NOBody Knows [ a WordLife Camp event and /CW is trying to get you on the list]

Bee's in Black Cat Alley | an interview with NEW muralist Mi Salgado

The art in Black Cat Alley on the East side of Milwaukee (E Ivanhoe Pl, Milwaukee, WI 53202) is iconic. From breathtaking imagery, bold colors, creative use, and even moments of controversial application, it is a place in the city like no other. If you have been to Black Cat Alley within the last month, you would have surely noticed that a new cohort of artists were selected to create new murals to become a part of its growing narrative of public art. Excited to see the work in action, CopyWrite visited Mi Salgado as she worked on her piece, Life’s Pollinators.

The original design for Mi’s mural was based off of a painting she curated in 2020 during quarantine. Before Covid happened she had been working on a body of work to submit to a gallery show. However, when the world shut down and those opportunities were no longer an option she decided to redirect her creative focus.

Mi: “I wanted to come up with a piece that defined how working hard can turn into something beautiful and working together can [do the same]. In some way we are all connected.”

She pointed out how the bees pollinate, flowers grow, and we sustain life and beauty through those actions. Her mural shows these components together in a larger than life abstraction of honey combs, flowers, and bee’s together in splashes of orange and yellow warmth. 

As a self taught artist who only began to dabble in professional work in 2018, Mi is excited to be a part of the list of names who have blessed Black Cat Alley with their work. Being a professional artist was never really something Mi had considered for herself, but when she had the opportunity to take on a commission it changed her trajectory and pushed her to explore the craft a little more.

Mi: “I started off drawing and doing a lot of pin work. Then that turned into painting. From there I also picked up wood burning. So I have been practicing a lot of different disciplines. 

Though the discussion of public art in Milwaukee has only recently become a priority in the city, Black Cat Alley has been making its way in that arena since 2015.  New to this side of the creative world we asked Mi what she has learned so far as an up-and-coming talent:

Mi: “It’s not easy!” She laughed. “One thing I think I suck at is creating the statements. It’s a whole process. You really need to know how to write.”

Writing about your work is something many artists neglect, thus they leave others to create the narrative for them. Mi has been using her family and friends as resources to make sure what she is writing is being interpreted in the way she delivers it. It’s something she is still learning and working on.

Creating more public art is something Mi plans on continuing to do. Now that she knows the process she constantly looks at mural calls to see if there is one that might fit. With Black Cat Alley being one of her first murals and the space having so much notoriety, Mi has a jump start into a very niche but competitive field. 

CW: “What do you think about the shift in Public art rapidly appearing across Milwaukee in the last few years? Why do you think such a shift is occurring?”

Mi: “I want to say Milwaukee is experiencing a whole new art scene. There are a lot of young professionals and stuff like that. I think that could be a reason. There are so many unknown artists here. I think that’s something Black Cat Alley is trying to do, [give] unknown artists an opportunity. I think it’s also like a new culture.

She also mentioned wanting to experience the public art scenes in other places which may fuel inspiration for more work.

Though this is Mi, first public large scale solo mural she has helped kids create mural work in the past. The difference she notes is having the ability to use your own concept and let it flow freely. Even in her current piece, she modified the way in which the composition wraps the bump out in the alley where her mural is and also the type of flowers the bees will pollinate. These modifications are a part of the process and a part of the story that makes working in public spaces so special.

For any artist thinking about stepping into the public art scene, Mi suggests that practice is everything.

Mi: “Don’t give up. Keep submitting. Your first application will be the crappiest one. Just keep practicing. Try to make that resume and artist statement better. Try to perfect that application.”

And clearly the practice is worth it. 

Next time you're “on the East” make sure to stop at Black Cat Alley to see Mi Salgados piece, Life’s Pollinators, and other amazing murals that are sure to inspire.

