How very exciting for us

On December 1, after almost four wonderful years in our current offices in Riverwest, we’re moving to the Arts Building in Walker’s Point, located at 133 W. Pittsburgh Ave. The space is amazing, affordable and will allow us to warehouse client materials from our distribution business all in one spot plus have secure parking, an exterior sign and a few other niceties we’ve always lusted after. We’ll also be surrounded by artist studios and other creatively-fueled small businesses, both in the building and in the neighborhood in general. We simply couldn’t be more excited. In the meantime, there’s so much to do with the build-out and the holidays and all, so I imagine we’ll all be a little tired by the end of the year. But hopefully in a good way. We’ll post pictures when everything is ship-shape and hold an open house sometime in the spring, maybe during Gallery Night.

I don’t know if you all know this either, but the lovely and talented Element Everest has joined our team to help us with advertising sales and marketing. We met when we were interviewing her for a story in October’s Music Issue and she knocked my socks off. She’s a tour de force and I love how she has no fear. She believes in what we’re doing and she’s out there talking to people every day about getting involved and being part of it too. You may already know Element from Radio Milwaukee, where she continues to work in promotions and pull the occasional air shift, or you may know her from local hip hop group Black Elephant. Or you may have just picked up her new, debut solo record, Life Is A Heist. My favorite cut is “Famous.” It’s the “You’re So Vain” for the new generation- funny, biting and spot-on insightful. I’m digging it and you will too.

Here’s another fun thing: I have a recipe in WMSE‘s new cookbook, WMSEats. It’s for Lunch Lady Lurlene’s Wacky Cake. I love wacky cake. It’s the best chocolate cake in the world and it’s really cheap and easy to make. Coincidentally, it’s also naturally vegan, although I ruin that with white icing or cream cheese frosting every time. The whole book is really great, filled with tasty recipes from drinks to comfort food to fancier stuff, all submitted by local WMSE supporters and listeners. You can get your own during their pledge drive, which started October 31 and goes until they raise $125k. Contribute by phone at 414-799-1917 or online.

That’s it for now. I’m off to fill out an occupancy permit application and look at an artist’s portfolio. I am so lucky to have my life.

Peace,
Jon Anne