April 4th, 2024

Spring is here!

With the Green Tech Station being our focus of this newsletter, we'd like to highlight an upcoming opportunity to further impact and engage with the G WaterMarker Site. Northwest Side Community Development Commission (NWSCDC) is calling for volunteers to help with their Green Tech Station Volunteer Workday & Bench Unveiling on Saturday, May 4, from 9:30 AM - noon, at the Green Tech Station (4101 North 31st Street). In addition to beautifying the space for spring and summer, volunteers will be the first to see 12 new benches painted by ArtWorks for Milwaukee interns! Supplies and lunch will be provided.

RSVP

Community Highlight: Green Tech Station

Gather, Growth, Gritty, Garden Homes

WaterMarks provides a meeting place for Milwaukee's artists, residents, and scientists. In recognition of the Grand Opening of the Green Tech Station in September of 2023, we would like to highlight some of the community voices that contributed to its development.

Artist: Emily Thao

Emily is an artist who designed and painted one of the many Leopold benches at the Green Tech Station. Emily, who at the time was a student at the Hmong American Peace Academy and an intern with ArtWorks for Milwaukee, channeled her inspiration for the bench from a trash clean-up along the nearby Lincoln Creek. Emily hopes that the bench will tell visitors a story about the effects of pollution and its impact on water quality.
Click below to learn more about Emily’s art practice

Resident: Ashanti Weeks

Ashanti is a longtime resident of the Garden Homes neighborhood and became involved with the Green Tech Station through her work with ArtWorks for Milwaukee. In 2021, Ashanti co-led a virtual WaterMarks Walk in Garden Homes. Ashanti interpreted various ArtWorks murals that have been installed in Garden Homes and reflected on the community-informed process that the murals were developed through.
Click below to learn more about Ashanti’s work

Scientist: Pam Ritger

Pam is a Milwaukee native who became involved with the Green Tech Station through her position with Clean Wisconsin. Working alongside MMSD to install and promote stormwater infrastructure, Pam co-led a virtual WaterMarks Walk in 2021 to highlight the water management efforts in the 30th Street Corridor. While Pam has transitioned to a role in the City’s Environmental Collaboration Office, she is still active in advancing sustainability efforts.
Click below to learn more about Pam’s work

Image of Green Tech Station is courtesy of NWSCDC.

Featured WaterMarks content was completed by Michael Timm.

Upcoming WaterMarks Events

See What We See: Stories of environmental stewardship in Lindsay Heights

***A Photovoice Exhibition***
Join Lindsay Heights neighbors in the City Hall Rotunda for the opening reception.
Dulmini Jayawardana, WaterMarks' Graduate Research Assistant at UW-Milwaukee, worked with Lindsay Heights residents to develop a photovoice exhibition. With photographs taken by Maria Beltran, Teresa Thomas-Boyd, Ramona Curry, Cheryl Ferrill, Marie Gordon, Geneva Jones, Rasammar Nsoroma, Christal West, and Jarvis West, the exhibition represents lived experiences, stories, memories, emotions, perspectives, and knowledge of environmental stewardship in Lindsay Heights.
**Dates on Display:** April 8 - April 12, 2024
**Location:** Milwaukee City Hall Rotunda, 200 E Wells St, Milwaukee, WI 53202
**Opening Reception:** Monday, April 8, 6 PM - 9 PM

Learn more about Dulmini's Work

KK River Neighborhood WaterMarks Walk

Join Yesi Perez, Dr. Kirsten Beyer, Travis Hope, and the **KK River Neighbors in Action** on a community walk in the KK River Neighborhood. With varying areas of expertise, the walk leaders will discuss water and art's special relationship to one another. Specifically, when public art and water quality are prioritized, they work together to empower and heal residents.
Following the walk, there will be refreshments and an optional focus group at the Pulaski Park Pavilion. All walk participants are encouraged to participate in this interactive group discussion regarding their walk experience, connection with art, and what they learned about Milwaukee’s water. Participants who choose to stay will receive a $25 gift card for their time and feedback.
Spanish interpretation will be provided throughout the entire event.
**Date:** Saturday, April 27, 2024
**Walk:** 1 PM - 2:30 PM
**Optional Focus Group:** Immediately after walk, approx. 2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
**Location:** Pulaski Park Pavilion, 1819 W Windlake Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53215

Partner Events

WaterMarks isn't building an atlas of water alone. We work with countless organizations and individuals on this endeavor. WaterMarks Community-University Working Group is a collective of residents, artists, community-based institutions, and researchers who assemble to guide the future of water in Milwaukee.

Here are some upcoming events that our partners are hosting: