The two-block alley that is sandwiched between Farwell and Prospect Avenues and bookended by Ivanhoe and Kenilworth Places will be soon filled with art and dubbed Black Cat Alley. Called a street art gallery, the alley space will also feature a seven-day installation Sept. 12-18. The works will then be left in place so the gallery can be enjoyed by Milwaukeeans for years to come.
“Art has a way of transforming even the most mundane space into a destination and an experience,” Alderman Nik Kovac says in a release. His district includes the area.
One work will be created by street and graffiti artist MTO, who is known for his hyperrealistic large-scale murals, many of which are done in black and white. According to a separate release from the East Side BID, the project’s sponsor, he will be painting a “major wall piece” on the Oriental Theatre.
The 10 other artists include:
…Andrea Guzzetta, John Kowalczyk, Jenny Jo Kristan, Brandon Minga, Tia Richardson and Adam Stoner. The two students are Ian McGibbon of UWM Peck School of the Arts and Renée Martinez of MIAD. The two national visiting artists are Bunnie Reiss, a contemporary artist from Los Angeles, CA, and the artist “CERA” of Philadelphia, PA, who has strong Milwaukee roots as a graduate of MIAD.
The project has been partly funded by Roundy’s, Colectivo Coffee and the Milwaukee Arts Board, but the group still needs supplies. If you’re feeling generous, they still need paint brushes, a first aid kit, ladders and more.
This post has been updated with additional information.
