Author: Dominic Inouye

Dominic Inouye’s column for the Milwaukee Independent has been exploring the nature of walking as a social practice, the human dimensions of street photography, and the activation of public spaces. “Would you sell homemade muffins if I made them? What about fresh fruits and vegetables?” Aware of the limited selection of healthy food options at the Jones Smoke Shop & Grocery, Emily Breffle asked Mrs. Jones, on a whim, whether she would consider some new items at the shop. To her surprise, Mrs. Jones said yes. Secretly, Emily just wanted an excuse to bake and garden. It was still...

Since March, I have been exploring the nature of walking as a practice, as a way to slow down and interact with one’s environment, as a strategy for uncovering at the street level a city’s assets and challenges, and as an integral part of street photography. The impetus behind these explorations has been my two-year photographic journey with ZIP MKE and my recent work with Jane’s Walk MKE. I also began zooming in to focus on the impact of neglecting or even forgetting public spaces like MacArthur Square and Butterfly Park instead of seeking ways to reactivate them. However,...

Dominic Inouye’s column for the Milwaukee Independent has been exploring the nature of walking as a practice, as an integral part of street photography, and as a worldwide movement of neighborhood explorations called Jane’s Walk. After a cold winter and wet spring, the butterflies are back for a few months. Many people are luring the butterflies to their carefully planned gardens, designed to support them in all stages of their development. They have selected host plants on which the butterflies can sun and lay eggs, munch as caterpillars on bright, nectar-filled flowers, and hang out as chrysalises until they...

Dominic Inouye’s column for the Milwaukee Independent has been exploring the nature of walking as a practice, as an integral part of street photography, and as a worldwide movement of neighborhood explorations called Jane’s Walk. The first time my fitness group announced that we would be working out in a brand new space, MacArthur Square, I was not the only one who posted on Facebook, “Where?” GPS told me it was tucked in between the County Courthouse, the Milwaukee County Jail, the Safety Building, the Milwaukee Public Museum, and the police headquarters. But after I found parking on James...

Dominic Inouye’s column for the Milwaukee Independent has been exploring the nature of walking as a practice, as an integral part of street photography, and as a worldwide movement of neighborhood explorations called Jane’s Walk. Almost 200 Milwaukee residents filled the “streets” of Turner Hall on May 2 for the kickoff of the 3rd Annual Jane’s Walk MKE, part of a worldwide movement that includes over 200 cities in over 40 countries. The evening celebrated a month-long series of free, citizen-led neighborhood explorations that will embody urban activist Jane Jacob’s legacy by observing, reflecting, questioning and collectively reimagining the...