The Bronzeville Center for the Arts (BCA) is hosting a series of programming for Bronzeville Week, an annual celebration of African-American culture, history, art, commerce, and entertainment, happening August 6th – 13th, 2022.

This year marks the 11th year the City has held the highly anticipated event. 

“We are so excited to welcome the community to the future home of our arts center as part of Bronzeville Week,” said Kristen Hardy, President of the BCA board. “This programming is a sneak peek into the types of programming, community engagement and activation that is at the core of our work at BCA and that we hope to make available through our investment in gallery space and a destination arts center in the heart of Milwaukee’s Bronzeville District.” 

Part of the BCA’s Bronzeville Week programming will include a community mural project, led by artist and MIAD Professor Brad Anthony Bernard of Bernard Art Studio in collaboration with six student interns from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD). The mural is designed by MIAD Communication Design Major Dasia Bryant.

“The Bronzeville Community Mural celebrates the rich artistic history of Milwaukee’s Bronzeville,” said Bernard. “Through the inclusion and depiction of Milwaukee artists, organizations and history, the mural highlights the heritage and future of the Bronzeville community and cultural pride. I am so pleased to guide our students during this exciting community project.”

The mural will be on the west-facing wall of 2300 N. King Drive, the former DNR site that will be the future home of the Bronzeville Center for the Arts. The 24’ x 8’ mural will be painted throughout Bronzeville Week and remain on the site until construction begins, with the potential to become a permanent installation when the Center for the Arts opens.

In addition to the community mural, the BCA is collaborating with multiple partners to bring programming to their King Drive site throughout Bronzeville Week, including: 

• BCA Exclusive Tote Bags (Giveaway), throughout the week, 

exclusive BCA tote bags will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Among the items included in the BCA gift bags are cards with artworks by Della Wells, Rose Camara, Mutope Johnson, and Freida High Wasikhongo Tesfagiorgis.

• Milwaukee Art Museum: Kohl’s Art Studio, Saturday, August 6th, Tuesday, August 9th, and Friday, August 12th, 10:00am-12:00pm

The Milwaukee Art Museum’s mobile Kohl’s Art Studio will offer free activities to families with kids 12 and under.

• Family-Friendly Banner Art Project, Saturday, August 13th, 12:00pm-5:00pm

Art Build Workers in partnership with interns from the UWM Art Education Department welcome children and families to color Bronzeville-themed posters, which they can take home with them. 

• Community Art Therapy Open Studio, Saturday, August 13th, 11:00am-3:00pm

The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Art Therapy Association will host three art therapy sessions led and facilitated by professional, licensed therapists. 

• Portrait Sketches, Saturday, August 13th, 12:00pm-5:00pm

Local artists, Amar Nsoroma, JBird Sterling, and Tia Richardson, will offer free portraits to Bronzeville Week attendees on a first-come, first-served basis.

All BCA programming is free and open to the public and will occur at 2300 N King Drive. BCA programming is sponsored by: 

• Greater Milwaukee Foundation
• Della Wells
• Emem Group
• Joy Engine
• Foley & Lardner
• Godfrey & Kahn
• Blick Art Materials
• Florentine Opera
• Mueller Communications

 

ABOUT BRONZEVILLE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Established in 2020, the Bronzeville Center for the Arts (BCA) centers the art, culture, and history of the African Diaspora. Located in Bronzeville – a historically African American neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – the BCA invites audiences of all ages to engage with dynamic exhibitions and enriching educational programming. The BCA seeks to advance institutional equity, connect intergenerational audiences, and provide a place for people to experience intellectual and cultural exchange.

The Center promotes current and future artists and art professionals by opening a lens to the history and heritage of Black artists. Central to the BCA’s mission is removing barriers from the enjoyment of art and forging a future that is more creative, connected, and historically informed. Bronzeville’s bustling entrepreneurial and artistic history serve as the foundation for the BCA, inspiring us to continue to honor and embody this multifaceted heritage. Learn more at www.BCAMKE.org.