Photo by Blaine Schultz
Cactus Club - New Entrance
The new ramp at the main entrance of the Cactus Club in Bay View
Kelsey Kaufmann says she saw it happen like everyone else. Cactus Club has been raising funds for accessibility improvements to the 140-year-old legendary Bay View music venue and community space to make it compliant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
In May the city surprised the club with a $20,000 bill for a curb bump out project. This month Cactus Club made a pitch on social media; a request that if the club’s Instagram followers all donated $1, the project would be covered.
The “it” Kaufmann mentions was seeing the donation thermometer recognize a $20,000 gift from Jack White. His band The Whites Stripes played Cactus back in 1999. That opening slot for Milwaukee band The Mistreaters was The Whites Stripes first show outside Detroit.
Community Collaboration
Star power aside, Kaufmann stresses the importance of and gratitude for the hundreds of other people who donated and have been part of the solution.
The ramp project addresses a need and support came from a number of areas: donations from individuals, grants and benefit shows—including Bully, ESG and White himself.
Kaufmann noted an important component of the project was framing the accompanying ramp as an art project, That allowed funding from Ruth Arts, the foundation that honors Ruth DeYoung Kohler II.
Despite few opportunities in Wisconsin for art funding, there are seemingly even fewer opportunities for funding accessibility improvements.
Allowing the concrete time to cure, Kaufmann says Cactus Club plans a celebration on August 20 from 4-7 p.m.
