Location: Wisconsin

They wanted to create spaces for their communities to gather. So, instead of waiting for someone else, they decided to build it themselves.

What happens when Midwestern artists and collectives come together? MdW Assembly—an alternative (to an) art fair.

With the inaugural 4Ground Midwest Land Art Biennial, Franconia Sculpture Park is reaching its arms beyond its own grounds for a multi-state, multi-organization festival that focuses on community, land stewardship, sustainability, and preservation.

As a child, Milwaukee artist DeMar Walker was captivated by a mural on the side of a building: the former home of an organization called the Inner City Arts Council. Now the artistic director of Ko-Thi Dance Company, Walker is capturing the stories of the elders who contributed to this historic space for Black arts and celebrating the legacy of its foundational work.

When you visit Portage County, Wisconsin, you’ll see thirteen incredible new pieces of art on buildings around the region. Through a program inspired by the New Deal, CREATE Portage County, a people-centered economic development organization in Stevens Point, WI, put artists impacted by COVID-19 to work painting murals inspired by themes including food, imagination, farming, refugee experiences, and resilience.

What happens when Wisconsin winter meets Brazilian carnaval celebration, all during a pandemic? You get a new music video for Brazilian artist Paulo Padilha’s song, “Outro Carnaval,” featuring students and faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Stout playing alongside musicians in São Paulo.