Lexi S. Brunson /CW

Bayview’s Fall Festival “Beet Street” [Write Up]

This year, Cactus Club was bold, bold and decided that not only was the Pandemic not going to stop them from bringing a crowd of people together (masks suggested of course), but they were going to be hosting the 5th annual Bayview Fall Festival “Beet Street”, along with Palomino Bar and Goodkind. The people showed up and filled the entire sidewalk onto Wentworth Ave., vendors and customers alike. I took a stroll straight into Cactus Club to see what form of festivities were happening in the back performance area, having to inch my way past the bar amidst a sea of people. I entered the backroom door and the first thing that I saw was the spectacle that is Felix Ramsey’s video for his 2020 hit “So High” playing on the big screen with an atypical front row audience..! Maneuvering my way back out onto the street, I stopped at many of the vendors’ tables; wherever there was a tent, I went; the ground was so covered in yellow and orange leaves, it was like a scene from ‘CoCo’ and for a second I was Miguel. We literally skipped Autumn last year, yall! 

Drip & Dip w/ Emmitt James @ CopyWrite Magazine HQ - Friday Oct 16th 12PM-3PM

Bay View’s collaborative fall festival, Beet Street, celebrates live music, community building and film with seasonal drinks, foods and an artists market

*Info provided by Julia Bellair

On Saturday, October 9th, 2021, Cactus Club, Palomino Bar and Goodkind will team up to host the 5th annual Beet Street Fall Festival. This family-friendly event runs noon-6pm with an indoor after-party to follow.

Cactus Club has curated a lineup of rising stars: Chicago's modern disco darling, Ric Wilson, will headline with direct support from LA psych-rockers Frankie & The Witch Fingers. Fantastic Milwaukee artists CREDENTIALS and Clayton will also play. CREDENTIALS is a noisy, math rock 4-piece fronted by Cat Ries (No/No, Rio Turbo, Pleasure Thief) with a debut album coming out this November. Clayton continues to turn up the heat into fall. A distinguished vocalist, Clayton crafts a broad range of stylized R&B with lush harmonies. Intergenerational quintet Mariachi Zomara will kick things off complimented by the DJ stylings of Cozmiika between sets. 

This block party celebrates community organizations doing incredible work across the city and state. Teens Grow Greens, Girls Rock Camp, Milwaukee High School of the Arts, Midwest Renewable Energy Association and Bayview Historical Society will all have a presence in addition to several mutual aid groups and health resource centers. Interactive games from our friends at Music Go Round. 

The Beet Street Music Video Showcase highlights a wide-range of filmmakers in Milwaukee and beyond through a curated selection of music videos, documentary shorts and more. This showcase will screen on loop in the live room of Cactus Club throughout the day.  

Honeypie’s Great Midwestern Pie Championship is a crucial part of the festivities. Bake and enter your favorite pie to win prizes! Outstanding seasonal cocktails will be available from all three establishments in addition to caramel apples, roasted corn and food from Frida’s Cocina Taco Truck, Twisted Plants and more. To round out the party, there will be an artists market that includes book/zine vendors, farmers, local honey purveyors, custom clothing and a punk rock rummage sale. 

 Beet Street Fall Festival provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere for all to enjoy. The event aims to connect people, communities and causes in a space that enriches all senses. There will be an emphasis on youth participation and activities. As is the case with all Cactus Club events, eclectic music programming will be at the forefront of this fall party.

Learn more

Website: www.cactusclubmilwaukee.com

Back Stage: Summerfest 2021

Back stage access needed? No problem. We got that!

CopyWrite Magazine took on our September coverage with a twist: on assignment at the “Big Gig”. Yes, that’s right, Summerfest.

With a year of crowd surfing lost and a postponed festival date, we couldn’t wait to step back stage to chat it up with some of our new local favs and some not so far removed midwest creative peeps. Check out these three Snap Shot interviews from our ever growing Summerfest vault. 

DJay Mando:

Not a stranger to performing on Summerfest stages, DJay Mando was especially READY for this year’s festival. With this being the first Summerfest since cancelling due to COVID-19, and him doing two sets this year, Mando and his team came prepared to do what they do best - rock a show. The trifecta that is Mando and his dynamic dancing duo Dos and Chris G, put on two memorable shows opening up for Flo Rida and Nelly.

(side note: Likeee, what DJ do you know who brings a whole dancing crew with them at every show? That’s how you do entertainment! They’re DIFFERENT, Okay!) 

However, this wouldn’t be Mando’s first show this year, because a pandemic couldn’t stop him from making moves. The “We Outside” concert Mando put together earlier this summer was much needed after being cooped up during quarantine for over a year. 

