County Looking To Add Bike Racks To Buses
milw_city_bus Originally uploaded by mechanikat Despite Scott Walker‘s consistent insistence that the Milwaukee County Transit System is just a step short of going completely broke, Milwaukee County is proposing to add bicycle racks to the front of the bus fleet. The announcement comes in wake of a proposed settlement for releasing asbestos during the destruction of the Courthouse Annex (the beautiful building over Interstate 43). One bad for one good. I’m all for the addition of bike racks as it increases an individuals mobility without a car, if this is the route that things have to go to get the racks, sure I’ll take it. This goes further to help people than the county paying a fine to the state. On the flip side, the county seems to think they can get federal grants and private funds to pay for a lot of the cost. So they’re clearly doing this to try to kill two birds with one stone. As long as it happens, I’m a happy biker.
Feb 11th, 2008 by Jeramey Jannene
Saturday & Sunday
It’s Saturday, February 2 – Groundhog Day – and I’m at the Milwaukee Art Museum to cruise the newly configured contemporary galleries, where MAM’s Chief Curator Joe Ketner has shaped a fresh path to “seeing.” The elevator carries me upward from the heated garage (what a waste of energy!) to Windhover Hall, where preparations are underway for a late afternoon wedding. Visiting groups gather in clusters around the pretentious Dale Chihuly glass sculpture. The Calatrava addition speaks for itself and doesn’t need doo-dads, but go ahead, smile for the camera. Art Lives Here. I’m looking for Cy Twombly’s “Untitled,” missing from its regular spot on the east wall of the Flagg Gallery with another “Untitled,” a 2007 oil and acrylic painting by Jose Lerma, in its place. My first thought is, “these whirls of pastel blobs belong on a cupcake.” I hope Lerma moved on to become a pastry chef. Prior to receiving a 2001 MFA in Painting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he studied law. The security guards chat about their personal choices and offer some tidbits. One chap admires Lichtenstein’s “Imperfect Diptych, 1983,” a 2007 gift from Rockwell Automation, and another tells me that the large Philip Pearlstein paintings (from 1966 and 1969) have switched places in the Marcus Gallery. The girl in the chair currently sits on the left; her nude friend reclines on the right. And the Twombly? Perhaps on loan to a distant place, maybe with Robert Gober’s “Untitled,” a bottomless suitcase set above a tableau under the floor. Or are the two consigned to a storage area in the bowels of MAM? The Selig Gallery now has four works by Andy Warhol on loan from the collection of Mark and Debbie Attanasio, owners of the Milwaukee Brewers. They’re mediocre examples, like underdone leftovers – a body builder, several hamburgers, and a black and white “Campbell’s Soup (Tomato, 1985)” – although they do serve as links to the artist’s fascination with the world of advertising. Two far more accomplished Warhol Soup Can paintings from the Museum’s permanent collection score. If your favorite in this gallery is Jasper Johns 1984 “Untitled,” fear not; it still reigns supreme. I return to MAM on Super Bowl Sunday yearning for the Twombly. I enter section 16, which announces “The Transition of Modern Art,” a particular interest of Joe Ketner, who used to have one of the three Manierre Dawson (1887-1969) paintings in his office, along with a great Fernand Leger. In an earlier interview he told me that having them near helped him consider the transition problem, which is not the transition to contemporary art, or even post-modern art, but, as Ketner explained in an email, the emergence of European modernism in the United States. He adds that the capital of the art world at the time was not New York but Paris, and that it was the International Exhibition of Modern Art (the Armory Show), held in New York in 1913, that brought European modernism to the nation’s […]
Feb 11th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
Weekly Milwaukee Development Bookmarks
Articles from the past week covering development in Milwaukee. Wisconsin foreclosures up 45 percent in January – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Milwaukee County: Fashionable destination – Small Business Times JS Online: Turning 60, civic group looks ahead JS Online: Area homebuyers may not benefit from stimulus bill JS Online: Tough turnarounds JS Online: County hopes bike racks on buses cancel out asbestos JS Online: Business in Brief JS Online: Foreclosures skyrocket 45%
Feb 11th, 2008 by Dave Reid
Historic Preservation Commission
Location: City Hall – 200 East Wells Street, Room 301-A Agenda
Feb 11th, 2008 by Dave Reid
City Plan Commission
Location: 809 N. Broadway, 1st Floor Boardroom. Agenda
Feb 11th, 2008 by Dave Reid
Pfister & Vogel Concrete Crushing
Building Rubble Originally uploaded by compujeramey The remains of the concrete from the Pfister & Vogel Tannery are being ground up over the next month. The resulting rubble will be reused and recycled to build the foundation for the North End development on the site. To accomplish the task the Mandel Group has brought in a 13-foot tall, 72-ton quarry grade crusher that will chew through 1,500 tons of concrete a day. Awesome.
