BY: RANELL WASHINGTON, SOCIAL X MKE AND CULTURE X DESIGN
FIND MORE OF THE BEST OF MILWAUKEE 2024 HERE
Editor’s Note: This year, Milwaukee Magazine asked several notable Milwaukeeans for their takes on the Best of Milwaukee. Many responded with much more great stuff than we could publish in our print issue, so we just had to share more of their picks here! Ranell Washington is vice president of Social X MKE and co-founder of Culture X Design.
Put Some Art in Ya Life!
A new event series The Dope Art Xperience, curated by Social X MKE, puts a unique spin on gallery night. This curated “xperience” features talented Milwaukee artists and creatives and provides “xquisite” food, drinks and musical vibes. Milwaukee has an underrated art and creative scene that needs to be on everyone’s radar.
Here are a dozen artists and curators you should get to know and follow: Terrell “Ego the Artist” Morgan, CK Ledesma (CK Ledesma Art), Ken Brown, Letasha Smith (Feisty Impressions), Erica Wright (Raven Darkholme), Dante Nash (Avra), Ashley Dallas (A. Dallas Originals), Daron Wolf, Zena Smith (R & Z Urban Art Gallery), AnaMarie Edwards, Mia Collins (Kustom Kicx), Chrishella Carter (Vibez Creative Art Space)
We All Gotta Eat!
What is an event, private gathering or meeting without top-notch eats? Anomaly Catering, led by Chefs Blake and Anomalous Campbell, is meticulous and creative with its displays, plating, food preparation and menu creation for its clientele.
Work, Work, Work!
As the gig economy, solopreneurship, and remote work trends continue to grow, finding a great place from which to work is a necessity for many Milwaukeeans. Ambition Center MKE (530 E. Vienna Ave.) is nestled on the cusp of Harambee and Five Points neighborhoods, offering individual office rental, collaborative workspaces and flexible media space.
Fruition MKE in the new Concordia 27 development (825 N. 27th St.) is Milwaukee’s newest hub for creatives with a cafe, maker space and offices. And CW Creative Studio + Shop (2201 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.) is a beautiful space for creatives to gather, ideate, create and foster support for all their creative endeavors. It also features a retail space for creators to sell their works and a media room for podcasting and photoshoots.
Give the Drummer, DJ and Emcee Some
All events need great music and vibe curators to set the tone! Here are some of my favorite DJs and musicians that set the stage for private events and curate their own unique gatherings.
DJ Gemini Gilly, creator of the Gems Only event series, just might be your new favorite DJ, with an array of vibes for her own thoughtfully crafted events, private bookings and residencies across Milwaukee. An energetic trendsetter in his own right, DJ Nic Stokes is a private event and resident DJ at several of Milwaukee’s top establishments and restaurants.
And Good Writtens Creative is a conglomerate of Milwaukee-based musicians creating a variety of intimate and large scale performances throughout the city. Contributors include Burgie Streetz, CT, Duch, Emmitt James, H.Kain, Genesis Renji, Maaly Napoleon, Numero 8 and Renz Young.
Catch these Vibes
Elevate MKE (1131 N. Water St.) is Milwaukee’s newest multi-level nightlife establishment, with commissioned art pieces and a rooftop patio that provides views of Downtown. This is a spot to enjoy a great drink, listen to one of their rotating DJs or curate your next private event.
