Using art to unify the community, empower youth, foster entrepreneurship, and celebrate the history of Milwaukee’s Bronzeville and artists of African descent.

Exploring, Preserving, & Presenting

African American

Art & Culture.

Established in 2020, the Bronzeville Center for the Arts (BCA) was created to highlight and celebrate African American art. Located in Bronzeville – a historically African American neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – the BCA invites people of all ages to engage with its dynamic exhibitions and enriching educational programming.

The BCA seeks to celebrate and elevate the history and heritage of African American art. Making art more accessible to everyone is central to the BCA’s mission. Bronzeville’s bustling entrepreneurial and artistic history serves as the foundation for the BCA, inspiring us to continue to honor and embody this multifaceted heritage.

🎯Join us for a BCA Talkback Session on Monday, August 18 from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. at ThriveOn King (2153 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.) for the next in-person Talkback Session. Come when you can during this time to share your ideas! Can't make this session? A third Talkback Session will be held on Tuesday, September 30 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m at Bader Philanthropies (3300 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.) 🏗 About the project: 🟡 The vacant building at the corner of North Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (the former DNR building) is being demolished this summer to make way for Milwaukee's future African American Art Museum. While we develop plans for the new museum, we want your ideas on how we might use this space in the meantime. 🟡 Your participation will help shape decisions and generate fresh ideas for interim site uses, BCA program initiatives, and the art museum's plans. We aim to gather valuable feedback, inspire arts and cultural engagement, and foster collaboration for this project. 🟡 We also invite you to share your thoughts on how to use this new space using the community survey below. Be sure to share the survey with friends and family interested in the Bronzeville community and the future African American Art Museum! --- #CommunityEvent #Milwaukee #Gallery507 #milwaukeeart #BCA #milwaukee #bronzevillecenterforthearts #thingstodoinmke
🎉 OPENING RECEPTION TOMORROW! 🎉 Join us at Gallery 507 for the opening of "Black Defined 1: Ceramics"-- a new exhibition examining the rich history and contemporary significance of ceramics as a storytelling medium. 🕠 5:30–7:30 PM 🎶 Featuring live DJ vibes from Julian Gross (@juliangrossofficial ) to set the mood! Come for the art, stay for the energy. You don’t want to miss this! ---- #BCA #milwaukeeart #Milwaukee #Gallery507 #communityevent #thingstodoinmke #CommunityEvent #ArtExhibition #ceramicart
🏺OPENING AUGUST 7 | In partnership with Chipstone Foundation, "Black Defined 1: Ceramics" examines the rich history and contemporary significance of ceramics as a storytelling medium. Featuring a diverse range of early colonial and contemporary objects, this exhibition showcases the contributions of ceramicists from the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, as well as historic objects from the Southeast, emphasizing how ideas, traditions, and craft practices are passed down through generations. Contemporary Midwest-based artists include Alisa Drakes, Sydnie Jimenez, Janiece Maddox; Mid-Atlantic Artists include Michelle Erickson, David Drake, also known as “Dave the Potter,” and Roberto Lugo. "Black Defined" is an exhibition series that explores the evolving intersections of identity, artmaking, and material culture in relation to Blackness. Recurring periodically, each iteration will focus on a specific theme or discipline highlighting critical subjects and experimental approaches by Black artists and artist who engage in related, constructive discourse. 🟠 OPENING RECEPTION: AUG. 7, 5:30 - 7:30 PM @ Gallery 507 | Free and open to the public --- #bca #bronzevillecenterforthearts #milwaukeeart #gallery507 #alisadrakes #sydniejimenez #janiecemaddox #davethepotter #michelleerickson #robertolugo #ceramics #milwaukee #exhibition
☀️ During Gallery Day, join us on Saturday, July 19 from 3:00 – 6:30 p.m. for a free community art making event! 🖌🎨 Chalk-R-Lot is a fun-filled twist on a classic outdoor activity, celebrating African American art and culture through the use of sidewalk chalk. BCA will provide color chalk supplies and art references while Milwaukee-based visual artists assist kids and families with making chalk-art on the Gallery 507 parking lot. Drawing with sidewalk chalk is the perfect activity for a long summer day and fun for the whole family! Parking: Free parking is available at the former Big Load Laundry next door to Gallery 507. --- #BCA #Gallery507 #milwaukeeart #Milwaukee #bronzevillecenterforthearts #thingstodoinmke #CommunityEvent #communityevent
🎧🎨✨One-Night Only Pop-Up Exhibition! Gallery Night Event: Saturday, July 19 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. 🎼"How the Blues Put Us into a Funk: Pop-up Exhibition" Milwaukee-based artist Brad Anthony Bernard presented a music history lesson at Gallery 507 in June about the elements of successful album cover art and their cultural significance. Participants were invited to create new album covers based on his lecture and personal musical interests. Inspired by the visual discipline and Bronzeville’s connection to music history, "How the Blues Put Us into a Funk: Pop-up Exhibition" celebrates twelve custom album cover art collages designed by workshop participants after Bernard’s presentation. Alongside the collages, a curated selection of historic album cover art is on view in the Gallery 507 space, courtesy of Bernard. Join us at Gallery 507, 507 W. North Ave on Saturday, July 19 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. to view these unique pieces and iconic symbols of music genres that include Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, Electronic, Classical, Jazz and Country. This pop-up exhibition honors the act of creating album cover art by hand, passing along the knowledge of analog music to curious artists and aficionados alike. 🔵 Parking: Free parking is available at the former Big Load Laundry next door to Gallery 507. Stay tuned for our next exhibition! 🏺 --- #Gallery507 #Milwaukee #BCA #BCAMKE #ArtExhibition #milwaukeeart #bronzevillecenterforthearts
🎼JOIN US for "How the Blues Put Us into a Funk: African-American Music and the Creative Economy." Hosted by Milwaukee-based artist and founder of the Community Arts & Funk Festival Brad Anthony Bernard, "How the Blues Put Us into a Funk" will feature a presentation about the evolution of blues and funk music, including the conditions, historical events and genres in which composers created African-American music. After the presentation, guests will participate in an interactive workshop to learn how to create and design your own album cover. African-American music has a profound impact on the larger musical landscape. Each song has a unique purpose — to uplift, mobilize, tell a story, unite, educate, entertain, bear witness, or send a message. BCA is excited to explore and honor Black music history. 🎯Join us at Gallery 507, 507 W. North Ave, on Friday, June 27 from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. for this FREE community event! Doors open: 5:00 p.m. Program begins: 5:30 p.m. Parking: Free parking is available at the Big Load Laundry next door to Gallery 507. Space is limited! RSVP to Robyn Cherry, rcherry@bcamke.org to register for this event.

Now Open

Black Defined 1: Ceramics

August 7, 2025 – January 9, 2026

Black Defined is an exhibition series that explores the evolving intersections of identity, artmaking, and material culture in relation to Blackness.