art attack: my "mini" summer gallery night

It's hard to believe it's been a quarter of a year since my epic adventures at Spring Gallery Night (photo above depicts the first of what would be many beers). I'm definitely toning it down for summer, have to watch my spending for my impending Europe trip and am running the Sausage 5k early Saturday morning.

There's a ton of awesome shows around town, including one in Bay View and the Urban Ecology Center that I can't make it too, so if you have the time, check them all out.

If you want to stalk/look at art with me, here's a handy dandy map of where I'm going to be (click the markers to find out when, also zoom out for the full view):


View Summer Gallery Night 2010 in a larger map

Again, for those not into interactivity, here's the schedule:

5:30P: Dean Jensen Gallery
5:50P: DeLind Fine Art
6:10P: Pfister Hotel Lobby Gallery
6:45P: Peltz Gallery
7:10P: Caggio Gallery

Thanks as always to the awesome folks at the Art City blog for making Gallery Nighting a decipherable experience.

Oh, and if you don't get enough art on Friday, I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you make a trip to the Milwaukee Art Museum for the Milwaukee Artist's Marketplace on Saturday from 10-5. This is one of my favorite events of the year, and even though I may not be able to buy more than a $10 painting this year, there ARE $10 paintings and all sorts of awesome stuff by local artists. Worth the trip down.

what i'm looking forward to this week

Summer has officially begun in Milwaukee, so I've taken advantage of three "rest days" at the beginning of the week to get my life and apartment in order before insanity begins.

Thursday
Becky and I's Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Share from Rare Earth Farm starts! Looking forward to hopefully enlightening you all with the return of Monday Munchies detailing what I do with my bounty.

After picking up said veggies, it'll be my first trip down to Alterra on the Lake's Musica del Lago series. We have a solid group going for De La Buena. Hopefully the weather will be lovely.

Friday
I will be celebrating a dear friend's birthday, but beforehand I hope to swing by Taylor's to celebrate the birthday of UrbanMilwaukee.com. I doubt I'll make it to the screening of Rad at the Bike-In Movie, but you should go if you can!

Saturday
In the spirit of keeping an attitude of gratitude, I will not bemoan the fact that I'm missing 1,000 other events in Milwaukee (including participating in the Great Milwaukee Race with my friends) because I'll be working at the Juneteenth Day Parade & Celebration. Actually, you should pop by and check it out.

Provided I'm not totally exhausted after, I'll be heading over to the The Brenner Beer Tasting at the Parachute Project on 27th & Wells. I went to the first Parachute Project event on Gallery Night and it's definitely worth checking out. I'm a big fan of the "pop up gallery" concept and using abandoned urban spaces for art's sake. Check this one out if you can.

I'll likely end the evening at the Summer Soulstice on North Avenue, another Milwaukee summer tradition.

Sunday
Anyone want to be my brunch buddy on Sunday morning? I have signed up to write a guest blog for the fantastic Milwaukee Brunch Reviews this summer and would like to hit up Buckley's this weekend. Afterward, I plan to hit the Lakefront Festival of the Arts, swing into see the AIDS Quilt at the Milwaukee Art Musuem, and probably pop over to Polish Fest.

***
How can you be bored in this town? What are your plans for the weekend?

why ride wednesdays: entourage

I'm going to use the Wednesday posts building up to the Miller Lite Ride for the Arts to briefly touch upon my relationship to the performing arts and why I'm motivated to ride and raise a significant amount of money for them.
  
The Milwaukee Rep's Entourage: Support the arts, support your friends.

My dear friend Heather has been involved with the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's Entourage program for almost as long as remember knowing her. This program is designed to get young people into the theater and offers a nice socializing opportunity before and after the show to check out local restaurants, chat with friends, or meet new ones.

