FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 1, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT:
Madeline Anderson
414-278-2784
andersonm@mpm.edu
MPM AND MIAD COLLABORATE ON NEW MURAL IN AFRICA GALLERY
MURAL UNVEILING SEPTEMBER 1
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) and the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) have partnered to create a mural depicting prominent people, places and symbols in African history within MPM’s Africa gallery. Eight MIAD student artists created the mural under the direction of MPM. It explores various themes, including the connection between nature and African culture, the trajectory of Africans to the Americas pre-and-post-slavery and Milwaukee’s modern era.
The mural will be unveiled to the public on Thursday, September 1. The date of the unveiling coincides with Kohl’s Thank You Thursday, MPM’s free-admission day on the first Thursday of every month thanks to generous support from Kohl’s.
“The artists included historical figures such as Harriet Tubman, Vel Phillips, Nelson Mandela, Nat Turner and Toussaint Louverture, and events such as the Haitian Revolution. They also included elements from Milwaukee's Bronzeville neighborhood and America’s Black Holocaust Museum,” said Dawn Koceja, MPM’s Community Engagement & Advocacy Officer. “It's a rich tool that will excite learners of all ages through art.”
“Each of the four panels of the mural encapsulates 100 years of history,” said MIAD senior Luis Velasquez. “I hope it sparks conversations among visitors, and that they ultimately walk away with a more empathetic understanding of history.”
Velasquez, as well as fellow MIAD students Genesis Peña, Lindsey Greene, Brandon Luster, Shelbey Smith, Judith Perez, Maria Zamudio and Dasia Bryant visited MPM to tour the Africa gallery and gain inspiration for the mural concept. Led by MIAD Professor Brad Anthony Bernard, the students engaged in a number of conversations with MPM and other community members to ensure they were representing African and African-American history from different perspectives.
“It was a very exciting process,” said MIAD senior Genesis Peña. “I got a sense of what it's like to manage a project that involved multiple hands.”
“I wanted this mural to be designed by young adults because, at MPM, we’re always looking for ways to incorporate diverse voices into our exhibits,” Koceja said. “The project allowed the students to express what’s important to them; plus, it’s valuable work experience at this stage in their careers, so it’s a win-win.”
The mural is the final piece of a years-long initiative to reimagine an empty space within the Africa gallery.
This spring, the area reopened as a tactile exhibit and education alcove where visitors can learn about and engage with objects through touch and braille. Another feature of the new space explores how the specimens and artifacts throughout MPM’s Africa gallery were collected in the 1920s, and how that time period compares to present-day Africa.
“The current Africa gallery represents a snapshot in time,” Koceja said. “By creating this addition, we are able to give visitors the opportunity to connect with the content in our Museum in innovative ways. Adding a mural is an exciting way to draw people in and enhance their knowledge and museum experience.”
The students that were selected for the project were compensated for their work through a grant MPM secured. The grant will also be used to develop educational resources this fall that directly connect school curriculum to elements depicted in the mural.
About the Milwaukee Public Museum
The Milwaukee Public Museum is Wisconsin’s natural history museum, welcoming over half a million visitors annually. Located in downtown Milwaukee, the Museum was chartered in 1882, opened to the public in 1884, and currently houses more than 4 million objects in its collections. MPM has three floors of exhibits that encompass life-size dioramas, walk-through villages, world cultures, dinosaurs, a rainforest, and a live butterfly garden, as well as the Daniel M. Soref Dome Theater & Planetarium. MPM is operated by Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc., a private, non-profit company, and its facilities and collections are held in trust and supported by Milwaukee County for the benefit of the public.
About the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design
Technology meets creativity at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD). We collaborate, solve problems and innovate to improve our community and businesses. We provide a Bachelor of Fine Arts education to tomorrow’s creative leaders, bring robust career pathways and college-readiness experiences to high school youth, and offer cultural experiences and programming to the Greater Milwaukee community.
Our students, alumni, faculty and staff are actively involved in our community to benefit Wisconsin businesses and nonprofits, and to work for the greater good. The 'M' in MIAD matters. MIAD seeks to deepen and extend the impact of our mission and build a more vibrant and creative community in Milwaukee and beyond.
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