Bronzeville Center for the Arts Announces Upcoming Year-Long Outdoor Sculpture Installation by Milwaukee Artist CK Ledesma
Artist Begins Installation This Week; "If You Put Your Ear to It, You Can Hear the Waves" Opens June 11
MILWAUKEE – The Bronzeville Center for the Arts (BCA) is pleased to announce that on-site creation has begun for If You Put Your Ear to It, You Can Hear the Waves, a year-long outdoor sculpture installation by Milwaukee-based interdisciplinary artist Ck Ledesma. Passing commuters and residents can now witness the transformation of the corner of West North Avenue and 2nd Street — the site of BCA’s future museum devoted to Black art and culture. The exhibition, which opens June 11, marks a significant milestone in the organization’s growth and the site’s ongoing activation as a vibrant cultural hub.
Upcoming Key Dates
- Thursday, June 11, 2026: Official Public Opening
The installation will be on view through June 13, 2027. - Thursday, June 18, 2026: Free Artist Talk and Exhibition Tour from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The evening begins at Gallery 507, located at 507 W. North Ave, with an artist talk with Ledesma, followed by a guided walk three blocks through Bronzeville to the installation. Free and open to the public on the eve of Juneteenth. - Throughout the Year: Artist Ck Ledesma will continue to add and reshape the altar, reflecting the living, evolving nature of both devotion and artmaking.
About the Work
Working with clay, mirrors, tiles, concrete, and other physical materials, Ledesma reimagines an outdoor altar rooted in Santería, an African diasporic religion that blends Catholicism with West African spiritual practices developed in the Caribbean as a means of cultural preservation. The contemporary altar is dedicated to Yemayá, the Orisha (deity) of the ocean and the Mother of all things. Drawing on Yoruba practice and Caribbean diasporic storytelling, the work connects the Bronzeville community to Lake Michigan and to coastlines across the globe. Ledesma will continue to add and reshape the altar throughout the year, reflecting the living, evolving nature of both devotion and artmaking.
“Ck’s work asks us to slow down and listen — to the water, to our ancestors, to the traditions that have carried us here,” said Phoenix Brown, BCA Curator. “Presenting this installation at the 2312 site feels right in every way. It’s a living, evolving work in the heart of Bronzeville, and we’re honored to share it with our community for an entire year.”
If You Put Your Ear to It, You Can Hear the Waves marks Ck Ledesma’s first solo exhibition with BCA. The installation will be free and visible from the street at the corner of West North Avenue & 2nd Street.
For more information about the exhibition and the Bronzeville Center for the Arts, please visit www.bcamke.org.
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.
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