Mitchell Street Arts Introduces Outdoor Installation Connecting People And Cultures Through Sound
Photo courtesy of Mitchell Street Arts.
MILWAUKEE, WI, September 30, 2024: After nearly a year of planning and development, the Mitchell Street Soundscape has officially launched. The project, organized by MiSA and coordinated with community members, is a public art installation designed to connect people through sound. The system is made up of 11 different speakers mounted on light poles on Mitchell Street between 6th and 9th that are connected through a radio transmitter. Anyone who lives, works or plays on the near Southside is invited to suggest different sounds for the speakers to play.
The soundscape is activated twice a day: from 9 to 10:48 am and 4:30 to 6:30 pm. Examples of auditory environments the project will produce are live feeds of ocean waves off the coast of Puerto Rico, bird calls from Pakistan, rainforest sounds from Mexico, and binaural rhythms for stress reduction. The near Southside has many people who were born around the world; a central idea for the project is to connect people across cultures by sharing the sounds that remind people of home – wherever that may be. The first audio recordings to be played are rainforest sounds in the Calakmul biosphere reserve of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The speakers are calibrated to be audible only when directly next to one, so as not to be disruptive to daily life and residents. “While I love the bustle of the 12th district and the sometimes raucous sounds of people going to-and-fro, I also appreciate the opportunity to find quiet places, even in the heart of the city,” said Common Council President José Pérez. “For this reason, I look forward to this system of calming sounds to three blocks of the Historic Mitchell Street commercial corridor”.
Regular community feedback sessions will inform upcoming sound clips and provide an immediate way for residents to engage with the project. The project is inspired by various soundscape programs around the world with a number of positive impacts associated. These include increasing the walkability of the street, encouraging a calming outdoor environment, and promoting economic activity for local businesses. “I am very excited about this creative placemaking project and its contribution to the street,” said Mitchell Street Business Improvement Director Nancy Bush, “we’re all looking forward to hearing some peaceful sounds!”
SPOTLIGHTED UPCOMING PROGRAMS:
October 1, 5:30pm: Spanish language Ceramics class (every tuesday)
October 8, 6pm: Bachata 101
October 15, 8pm: Sound Bath with Adagio Sounds
October 16, 6pm: Ceramic Ramen bowl making
October 17, 6pm: Serious Play – The Great Blanket Fort Challenge
ABOUT MITCHELL STREET ARTS
Mitchell Street Arts promotes creative abundance. The organization was seeded in 2021 by a series of conversations with local residents, artists, and community leaders. We asked: what does the Southside need to have a thriving arts and culture scene? Those conversations have served as the backbone to our mission and have directed our approach to public programs, exhibitions, and residencies. Largely volunteer run, MiSA hosted over 240 free / donation based programs in its first year, 6 artists-in-residence, and 5 gallery exhibitions
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