Over the years, my friends Ben and Kate, who I introduced to Heather and Entourage, have since become involved in the planning committee. I really try and get to at least a couple of the events each season, because not only am I supporting the arts, but I'm also supporting an organization that values getting young people involved in planning events around the performing arts. How are you supposed to stop the "graying" of the theater if you don't consult young professionals on how to attract other YPs? The really great thing about the Entourage volunteers that I know put in a lot of time, but I don't think they're required to put in a lot of money (unless that gang has secret trust funds that I'm unaware of). I give the Rep a lot of credit for engaging people for a committee without having dollars tied to it.

This outlook also transfers to keeping the prices extremely low for the performances - just $15 for play tickets and the social event.

This season I had the pleasure of seeing both Happy Now? and  Seven Keys to Slaughter Peak as part of the Entourage program. One was a relationship dramedy and the other a slapstick mystery. This group definitely mixes it up, which is really important in showcasing the diversity of the theater company. With an exciting 2010-11 season on the books, I'm sure I'll be thrilled at the lineup the Entourage team throws together for next year.

Hopefully you've enjoyed this insight into why I'm so passionate about the arts in Milwaukee. Perhaps it's motivated you to online here for my ride efforts?

Or you help me raise money in as super fun way on Friday, May 7, 2010 • 5:30 PM to 9 PM - Guest Bartending for the Arts @ AJ Bombers

Bikes & The Arts

Here's a really great example of biking and the arts coming together to create, what I think, is a really lovely and inspirational video. Enjoy!



See, the Miller Lite Ride for the Arts really can affect more than just one day of me being sore!
 
Also, don't forget, you can support my efforts online here.

Or attend on  Friday, May 7, 2010 • 5:30 PM to 9 PM - Guest Bartending for the Arts @ AJ Bombers

art attack: spring gallery night

This Friday is one of my favorite nights of the year -- SPRING GALLERY NIGHT!

I don't just support the performing arts in Milwaukee, but the visual arts as well.

It's looking like it should be relatively warm too, so what better to do than put on some stunning spring fashion and wander aimlessly looking at amazing local art?

I spent part of my weekend and evening last night perusing art listings and made a killer interactive map for you all to track me on Friday night and meet up. Lots of wonderful events going on throughout the city, so feel free to meet up at any point.

If you click on any marker on the map you'll get the details on that stop and what time my entourage (or just me) should be there.


View Spring Gallery Night in a larger map

Or click the link below:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=100210018014420342101.000484222f4e604b7f638&ll=43.036901,-87.915516&spn=0.024655,0.052013&z=14

In plain, non-interactive, English he stops are as follows:

5:30 P.M. - INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL - WATER & KILBOURN

6:15 P.M. - THE PARACHUTE PROJECT - 10TH & HIGHLAND

7:15 P.M. - HGA ARCHITECTS/WHA FUNDRAISER - 333 E. ERIE ST.

8:00 P.M. - CORCORAN LOFTS - 444 E. CORCORAN ST.

8:40 P.M. - CEDAR GALLERY - 326 N. WATER ST.

9:15 P.M. - CUVEE - 177 N. BROADWAY ST.

10 P.M. - STACK'D BURGER BAR - 170 S. 1ST ST.

10:30 P.M. - LIVE ARTISTS STUDIO - 228 S. 1ST ST. #302 - $5 (TOWARD THE WATER INSTITUTE)

11:30 P.M. - MOCT - 240 E. PITTSBURGH ST.

I plan on biking to the first couple spots and then parking my bike in the Third Ward, so feel free to join me on two wheels initially if you want.

Speaking of transportation, no appeal from me would be complete without reminding you to PLEASE call your legislators in Madison and tell them to GET MOVING and get the RTA legislation passed before the session ends on April 22. To find your reps go to: http://www.legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/waml/waml.aspx. Please call and/or email BOTH your rep and your senator to tell them you support the RTA and dedicated funding for transit in Milwaukee.

AAAAAAAAAND, to bring it all back to art...if this bill actually passes and transit in Milwaukee is saved I have vowed to get the new RTA logo tattooed on my body.

So please come join me for art, fashion, cocktails, biking, transit talk and awesomeness this FRIDAY NIGHT!