD, where I studied illustration and painting, I focused on automotive illustrations and paintings. In the past year, my work has shifted into more of a focus on education, art and activism. I’m also an art educator at Milwaukee Environmental Sciences Academy and I’ve just been struck by the community. I think the combination of getting away from Nick Hansen to Art Saves Lives MKE and Sherman Park was really important to me. All these years I’m doing this cool hot rod art, it just felt like it wasn’t having the passion and soul to tell stories that are really important. Nina Simone says, “An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times.” Hot rods are great and I could be a greaser until I’m 50 but how is that affecting anything? Especially when I’m so immersed in the urban black community.
How does working in art education affect your work?
As an educator, things aren’t perfect, Milwaukee’s not perfect, the education system isn’t perfect and I’m not perfect. Part of Art Saves Lives MKE is telling the positive stories of the urban black community and the beauty I see, but when I look at the politics of the education system it can be painful. This has helped me tell the stories in the work I’m creating.
What is the purpose of Art Saves Lives MKE?
My goal was to take up this camera as an artist, an educator and a lover of the Afro-African American community. What I’ve seen as an art teacher are stories and beauties and truths. I feel like Milwaukee is two cities: one that’s on the lakefront and, on the other side of the interstate, it’s a whole other city. I work as a teacher in these cities. I enjoy them, I’ve seen a lot of beautiful families, but I now have a camera. I’m going to photojournalize. I’m using a camera to tell the stories of urban Milwaukee and the black community.
What is your dream for Art Saves Lives MKE?
My God-sized dream is to have a free physical space called “Creation Station” as an open arts studio where Art Saves Lives MKE has art materials for the black youth to paint or express. A professional role model would inspire and give slight direction to them to explore within the visual arts, no curriculum. I want to have an artistic visual safe haven where they can realize that doing this art is not just a craft but something that, if they express themselves wisely enough and get their imagination going enough, can save their lives.
For more information, visit artsaveslivesmke.wordpress.com.
