Before lazy summer evenings are in the rearview mirror, a new outdoor event this weekend will give Milwaukeeans another chance to soak up the warm weather with bright art along the river.
Enter the inaugural “Afterlight”: a free self-guided event on Aug. 21 between 6:30-11 p.m., hosted by NEWaukee along downtown Milwaukee’s Riverwalk District between Wisconsin Avenue and Erie Street. Along the walk, artist-made visuals will be splashed onto the docks and audio recordings will reverberate from bushes. You can spend the entire four hours wandering, or pack in a quick 30-minute stroll before dinner or other evening plans.
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Of course, there’s a clear reason this takes place in the evening: That’s when you can actually see these installations, which appear more striking once the sun sets. The typically quieter nightfall is also better for hearing the audio effects. The idea of “creativity in motion” is woven through Afterlight, different from viewing art on the wall or listening to a musician on a stage. Not only is the viewer in motion, so is the art.
“I want people to leave saying, ‘I can’t believe this happened in Milwaukee,’” says NEWaukee co-founder Angela Damiani. “Cities are full of people, places and stories that quietly shape their character without ever getting much attention. We hope Afterlight makes people want to pay closer attention to those things. Because once you start looking for them, Milwaukee becomes a much more interesting place.”
“The magic of summer in Milwaukee” is what guided her team in sifting through submissions. With a deadline of late May, they issued a call for “immersive installations, playful environments, and spontaneous moments designed to spark curiosity and connection.” Ultimately, they selected 20 artists who are all based in Wisconsin.
“What surprised us was how many of the artists explored their love of Milwaukee through a really personal lens,” says Damiani. “There are pieces about immigration, architecture, nature, identity, memory, music and everyday life. Taken together, they create a wonderfully weird portrait of the city that feels much more intimate than the Milwaukee we typically present to the outside world.”
These artists’ work becomes even more dimensional as they’re grouped into 12 distinct exhibits along the RiverWalk and paired with other visual and audio experiences. For example, at “Glow Cove,” interactive-art group Joy Engine joins two featured artists: James Walsh with The Rift Raft and typewriter poet and artist Anja Notanja Sieger with Shocking Milwaukee Moments. Then, on the northernmost end of Afterlight is “Forged By Steele,” where Wild Space Dance Company will perform at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to complement artist Natalie Derr’s Forged By Steele.
In conjuction with the event, the Riverwalk Commons Concert Series is hosting live music across the street from the Milwaukee Public Market that same evening, kicking off at 6:30 p.m. with Holy Pinto (local indie pop led by British songwriter Aymen Saleh), followed by Wisconsin singer-songwriter Trapper Schoepp at 7:45 p.m.
Above all, Damiani wants Afterlight to preach the concept of discovery, which is harder and harder to access in an era with handheld digital devices that make answers available within seconds.
“We live in a world where we can research everything before we experience it. We can see the restaurant, read the reviews and watch the video before we ever leave the house,” she says. “Afterlight asks you to show up and wander. There’s something really joyful about giving yourself permission to have no idea what’s around the next corner.”