“Everything was pivoting to online and I knew I didn’t want to do that,” Mando said.

The “We Outside” show on June 26th, 2021 was one of the first big concerts back in the city out of the pandemic and it represented the epitome of Milwaukee. With acts such as Chicken P, Gwapo Chapo, Solowke and more opening up for the female goat and Milwaukee’s own Lakeyah, the #414 was ready to once again enjoy their hometown favorites. Yung Bleu was also a headliner on the lineup until he canceled at the last minute and blamed it on “missing a flight.”

“[Yung Bleu] is never getting played by me ever again,” Mando said. “He pretty much ditched our show the day of, went to the Clippers game and they lost in game 7. So that’s what they get..that’s what he gets.”

Even with the last minute adjustments to make the show amazing, Mando and his team exceeded expectations and had a successful show. You can expect more shows from DJay Mando in the future, with more big name artists headlining. For now though, you can catch him spinning in UW-Madison as the official area DJ for their football and basketball games! 

“I graduated from UW-Madison so to be the football and basketball arena DJ, it all came full circle, it’s amazing!” Mando said.

DJay Mando 100% knows his audience and is great at catering to them. From his electric astronaut performances with Dos and Chris at Summerfest, his sold out shows at The Miramar, the relationship he has with the Cheba Hut franchise, and now his DJ residency at UW-Madison, EVERY ENTREPRENEUR SHOULD TAKE NOTES! Mando is strategic, always on brand and to top it all off, you can tell he genuinely loves what he does. With a formula like that, you can’t lose.

DJ Gemini Gilly:

When you’re talking about a blend/edit/mashup Queen, it would be disrespectful for DJ Gemini Gilly’s name to not be in the conversation. With her vast catalog of pure music genius, her creative mixes of hip-hop and R&B tracks are always the right vibe. This year was DJ Gemini Gilly’s Summerfest debut, and it was a well-deserved and earned accomplishment after all the hard work she has been putting in the last few years. 

(Forreal, if you haven’t heard of her, are you really from Milwaukee? You’ve clearly been sleep!)

“This[Summerfest] is like my official coming out party to Milwaukee, forreal forreal” Gilly said.

Music has always been a big part of Gilly’s life growing up, thanks to her big brother. He introduced her to a lot of styles like down south music from artists such as DJ Screw, Mike Jones, Paul Wall, along with artists from the East coast like Bad Boy, DMX, and The Lox. DJ Gemini Gilly was that friend who you trusted to pass the AUX to because you knew she was going to play some straight-up HEAT. That’s the kind of person who is destined to be a DJ.

DJ Gemini Gilly was a social work major at UW-Madison when she began teaching herself how to DJ over her winter break in 2018. What started as a hobby due to a love of music and a stressful job, quickly became an idea of something much bigger. Her first DJing gig was in 2019 and even despite the pandemic, her DJ career kept flourishing throughout 2020. From her first night at Pourman’s, The Black is Beautiful bike ride after set, debuting as the first female Butler Skateland DJ, and so many more, Gilly’s name was popping up everywhere! It’s only been up and stuck from there.

“I love when I’m on stage and bringing people together with music,” Gilly said. “I’m crossing my fingers and sending blessings that hopefully I will definitely be able to do this full-time. I also want to find a way to merge social work and DJing in a way where I’m able to do both, because I’m still very passionate about social work and just the community in general.”

Until then you can catch her consistently applying pressure on Instagram, consistently spinning gems at events and she recently announced she was selected to be an in-arena DJ for the Milwaukee Bucks! It’s been amazing to witness her journey and watch her dreams come full circle. 

Ever since starting in 2018, DJ Gemini Gilly put her foot on the gas and has no intentions of letting up. She should definitely be on your “ones to watch” list. She’s the now. She’s the future and she stands her ground on Webbie having the best verse on “I.N.D.E.P.E.N.D.E.N.T.”

Taylor Bennett:

Summerfest 2021 was a first for Taylor Bennett. It was also his first show back live since the pandemic. So of course, what better place to have his first show than the city that’s home to the NBA Champions! 

“Shoutout to the Bucks, We the Champs!” Bennett said. “I feel like I claim it just as a midwest kid.”