Feb 10th, 2008 by Jeramey Jannene
Soulstice Theatre issues open call for actors
Soulstice Theatre is seeking four actors to complete the cast of Marvin’s Room by Scott McPherson. The show will be produced the last weekend of March and the first weekend of April in our studio. Rehearsals will begin at the end of February. The open roles are Bessie, Ruth, Lee and Charlie. If you have questions, or if you know anyone who would be interested, please contact Director Jake Russo or call 414-737-1357 to set up an appointment for Saturday, February 16th. Learn more about Soulstice Theatre online.
Feb 10th, 2008 by Vital Archives
Milwaukee International Film Festival announces new director
The Milwaukee International Film Festival (MIFF) announced today the appointment of Byron Alpers as executive director. Alpers assumed his position on February 4, 2008, replacing the festival’s co-founder, David Luhrssen, who will remain on MIFF’s board of directors. Alpers comes to the festival with more than 25 years of experience in developing and implementing marketing programs, chiefly for investment management companies. A vice president for marketing at Scudder Funds in his native Boston, he came to Milwaukee to serve as both director of marketing and creative director at Strong Funds. After a similar stint at Heartland Funds, Byron joined Artisan Funds, where he served as a partner. Until recently, he was an independent marketing consultant to such clients as Baird Investment Management, U.S. Bank and Ziegler Capital Management. No stranger to the creative world, Byron minored in art at Dartmouth and earned a Masters in Creative Writing from Boston University. One of his plays, Just Looking, was produced off-Broadway as part of the Rosetta Festival of New Works. He is also a sculptor. His works in stone and turned wooden bowls are represented in a number of private collections on the East Coast. “I’m delighted to be part of MIFF. It’s one of Milwaukee’s major cultural events, and the opportunity to help lead it is very exciting,” Alpers said. The Sixth Annual Milwaukee International Film Festival opens September 18 and runs through September 28, 2008.
Feb 8th, 2008 by Vital Archives
The Choice
Mitt Romney’s decision to drop out of the race appears to lock up the nomination for John McCain though it will be interesting to see how long Mike Huckabee stays in and makes McCain continue defending his conservative credentials. The Republicans, as usual, are playing by the standard rulebook by falling in line behind a nominee early. Conventional wisdom suggests that the earlier a party chooses its candidate, the better its chances are going into the November election. The less messy intraparty eye-gouging, the better and, besides, no sense squandering precious resources fighting your friends. But the subject du jour is the Obama-Clinton competition so let’s have at it, okay? Here we have a virtual tie between two obviously bright and politically savvy candidates both of whom would represent a historic first if elected. While many of us may feel that we’d be happy to support either one, our primary here in Wisconsin is a mere 11 days away so we can only duck the choice for so much longer. What follows is something of a cheat sheet on the differences between Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton which I thought I’d pull together as a kind of public service. Don’t feel you have to thank me but I welcome your adoring comments. The Issues: By most accounts, the two candidates are remarkably similar on the issues. The two issues that observers use to draw distinctions between them are the Iraq War and Health Care Reform. Even on these issues their differences can appear to some as hairsplitting since they virtually agree on what to do from this point forward in Iraq and they both support providing health care to everyone who wants it. As for Iraq, Obama has gotten a lot of mileage out of the fact that Clinton voted in favor of authorizing the Iraq War while he opposed the war from the beginning. While Clinton did vote in favor of the use of force, as did John Kerry, John Edwards and many other Democrats, she did forcefully urge President Bush to work with other countries to apply pressure on Saddam Hussein before resorting to war. Obviously, Clinton and many of her senate colleagues voted as they did as a political calculation that to do otherwise would brand them as weak, limb-wristed namby-pambies. So much for political calculations, especially when it comes to matters of war. But, as the Baker-Hamilton Commission concluded, the key issue is what to do from this day forward and here they agree. Let’s get out as soon as possible and bring other countries in to help ensure stability. On health care, Clinton’s experience is both her greatest asset and liability. She knows the issue better than anyone. She lead her husband’s Task Force on Health Care Reform and is largely credited with being responsible for that debacle by devising an overly complicated package and refusing to consider any compromise. Her current proposal is remarkably similar to a national version of the Massachusetts legislation that […]
