Author: Lee Matz

Year In Review 2020: Stories from a witness on the frontline of tragedies

Year In Review 2020: Stories from a witness on the frontline of tragedies

Posted by | Dec 30, 2020 |

2020 has been a turbulent period beyond the conventional methods of description. In terms of COVID-years, the past 12 months have had the glacial progress and weight of 12 regular human years. Each month brought a new chapter of events for the public to process, which required an expanded vocabulary to explain the news and a library of images to show the extent of what was happening. It was a very dangerous year for photojournalism with a pandemic and civil unrest. To be embedded in the heart of events as they unfolded required physical stamina, professional skill, and a...

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Documenting History in Images: A photojournalist’s journey to remain safe in the Age of COVID-19

Documenting History in Images: A photojournalist’s journey to remain safe in the Age of COVID-19

Posted by | Nov 18, 2020 |

The COVID-19 crisis has exposed many fault lines in American society. One of the many issues that has gone overlooked and underreported is how people incorporate wearing a mask into the routines of their daily life. The ongoing argument over masks has mostly been focused on pandemic deniers who refuse to wear any kind of face covering, and demand that safety measures be lifted in order to save the economy. For those individuals who care about their own health and the health of others, while trying to maintain their fragile lifeline of employment, this essay explores what kind of...

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Dontre Hamilton Park: New proposal could end opposition to renaming Red Arrow Park

Dontre Hamilton Park: New proposal could end opposition to renaming Red Arrow Park

Posted by | Nov 11, 2020 |

Milwaukee-native Dontre Hamilton was 31 years-old at the time of his death, which came on April 30, 2014 when he was shot by police officer Christopher Manney at Red Arrow Park downtown. The social justice protests that erupted after Dontre’s death brought renewed awareness to the Milwaukee public about the issue of police brutality directed at Blacks in the community. The daily marches, nightly vigils at Red Arrow Park, and calls for Police reform foreshadowed what would follow in 2016 with the death of Sylville Smith in the Sherman Park neighborhood, and the explosive national reaction to George Floyd’s...

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Voting Rights Are Human Rights: A look at how Shepard Fairey installed Milwaukee’s new social justice mural

Voting Rights Are Human Rights: A look at how Shepard Fairey installed Milwaukee’s new social justice mural

Posted by | Oct 19, 2020 |

Internationally acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey and his Obey Giant team painted a visually stunning 7,400 square foot mural entitled “Voting Rights Are Human Rights” in Milwaukee. The mural was originally part of a national tour to support the 2020 election season, by creating public art with a theme and a mission towards getting out the vote.

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