Taylor came to a few Milwaukee Bucks Finals games this year, along with his older brother Chance The Rapper, who also performed the same day at Summerfest headlining the American Family Insurance Amphitheatre stage. Shockingly to my knowledge, Taylor says he used to come to Milwaukee all the time when he was younger, and even when he was older would perform at different shows here. When I asked him if he thought Milwaukee is comparable to a little Chicago, like I hear everyone else always say, he agreed. 

Carrie: “Is there a favorite place you like to go when you’re here?”

Taylor: “I just went to this new spot and it’s probably my new favorite - Proof Pizza. That sh*t is bomb!” 

When Taylor isn't in MKE getting full off of Proof pizza, he’s on the gram showing body-ody-ody! And in the words of BIA, he invested in his body, b*tch he’s done up (or invested his time as Taylor let me know LOL). His fitness journey started after he had his first son, Charlie, in 2019. Taylor says he always envisioned himself being the type of Dad who would throw around the football with his son, and being 23 at the time, he didn’t feel like he was at the fit level he thought he was. Eventually he got addicted to seeing the results from all the time he was putting in and enjoyed the peace of mind it gave him. 

Carrie: “If there was one tip you could give somebody who’s thinking about starting but doesn't have that push/motivation to get on their fitness journey, what would you tell them? How did you start?”

Taylor: “The only thing that’s really guaranteed, that you can put your time and resources that are guaranteed results in this world, that nobody can take away from you, is fitness. Once I realized that I felt like it’s like that for a reason.”

In the industry one of the biggest decisions an artist makes is if they want to sign to a record deal or stay independent. Taylor Bennett, is one artist who has remained independent throughout his entire career so far, along with his brother Chance. With so many years in the game running things solo, Taylor would know more than anybody how to successfully be independent.

Carrie: “What’s the biggest tip you know now that you wish you knew back then when you first started independent?”

Taylor: “The biggest thing you gotta know is there’s no amount - no record deal - is worth what you think it is. Once I figured that out, that’s what made me think alright, F*ck that. I can’t ever owe anybody money tryna make money. That’s crazy as hell LOL.”

This summer Taylor dropped “Come Alive,” and more recently he dropped his video “Easy Outside.” Being independent, you have to work harder to push out your own work versus if you have a label to handle most of that for you. So make sure y’all support our boy Taylor like he’s supporting us and go run it up!

/Carrie for CW

Milwaukee Community Health Survey Underway

*Info provided by INPOWER Media

 Milwaukee Community Health Survey Underway 

Every voice is needed in an online survey that is helping shape Milwaukee’s health priorities. 

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County residents have the opportunity to have their voices heard about the health of our community by participating in an anonymous, online survey running now through September 24, sponsored by Milwaukee area health systems.  Information and links to the survey in English and Spanish can be found on healthyMKE.com. 

Hosted every three years by the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership, the survey is part of a Community Health Needs Assessment in Milwaukee County. The assessment helps health care providers and public health departments better understand the needs of our communities, establish health priorities, and improve programs and services.   

The community health survey is being conducted on behalf of Advocate Aurora Health, Ascension Wisconsin, Children’s Wisconsin, and Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Survey participants will be able to learn about how their responses helped shape future health priorities in January, when the health assessment findings will be published and shared broadly with community organizations, civic leaders and the general public. 

“Residents’ input is critical to the success of our shared health needs assessment,” says Justin Rivas, Community Health Director with the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership. “The assessment serves as the foundation from which hospitals, community health centers, and local health departments develop their community health improvement strategies, so we need as many voices as possible to help shape the future of health services in our area.”  

The ten-minute health survey focuses on issues such as access to health care, tobacco use, alcohol use, diet, physical activity, cancer prevention, heart health, injury prevention, immunizations, children’s health, mental health, and chronic disease.  It also includes questions about factors that affect health – including the environment, education, trauma and racism.

Milwaukee Health Commissioner, Kirsten Johnson points out that the survey findings will help inform the health department’s own community health assessment and health improvement plan. “We are grateful to the health systems for including local health departments in the survey deployment.  Its focus on health behaviors as well as the social determinants of health, reflects our shared commitment to address the many factors that influence health and health equity.”  

