10 Wisconsin Avenue Mini-Murals

Mayor Tom Barrett congratulates Mauricio Ramirez. Photo by Alexandra Mucks.

The much ballyhooed sculpture installation on Wisconsin Ave. isn’t the only arts project on the city’s main street. The Arts on Wisconsin Avenue program held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today on the corner of Wisconsin and Jefferson to celebrate the new mini-murals designed and created by visual artist Mauricio Ramirez. His murals can be found on 10 utility boxes on Wisconsin Avenue from Cass Street to 9th Street.

Lex Allen performs with DJ Shawna at the ribbon cutting ceremony. Photo by Alexandra Mucks.

Local musicians Lex Allen and DJ Shawna performed, Pilcrow Coffee Roasters served their cold brew and food trucks Meat on the Street and Cupcake-A-Rhee served their specialties as the crowd gathered to watch Mayor Tom Barrett cut the ribbon alongside Ramirez.

Beth Weirick, CEO of Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, which oversaw and paid for the project, told Urban Milwaukee’s Brandon Anderegg, “This is the year of Wisconsin Avenue. There is so much momentum along the avenue and the utility box project is just one of the many developments adding vibrancy to our historic main street.”

Milwaukee Downtown filed a request for creativity (RFC) this winter inviting artists to design artwork that would bring ordinarily overlooked parts of the city — namely, utility boxes — to life.

According to the RFC, Ramirez was selected as Wisconsin Avenue’s artist in residence by the Downtown Placmaking Task Force, composed of local artists and architects and representatives from various organizations like the Milwaukee Arts Board, BID #21 and the City Department of Public Works.

Anderegg offered more details on the initiative:

This project is intended to bring awareness of Milwaukee’s creative community as well as establish Wisconsin Avenue as the city’s historic main street. The organization hopes that the final designs will reflect Wisconsin Avenue’s rich history of architecture, commerce, diversity, people and the city’s bright future. 

Ramirez has created murals for companies like Microsoft, Warner Music Group, VitaminWater and Red Bull and has shown his work at galleries in Milwaukee, Chicago and Springfield.

Location of Boxes

• 800 E. Wisconsin Ave. at NE Wis/Cass (NM Bus Stop)
• 650 N. Jackson Street SE Corner Jackson/Wisconsin (Across from Fed Courthouse)
• 401 E. Wisconsin Ave. SW Corner Wis/Jefferson
• 411 E. Wisconsin Ave. SE Corner Wis/Milwaukee
• 200 E. Wisconsin Ave. NE Corner Wis/Water
• 707 N. Plankinton Ave. NW Corner Wis/Plankington (At MO’s Irish Pub)
• 703 N. 2nd St. NW Corner Wis/2nd
• 300 W. Wisconsin Ave. NW Corner Wis/3rd
• 700 N. 6th St. NE Corner Wis/6th (at convention center)
• 706 N. 9th St. NE Corner Wis/9th.

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