Editor, Author at Milwaukee Independent

Milwaukee’s opera history is still being written

Posted by Editor | Jan 26, 2017 |

Ariana Douglas Soprano Leroy Y. Davis Baritone Thomas Leighton Tenor Ashley Puenner Mezzo-soprano The Milwaukee County Historical Society (MCHS) hosted a special performance by the Florentine Opera Studio Artists on January 19. The free event was a first time partnership between the Florentine Opera Company and MCHS, to present the Florentine Opera in Milwaukee: A History Still Being Written. The program celebrated the Society’s 2017 major exhibition, Melodies and Memories: 200 Years of Milwaukee Music that runs until April 30. “The Florentine Opera Company is deeply rooted in Milwaukee and stands out nationally as one of the oldest and...

Photo Essay: What Democracy Looks Like

Posted by Editor | Jan 23, 2017 |

“Here is what I say to people who tell me that I have to accept Donald Trump: I accept that Trump is the president. But I condemn his unabashed bigotry, and his hateful comments about women, Muslims, Hispanics, and other marginalized groups. I condemn him for welcoming white supremacists into his administration, and for running a campaign based on division and for lying to the American people.” – Seth Millstein The Milwaukee Coalition Against Trump (MCAT) hosted a mass march on January 20, the inauguration day of President Trump. The public gathering was held at Red Arrow Park in...

Photo Essay: Answers to the questions we ask

Posted by Editor | Jan 19, 2017 |

A reading from the Museum of Advice was held on January 14 at the Woodland Pattern Book Center to a crowd of almost one hundred in attendance. A dozen of the original 26 experts, from the Milwaukee Fringe Festival, attended the public recital to read aloud their favorite responses to the problems people shared at the August event. Exactly 423 individual questions were collected at the Advice Tent, where curious people were encouraged to pose questions that ranged from the serious, to the vague, to the absurd. The free advice was retained and archived by the project creator Anja...

Board games and live role play dominate at Midwinter event

Posted by Editor | Jan 18, 2017 |

Role playing enthusiasts and game culture crowds returned to Milwaukee for the annual Midwinter Gaming convention, held at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center from January 12 to 15. The Midwinter Gaming Convention is an annual gathering held in Milwaukee each January, now in its 17th year. The event was founded in 2000, around the popular Live Action Role Playing (LARP) game culture. Over the following decade it grew from a midwinter attraction on a Friday night to a full four day gaming convention. Attendance for 2017 passed more than one thousand, with a popular 24 hour board game party....

Photo Essay: A Season for Gaming

Posted by Editor | Jan 18, 2017 |

The Midwinter event has grown in popularity over the past 17 years to offer a full gaming convention experience in Milwaukee every January. From custom combat gaming (CCG) to role-playing games (RPG), to table-top miniatures, and other trends in gaming, the Midwinter Gaming Convention has become a destination for publishers and fans who want to put down screens and pick up dice. These images from January 12 highlight the thriving game culture that still prefers human interaction to the individual isolation of technology during Milwaukee’s long winter. © Photo Lee Matz Read the article and view the photo essay...

Donelle Johnson: MLK’s message still relevant today

Posted by Editor | Jan 17, 2017 |

As a longtime educator and activist, Donelle Johnson is a coordinator of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing Contest who has been with the annual program since its beginning. Donelle Johnson worked behind-the-scenes to keep the 33rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration running smoothly on January 15. The event highlighted Milwaukee youth who interpreted Dr. King’s works through arts, speech, and writing. Her efforts supporting the writing contest have kept Dr. King’s legacy alive, and ensured that thousands of Milwaukee students each year have the opportunity to think deeply about the life and work of...