MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee’s Near West Side neighborhood will soon have free little art galleries, thanks to a local nonprofit’s work.
Artists Working in Education, otherwise known as AWE, is a Milwaukee nonprofit working to make sure everyone in the city has access to art education and experiences. As part of that, it aims to bring art opportunities to more Milwaukee kids and teens, at schools, community centers and public spaces.
Ember Brien and Sonja Johnstone, both sophomores at Milwaukee’s Rufus King International High School, are members of AWE’s Rising Artists Council. It engages middle and high school-aged youth who are interested in pursuing creative careers. They learn from professional artists, visit galleries and work collaboratively on their own art shows and public artwork.
As part of a contest, Brien and Johnstone proposed the idea to bring Free Little Art Galleries to Milwaukee’s Near West Side neighborhood and were awarded funding to do so.
“It would basically be like a free little library except with art. So, you bring an art piece that you make, it doesn’t need to be fancy at all, and you can take another art piece that someone else made,” Brien said.
Both students said they are proud to provide this resource to the neighborhood they grew up in.
“I know a bunch of people in my neighborhood that would love this idea, and love sharing their art with other people, and getting to see other people’s art too,” Johnstone said.
AWE’s Executive Director Keri Schroeder said she’s proud of their work.
“They are doing every aspect of this project. Seeking the locations, working on knowing how to get the permits once the locations are determined. They’re doing all the artwork on the little art gallery structures themselves and learning a lot about mosaics. They’re also learning how to weatherproof something so it can stand the test of time,” Schroeder said.
They all said their hope is for more people in Milwaukee neighborhoods to connect through art.
“It’s not necessarily about the final product for me. Some art is more about the process. Getting your hands dirty and physically making something,” Brien said.