Feb 8th, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
Faith Healer
A scene from Friel’s play Faith Healer, as perfomed by Next Act Theatre. Irish playwright Brian Friel casts a piercing glance into the heart of truth and belief in his three-part drama Faith Healer. Three characters played by three remarkably talented actors speak four conflicting monologues in a thoroughly satisfying script. Next Act Theatre stages this fascinating drama on the intimate stage of the Off-Broadway Theatre through the end of the month. Jonathan Smoots opens the play speaking arcane names of ancient villages buried in the antiquity of the British Isles, creating an air of fantasy. Smoots plays Frank, the title character — a man somewhat uneasily saddled with his profession. Smoots, until now largely relegated to supporting roles, here has presence and a great deal of flair at center stage. The charismatic actor embraces the stage lights with a deep, friendly Irish accent. He tells of his shaky journey from village to village — speaking of his mistress and his agent with sunny tones shaded by a clever uncertainty of his own capabilities. He’s right there in front of us, but even as he speaks simple words as clear as day, there’s an air of mystery about him. Smoots’ deft performance includes a spot-on Irish brogue that shifts to perfect Cockney when the character does an impression of his agent. Smoots shows a casually impressive flair for moving between accents without slowing down, dropping a line or fading out of character. The fact that any classically trained actor with two decades of local stage experience should be able to do this doesn’t make it any less impressive. The second character to take the stage is the faith healer’s mistress Grace. Mary MacDonald Kerr strikes a sharp figure in the role of the educated solicitor who somehow fell in with a man who took her away from a respectable middle-class life. Kerr shows a shrewd strength that is a lot of fun to watch. More than simply contradicting some of the details of Grace’s life with Frank, Kerr renders a completely new dimension to the character that builds on what the first monologue explored. She draws attention to Grace with an understated integrity, working out her story with every word she speaks. The final character to take the stage is Frank’s agent Teddy. Next Act Producing Artistic Director David Cecsarini plays the witty Cockney gentleman who handles Frank’s business affairs as a friend and promoter. He speaks about his experiences with Frank peppered with tales of other acts he’s managed. It’s the more heavily comic end of the play and Cecsarini handles it expertly. His third perspective adds respectable depth to the rest of what’s been said onstage, setting it for one last encounter with Frank. Smoots’ final moments on stage end in a beautiful silhouette brilliantly painted by Lighting Designer Jason Fassl. The lights fade. The applause sounds out. Faith Healer‘s themes reverberate through the evening. VS Next Act’s production of Faith Healer runs now through March 2 at […]
Feb 7th, 2008 by Russ Bickerstaff
Less is more
The Grandeur of God: Photographs by Don Doll, S.J. Haggerty Museum of Art (Marquette University) – 13th & Clybourn January 31 – April 13, 2008 The Patrick and Beatrice Haggerty Museum of Art on the campus of Marquette University is an old friend. I was there when it opened in 1984, and each spring and summer I often trek to 13th & Clybourn to review exhibitions and soak up the serenity of the Green Ash Grove on the north side of the museum. Despite the ongoing construction of the Marquette Interchange project, there’s handy free parking and a few moments of peace to be had. The Kahler-designed Haggerty has been described (endlessly) as a “jewel,” and though it lacks lake views, wings rising and falling on cue, vast marbled halls or a café, it’s a beauty. The Haggerty and the Milwaukee Art Museum both announced the hire of executive directors recently: Walter Mason and Daniel Keegan, respectively. Mason will fill the void left by Dr. Curtis Carter, who resigned in 2006 after guiding the Haggerty for over twenty years. Dr. Carter is currently entrenched in Marquette’s Department of Philosophy, but a 2007 oil portrait of him remains at the Haggerty. He’s smiling. I approached The Grandeur of God, a photography exhibition (now – April 13), with a load of baggage, for I don’t believe in a “higher power,” only in the ability of humans to overcome problems. Additionally, I feared being snookered into sentimentality by photographer and educator Don Doll, S.J., who has lived and worked at Creighton University in Omaha since 1969. The exhibition includes photographs of his work with Native Americans, plus panoramas along the Lewis and Clark trail, which he retraced in a 2003 trip from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean. And more. Much more. As I headed west on Wisconsin Avenue toward the Haggerty, I thought about other images included in the show. Would they prove to be a promo for the Jesuits’ global mission, which is also a part of Marquette University’s overall mission? Doll’s photographs have been featured in National Geographic; his book, Vision Quest, was published by Random House’s Crowns Publisher in 1994, and even though he was born in 1937 and for many decades has been sheltered by Creighton University where he is professor of photojournalism, an image on his website shows him dressed like a guy straight out of GQ. He joined the video revolution a decade ago, and in 2006 was named Nebraska Artist of the Year by that state’s Arts Council. His work hangs in the prestigious Joslyn Museum in Omaha, a museum where I had my first “art experience” at age eight. A local photographer told me recently that the best way to understand art is to have “no understanding” of it prior to viewing. I was already on overload. A few years back, museums everywhere were in the throes of honoring Lewis and Clark’s bicentennial. An article in The New York Times (January 23, 2005) went […]
Feb 7th, 2008 by Stella Cretek
The Day After
So Tsunami Tuesday has come and gone and life, as we know it, goes on. Little has changed following yesterday’s mega-primary when nearly half of the states held contests to choose each party’s nominee for president. Certainly the Clinton-Obama battle for the Democratic prize remains deadlocked. The two candidates divided up the states, the votes and, most importantly, the delegates almost evenly. Hillary Clinton is left still fighting for the nomination the day after the largest set of primaries that the nation has ever held which she hoped would drive a dagger into any opponent still standing in her way. And Barack Obama failed to leapfrog over the Clinton machine and assert himself as the new frontrunner. We’re left with two impressive combatants slogging on with the distinct possibility that it will take the party’s convention this summer to decide their fate. Partisans fear that such a lengthy process could do harm to the Democratic Party’s unity going into the fall campaign. But both candidates have apparently decided to stop throwing mud at each other and run reasonably respectful campaigns, at least for the time being. I, for one, think this is a marvelous development for our Republic. It gives schnooks like us in supposedly late primary states the opportunity to cast our votes in a meaningful way. And both candidates are being scrutinized in a way that can only help define them as better qualified than whoever the Republicans nominate. As for the Republicans, the outcome of their Super Tuesday contests provided the only real surprise in the strong showing of Mike Huckabee. As expected, John McCain ended up with the lion’s share of the states and the delegates. But Mitt Romney, who many hardline Republicans were hoping would draw support from the party’s most conservative voters, was overtaken by Huckabee who won several southern states. Prior to Tuesday’s voting, Romney enraged Huckabee by insinuating that the former Arkansas governor had little chance to be anything other than a spoiler. Early last evening, Huckabee appeared to gleefully throw those words back at Romney when he acknowledged that the race had narrowed to two candidates but he was one of them. McCain’s eventual nomination appears pretty close to a sure thing. Huckabee’s success seems to ensure that he will coast to the convention with political capital that may result in his selection as the vice presidential nominee. Romney, on the other hand, looks more and more like the Black Knight from Monty Python who insists he is getting stronger each time he gets one of his arms or legs lopped off. Get over it, Mitt. The people are just not that into you. But the Clinton-Obama contest is what has captured the attention of our nation and the world. Let’s face it, there’s an epidemic of Bush fatigue. Not even the Republicans are dumb enough to be linking themselves to the current occupant of the White House. The historymaking Obama and Clinton campaigns are engaged in an epic battle, neck […]
Feb 7th, 2008 by Ted Bobrow
