Photo courtesy of Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts
Theo Merrieweather Quartet at Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts
Southeast Wisconsin can claim several visual and performing arts centers that stand apart as destinations for residents from across the state and northern Illinois. But Milwaukee and adjacent counties are also home to many active centers with a more local, even neighborhood focus. All are worth keeping an eye on for programming that adds color to greater Milwaukee’s cultural tapestry.
Arts @ Large
1100 S. Fifth St.
In 2019, Arts @ Large raised its profile by opening a gallery-studio-class space and café in a rehabbed historic Walker’s Point building. The organization offers programs specifically tailored to local schools that incorporate experiential learning through arts activities. More than 20% of students in Arts @ Large’s programs have special needs; the majority of kids touched by the programs are faced with poverty and are non-white. Last spring, Black Box Fund and Arts @ Large will distribute 6,000 free “My Art Bag” kits to children in underserved areas of Milwaukee. Arts @ Large Café is open for counter or curbside pickup.
Cedarburg Cultural Center
W62 N546 Washington Ave.
Take a stroll down the main avenue in historic downtown Cedarburg and you’ll find the Cedarburg Cultural Center, a crossroads for arts and entertainment. For over 35 years, the CCC has provided a free gallery with frequently changing exhibits, surrounding performance space, which features music, theater, comedy and educational presentations. And then, the Age of Pandemic showed up. “The CCC has been innovating to stay current during this unprecedented time,” says Kathy Lanser, talking for the CCC “We offered a safely distanced outdoor concert series to support a diverse line-up of local bands all summer with guaranteed small-capacity events.” Right now, art exhibits are virtual, explains Lanser. So, here’s a way to safely visit the CCC and take in some art.
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Inspiration Studios
1500 S. 73rd St.
Housed in a rehabbed, historic West Allis building, Inspiration Studios includes an art gallery and performance space. The gallery recently mounted an exhibition by West Allis folk artist Ronni Shmauz and the performance hall has been the site of concerts by a diverse array of Milwaukee area musicians and dancers. After moving to West Allis from Wauwatosa, the long-running Village Playhouse theater became an anchor tenant. The Playhouse’s Elizabeth Havican recently called Inspiration Studios’ owner Erico Ortiz “amazing” for “working with us through this difficult time.”
Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts
926 E. Center St.
The Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts strives to build “community through opportunities to create, present, and experience the visual and performing arts in an open, collaborative environment,” explains director Mark Lawson. The center boasts a fairly new, inviting website and a redesigned logo, which now adorns a large black sign over the entrance. Honoring its namesake venue, a community-oriented jazz night club, the JGCA still embraces jazz alongside hip-hop, experimental and indie-folk music, as well as the visual arts. The center is raising funds for an 18-track recording system for “sharing of recordings” at the venue, through streaming and perhaps a recording catalog.
Latino Arts
1028 S. Ninth St.
Ensconced in a gallery and auditorium within the sprawling United Community Center campus, Latino Arts has hosted performances by touring Latinx musicians and mounted exhibitions of visual art. It’s especially recognized for its annual Dia de los Muertos exhibit, usually featuring installations by local artists and contributions from Mexico’s consulate in Milwaukee. “The vision goes back to Walter Sava,” says UCC Executive Director Laura Gutierrez, referring to her predecessor who guided the facility from 1989 through 2002. “He wanted to make sure that culture was embedded in UCC. Part of our job is to foster creativity!”
Courtesy of the Racine Art Museum
Racine Art Museum
441 Main St., Racine
RAM holds the largest contemporary craft collection in North America, with more than 9,500 objects from nationally and internationally recognized artists. “RAM collects artists with regional, national and international reputations in craft media,” explains Bruce Pepich, RAM Executive Director. “[RAM] frequently collects major figures in-depth with multiple pieces representing a span of years in their careers.” Founded in 2003, RAM plays a significant role in arts education in Racine through its Wustum Museum, where it offers community outreach programs, studio art classes and workshops. Currently, there is programming for all second and fifth grade students. Adds Pepich: “Based on the impressive response RAM has received to its entry into virtual programming, RAM expects to maintain a suitable portion of its programs online into the future even when in-person participation becomes possible again.”
Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts
3270 Mitchell Park Drive, Brookfield
With its ample parking and purpose-built structure nestled in a 400-acre park, the Wilson Center has given Waukesha County residents an opportunity to witness performances by some of Milwaukee’s top performing arts groups within a short drive from home. The Wilson Center is a hub for arts education and runs Beyond the Classroom programs with area schools. It has also been a venue for national touring acts ranging from Roseanne Cash and Suzanne Vega to the Kronos Quartet and the Venice Baroque Orchestra. Last summer, that parking lot became the site of drive-through concerts by Milwaukee groups.
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South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center
901 15th Ave., South Milwaukee
SMPAC was founded in 2004 and is designed to serve and work in conjunction with the South Milwaukee School District. Until the pandemic in early 2020, it hosted, managed or produced more than 500 events annually, including an annual Performing Arts Series, student matinées, educational workshops and community outreach events. “Our mission is to provide creative, innovative and diverse performing arts experiences and lifelong learning experiences for people of all ages,” says Rachel M. Sorce, SMPAC Executive Director. “It relates to today's programming in the same sense that it always has, but with an interesting layer due to the pandemic. That layer for us has been flexibility in an unpredictable environment.”
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
2220 N. Terrace Ave.
An Italian-style villa on the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan, Villa Terrace is interesting to visit for its architecture and interior design, and it has been the site of interesting exhibits such as the recent “The Trajectory Series,” which maneuvers within the slippery territory between fine art and science. The onetime residence is available for weddings and other events. In the summer months, Villa Terrace becomes a neighborhood gathering place for its Sunday morning series in the museum’s courtyard, which is dominated by a statue of Mercury, messenger of the gods. Café Sopra Mare features coffee, pastries and live, low-amplitude music in a variety of styles and genres.
Walker’s Point Center for the Arts
839 S. Fifth St.
WPCA was founded in 1987 and has been a community resource for more than 30 years, providing a voice and advocacy to underrepresented artists in Milwaukee and the surrounding communities. Its main gallery hosts seven to eight exhibitions annually, including in-house curated and collaborative shows with local, national and international art groups. In addition, there are a number of free or affordable youth arts education programs. A central part of the WCPA mission is to “prioritize BIPOC and LGBTQ voices” in its work. Art, community, education; that’s Walker’s Point Center for the Arts.
