Express Yourself Milwaukee
Lori Vance is a therapist, but not in a traditional sense. The director of Express Yourself Milwaukee (ExYoMKE) spends her days helping at-risk students create art. After SOUL 2017, this year’s spring performance of dance, music and on-stage painting, ExYo left their former studio on 34th and Lisbon for a spacious third-floor space overlooking Downtown at 13th and Vine above Running Rebels, a fellow nonprofit devoted to helping youth succeed. These two community organizations have history together, as ExYo’s first studio shared space with the group.
What do you like about this new studio compared to the old?
It’s brighter; it’s bigger. One of the artists said this summer when he first came in, “You know, when you look out over the city it feels like it’s yours.” What a great feeling for kids, to look out and see the whole Downtown area.
Do you think the move will have an impact on participation?
I think coming here is going to be easier because it’s a familiar youth-serving space. We haven’t had any problems with people transitioning. Our first move to 34th and Lisbon really helped us solidify our organizational identity, and now kind of rejoining with Running Rebels has really exciting potential for growth for the organization. I don’t anticipate kids having a problem finding us.
What will you miss about the old space?
We had a pop-up gallery across the street from our studio there. We were just talking about what we’re going to do to replace that. But I’m really interested in how we stay connected to the work that we did there.
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How does ExYo use art as a means of therapy?
What I learned early on is that a lot of kids in Wisconsin, if they don’t have family resources, access mental health programs through Corrections; they get expelled from school, they start hanging out with the wrong kids, they get in trouble, they get arrested and held, and therein lies a negative path for kids. It’s not that simple, but our basis as a mental health provider is to look at what the basic premise is for mental health—and that’s being safe. So our mission is to create a creative space where it’s safe for youth to share who they really are with each other.
How did the idea for ExYo come about?
We’re an affiliate of a national program out of Boston and our parent organization is funded from the Department of Mental Health. But I’m a therapist, and when Sept. 11 happened, my kids were in Milwaukee Public Schools and I thought, “There’s a war zone here.” Things changed from then. ExYo’s model is that every group has a team of regular volunteers, so no one person holds an answer for another person. Kids can join at whatever level they’re safe. I feel like safety is a process.
What about ExYo’s connection to the art community?
Our work is a collaboration between the youth and professional artists, so it has the flavor of both. It has an aesthetic quality that a professional artist brings, but the energy and the themes of the youth that are engaged in it.
ExYo puts on an annual show at the Miller High Life Theater. Do you also have events through the year?
We have a monthly Good EATS (Expressions At The Studio), which is an open mic. I’ve had people call and say, “What are you serving tonight?” Uhh, poetry and music. But it’s not just poetry; it’s multi-art. So if there’s visual art being worked on, that’ll be displayed, too. It’s a very warm and safe place to share creative energy. Everyone is invited to attend as audience members or performers.
Good EATS takes place on the second Friday of every month, 5-7 p.m. at the ExYoMKE Studio, 1300 W. Fond du Lac Ave. On Friday, Dec. 8, from 5-7 p.m., join the ExYo artists and staff for a special open house celebration with open mic, artist showcase, holiday snacks and art making. To learn more about the organization, visit exyomke.org.
