Editor, Author at Milwaukee Independent

Brad Lichtenstein: Documentary Filmmaking as a force for social change

Posted by Editor | May 4, 2018 |

An award-winning filmmaker who documents local topics for a national audience, Brad Lichtenstein had told stories about social injustice in an effort to affect positive change for more than two decades. From his work for PBS on Frontline to his efforts with growing the Milwaukee film industry, Lichtenstein has remained an optimist about making the world better in spite of the many tragic events and damaged lives that have been the subjects of his many films. The Milwaukee Independent sat down with Lichtenstein on February 28 in his office at 371 Productions to talk about his filmmaking experiences. The...

City Hall gets permanent public art display with installation of iconic bronze sculpture

Posted by Editor | May 1, 2018 |

The “Mixed Feelings” abstract sculpture by internationally acclaimed British artist Tony Cragg was lifted into place by crane at the south entrance of Milwaukee City Hall, by the northeast corner of Wells and Water streets, on April 30. The installation was coordinated by Russell Bowman, an art consultant based in Chicago and former Director of the Milwaukee Art Museum. Bowman is currently serving as art advisor of Sculpture Milwaukee. An anonymous donor provided a grant to the Milwaukee Downtown BID #21 to acquire “Mixed Feelings” and donate the art to the community. “It will be interesting to see how...

Roots of Segregation: Reggie Jackson and Richard Rothstein share insights at special event

Posted by Editor | Apr 30, 2018 |

To commemorate its first decade and outline the roadmap for the next ten years, Community Advocates Public Policy Institute hosted a special night at the Milwaukee Public Museum on April 26. Community Advocates formed the Public Policy Institute (PPI) in 2008 to address the root causes of poverty. The organization wanted to prevent clients from needing their services and, in effect, put themselves out of business. On its 10th Anniversary, the Public Policy Institute held a gathering that featured keynote speaker Richard Rothstein. The acclaimed author of The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated...

Plans for Menomonee Valley envisions transformation of underutilized riverfront sites

Posted by Editor | Apr 27, 2018 |

Menomonee Valley Partners, the City of Milwaukee, and UWM’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning’s Community Design Solutions revealed a vision to transform more than 40 acres of land remaining in the heart of the Menomonee Valley during an event at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino on April 24. Design concepts were the culmination of the Menomonee Valley Design Charette and project a vision for sustainable development on five vacant or underutilized riverfront sites as well as streetscaping for the St. Paul Avenue corridor. Concepts highlight potential for the next phase of Menomonee Valley revitalization, including new businesses, an extension...

MSOE breaks ground on $34M Diercks computer sciences building

Posted by Editor | Apr 26, 2018 |

The Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) kicked off construction on its new academic facility at 1025 N. Milwaukee Street on April 23, funded by a donation from MSOE Regent and alumnus Dr. Dwight Diercks and his wife, Dian. A major feature of the $34 million Dwight and Dian Diercks Computational Science Hall will be a state-of-the-art datacenter, which will be home to a GPU-accelerated supercomputer. Students, faculty and staff, and businesses across industries are invited to collaborate with MSOE to benefit from this tremendous asset to the region. “MSOE changed the course of my life and my career, and...

Estabrook Park Dam exists now only in photos and memories

Posted by Editor | Apr 25, 2018 |

The 81-year-old barricade was finally demolished after more than ten years of dispute. Beginning in early March and lasting for roughly six weeks, the controversial structure was erased from its anchored footprint across the Milwaukee River. Ice barriers were removed from the south shore, followed by the floodgates and spillway of the dam itself. The property will now be returned to the county for park usage. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) received $2.3 million in grants to pay for the dam removal. The dam, which was built around 1937, had not been operating since 2008 when the state’s...