Although Milwaukee’s post-industrial landscapes are intersected by deep social, cultural and environmental justice divisions – food and housing insecurity, inequities in education, employment and healthcare access, and continued racial segregation – Milwaukee is rich in community. Grassroots movements, individuals, organizations, businesses and networks have sprung up to support Milwaukee’s communities and shape our landscapes of compassion and empowerment.

About

These zines, comics, books, and other creative works focus on some of the vital and impassioned work being done by community leaders throughout Milwaukee. They have been created by the artists and designers that form the alumni cohort of Storytelling the Environment, a humanities and service learning course taught by research-based storyteller H. J. Bullard at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD), assisted by multidisciplinary artist, Katie Grinell. This work is supported by an ongoing collaboration with Dr. Arijit Sen (Architecture and Urban Studies, UWM). This creative work does not seek to speak for the featured organizations, and is not intended as promotional material. Rather, it is the creative outcome of knowledge and relationships formed through Storytelling the Environment.

Creative Collaborators 

Abbey Frimark | Allen Acosta | Ally Doctrow | Amanda Evans | Anja Brandl | Artemis Sidikman |Ashley Mahurin | Andrew Juliot 
​Britney Beach | Britt Westveer | Brooke Ritzow | Cailin Mahoney | Cameron Maas | Camryn Schake | Chloe Mae Greene
Dane Simon | Darienne Hood | Eduardo Zavala | Emily Unrein | Ethan Reichmann-Crowley | Fiona Bingley
Jesse Bursch | Julia Callahan | Kameron Sallows | Kasey Miller | Kayleigh Pallagi | Kian Kort | Lee Milewski | Luca Monfre Manny Sanchez | Marci Klugiewicz | Maria Del Rosario Lopez | Mariah Andreasen | Miranda Adelman | Nina Gagliardi 
Olive Craine | Pang Yang | Reagan Mulvey | Rita Richardson | Ryan Kane | Samantha Villazaez | Sarah Legate 
Shantal Ramos | Stephanie Palazzetti | Tala Drescher | Thomas Deegan | Torrel Sparks

Creative Works Archive 

Food & Urban Agriculture

Food & Urban Agriculture
​showcases creative reflections on
groups and organizations in Milwaukee growing food, preparing food, and distributing food through community garden projects, urban farming, restaurants, and cafés. This work also reflects upon food justice and the power of gathering community around food
​in our urban landscape.

Education

​Education includes creative
reflections on work being done by Milwaukee based organizations towards providing accessible education and core
skill-building opportunities through teaching, mentoring, and access to resources such as professional networks, archives, and collections. This work also reflects upon the segregated history of education in Milwaukee.

Green & Blue Spaces

Green & Blue Spaces includes
creative reflections on work being
done by Milwaukee based organizations towards equitable access to green and blue spaces, encompassing parks, gardens, green belts and canopy health, rivers, lakes, and clean water access. This work also reflects upon environmental justice and tactical urbanism.

Health & Shelter

​Health & Shelter showcases
​creative reflections on work being
done by Milwaukee based organizations to provide accessible health care resources, shelter, and housing.
These works explore accessible clinics and shelters for those most impacted by social and environmental injustices, efforts to shelter animals in the urban landscape, access to business and housing-related financial advice, tenant rights, and the segregated history of health and housing in Milwaukee – and its legacies.
Page Logo: Dane Simon
Page Design: Katie Grinell