Art and culture!

For Milwaukee to be a living, thriving society, we must continue to invest in the arts and our rich, local culture.

Art is not limited to museum pieces, nor is culture limited to imported traditions. We’ve got our own vibrant culture and neighborhoods brimming with art, artists and creative folks. They are catalysts for positive social change, because having and maintaining our own unique cultures and traditions give us places we can all connect—those which can transcend class, race, gender and other constant reminders of our differences. We may have particular preferences, but we can all celebrate our collective and localized cultures. So, whether it’s the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Riverwest music scene or beatboxing on the street, all of us can appreciate harmony, melody and rhythm.

You don’t have to like each specific art to appreciate that we have a rich diversity of options and real cultural wealth in the variety presented by street festivals, the opera or salsa dancing. Whether we personally like the experience or not, we are fortunate and can be proud that Milwaukee has not only a world class ballet, opera and symphony but also its own experimental music scene, basement shows, jazz clubs, world music bands and more. The same is true in other forms of art and culture, whether it’s from photographers, poets, buskers, painters, sculptors, dancers, firespinners or others.

Elected officials must understand the importance of upholding the art that contributes to cohesive, thriving communities. One very concrete way to do this is to promote the celebration of all of our cultures. Another way is to be willing to recognize and appreciate the artists in our midst when we are funding public art.

Together, we can create a civic culture that more deeply recognizes the importance of expression in our city, including traditions that build community.

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