“We want every county resident, from every walk of life, to take this survey,” says Milwaukee County Director of the Department of Health and Human Services, Shakita LaGrant-McClain.  “It is an opportunity to help us understand what is needed to make Milwaukee a healthier place for all – and the healthiest county in the state. It is vital that all community voices are heard in this important health improvement planning process.” 

The community health survey for adults 18 years and older in Milwaukee County is open until September 24th.  It contains 43 questions and takes about 10 minutes to complete, with additional questions for households with children.  The survey can be found in English and Spanish on healthyMKE.com.  

Since 2010, the health system members of the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership - Advocate Aurora Health, Ascension Wisconsin, Children’s Wisconsin, and Froedtert and the Medical College - have shared the funding and design of Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs) in six southeastern Wisconsin counties in collaboration with 17 local public health departments.  Sharing CHNA costs and execution helps health systems allocate resources wisely, and helps the Milwaukee area hospitals - individually and collectively - establish concrete goals for health education, programs and community investments. 

For more information about the health systems’ shared CHNA in Milwaukee County and to find previous assessments, visit www.healthcompassmilwaukee.org. 

# # #  

About the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership 

Established in 2007, the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership is a public/private, managed consortium dedicated to improving health care for low-income, underserved populations in Milwaukee County with the aim of improving health outcomes, advancing health equity and lowering the total cost of care. Its members include Advocate Aurora Health, Ascension Wisconsin, Children’s Wisconsin, Froedtert Health, Medical College of Wisconsin, Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, Outreach Community Health Centers, Milwaukee Health Services, Inc., Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers, Progressive Community Health Centers, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services, and the City of Milwaukee Health Department

Governor Tony Evers Declares October WI Tech Month

*Info provided by Nadiyah Johnson, CEO, Founder Jet Constellations

Governor Evers has proclaimed October as WI Tech Month in the state of WI. WI Tech Month is being presented by the Milky Way Tech Hub and Wisconsin Voices. Nadiyah Johnson, the founder of the Milky Way Tech Hub, feels it is necessary to celebrate and amplify Wisconsin’s Tech ecosystem. “We’re excited to be working with organizations throughout the state to drive awareness around the importance of technology and highlight its role in decreasing racial wealth and achievement gaps.” says Johnson.

More than 20 events have been coordinated around the state. Eau Claire, Beloit, Milwaukee, Madison, Platteville,  and Kenosha are among the many participating cities. The month will kick off with Milwaukee Tech Advocacy Week (October 1st-10th). This will be a week of civic tech events that aim to equip the general public with the tools and knowledge necessary to find their voices in technology through advocacy, policy, and legislation. The week's events will lead up to Lobby Day at the Wisconsin State Capitol building on October 8th. 

Featured events of WI Tech Month include:

October 2nd - NASA Space Apps Challenge -Milwaukee

October 8th – MKE Tech Lobby Day - Madison/Milwaukee

October 13th Smart Cities Design Thinking Workshop – Kenosha

October 14th WiSys Venture Home Technology Showcase -Platteville

October 15th Using Data Wisely to Help Communities of Color: What You Need to Know -Milwaukee

October 19th Tech Connect - Beloit

Events are now open for registration. For a growing list of events visit:

https://milkywaytechhub.com/witechmonth/

To participate in the month's events submit the event concept here:

https://milkywaytechhub.typeform.com/to/t6z00C9L

About Milky Way Tech Hub

The Milky Way Tech Hub is realizing the vision that Milwaukee is a tech hub where Black people and POC are able to thrive in the field of technology. Through a community-based grass-roots effort Milky Way Tech Hub has begun attracting national and international entrepreneurs to Milwaukee in addition to supporting the local talent already here. The Milky Way Tech Hub’s goal is to use its resources, programs, and community partnerships to create equitable opportunities for Milwaukee’s tech ecosystem.

About Wisconsin Voices

We unify a dynamic network of progressive nonprofits in Wisconsin around achieving shared goals to build a better democracy. We build our partners’ capacity, amplify their impact, nurture new leadership, promote racial equity, champion transparent policies, and foster civic engagement so that everyone has an equal voice.

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/CW