Author: Lee Matz

One of Wisconsin’s oldest professional performing arts centers celebrated Milwaukee’s music legacy at one of the city’s oldest institutions. The Milwaukee County Historical Society kicked-off the programming for its 2017 feature exhibit, Melodies and Memories: 200 Years of Milwaukee Music with a live music event on January 19. The free concert was a collaboration with the Florentine Opera, to offer a performance of popular arias from operas performed throughout the Florentine’s history. The Florentine is the sixth-oldest opera company in the United States. The company performs at the Marcus Center in downtown Milwaukee, and continues to present ‘new opera’...

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King The 33rd Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration was held on Sunday, January 15 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. The program highlighted Milwaukee youth who interpreted Dr. King’s works through arts, speech, and writing. The crowd of hundreds that attended included officials from the Milwaukee Public School system and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin. The only cities that have celebrated Dr. King’s Birthday annually since 1984 are Atlanta, Georgia and Milwaukee,...

“To think about viоIеncе, we have to think about it in a holistic way. Because it’s not just about gunshots. There are other things that impact lives, that interfere with the ability of children to grow up and learn and be productive citizens. For every child there is a ripple effect. In the family, it could be the sibling that witnessed the viоIеncе, or the neighbors and friends. It is a very traumatic situation, and many times families become very isolated. So they need help and support to overcome the abuse and viоIеncе that they’re living in. But often...

“Melodies and Memories: 200 Years of Milwaukee Music” is a comprehensive exhibit that explores the styles, people, organizations, businesses, and places that were, and continue to be, central to Milwaukee music. Produced as the first major exhibition of 2017 by the Milwaukee County Historical Society, the attraction is an interactive and hands-on experience that explores Milwaukee’s music legacy. The exhibit offers the public an opportunity to access interactive instrument and listening stations, as well as historical artifacts, images, and immersive stories about Milwaukee’s music culture. This photo essay takes a detailed look at the exhibit objects on display at...