Editor, Author at Milwaukee Independent

Cathedral Square Park continues as hub for downtown arts and music

Posted by Editor | Aug 21, 2018 |

Originally known as Courthouse Square for being where Milwaukee’s two courthouses were located between 1836 to 1931, Cathedral Square continues to be a thriving location for the downtown creative culture. On August 19, MKEfest was held at the small county park for a day of art and music in a festival setting. Organized by SamanthaStarr Events, the venue was used as an open platform for local visual artists to interact with the community, and to raise awareness of the arts in surrounding areas. During the day, twenty diverse individuals painted, sprayed, sketched, chalked, and drew works with Milwaukee-themed messages....

A conversation with Anne Basting about aging and its conflicted cultural value

Posted by Editor | Aug 20, 2018 |

On January 31, Milwaukee PBS hosted an enlightening conversation with 2016 MacArthur Fellow, UWM Theatre Professor, and Founder of TimeSlips Creative Storytelling, Anne Basting. Basting has dedicated her life to improving the lives of older adults through the arts, with a special focus on bringing meaningful engagement to people with memory loss. She teaches care partners to connect with loved ones by shifting from the expectation of memory to the freedom of the imagination. Because the baby boomer generation is increasing the population of individuals in the 50 plus group this is a perfect time to make people aware...

Annika Leonard: Healing the trauma of sexual assault that society ignores

Posted by Editor | Aug 17, 2018 |

Growing up in a society that continues to normalize sexual violence and blames victims for the crimes committed against them, there was a time when Annika Leonard did not believe that her personal healing would ever be possible. Now she facilitates curriculum to help survivors not only work through their traumatic experiences, but also assists them in their journey to find peace. Her courage continues to be a gift to the community by giving women an example and safe space to share their truth, in an effort to help everyone understand the role they each play in ending sexual...

City maps now reflect permanent place for Vel Phillips as 4th Street renamed in her honor

Posted by Editor | Aug 15, 2018 |

History was made on August 7 as Vel R. Phillips, Milwaukee’s first African-American and first female Alderperson, had a public street officially named to memorialize her life and work. Signs for North 4th Street, from West Saint Paul Avenue to West Capitol Drive, were replace with the new designation of North Vel R. Phillips Avenue. The street’s renaming serves as a memorial to her advocacy for social justice, fair housing and civil rights, and the groundbreaking career of Vel R. Phillips and her lasting legacy in the Milwaukee community. “It is interesting that we are naming a street after...

Dragon Boat race along city’s lakefront shows value of local water resources

Posted by Editor | Aug 13, 2018 |

The 6th Annual Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival charged across the lagoon waters of Lakeshore State Park on August 11, showcasing Chinese culture with the traditional boat race. A total of 55 teams registered this year to compete in the lakefront festival. The 43-foot-long dragon-painted watercraft is sometimes referred to as a canoe on steroids. The international sport was revived in Hong Kong in 1976, based on the traditional paddle-driven long boats found in the Pearl River Delta region of China’s southern Guangdong Province. Along the shore of Lake Michigan, teams of up to 21 men and women rowed their...

Surf @Water expands community bonds for Milwaukee’s freshwater surfing scene

Posted by Editor | Aug 8, 2018 |

As a celebration of the Great Lakes surf culture and the primary drive for supporting the Surfrider Foundation-Milwaukee, the 6th annual Surf @Water fundraiser was held on August 4 along Shorewood’s Atwater Beach. Milwaukee is not the first location that comes to mind when talking about catching waves and hanging ten, but it had become an increasingly popular surf destination in the Midwest. Organized by the Surfrider Foundation, Milwaukee’s vibrant freshwater surf community attracted a growing number of interested participants this year for the full day event on the shores of Lake Michigan. Since 1984, the Surfrider Foundation has...