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Friday, March 29, 2024

Floral artists create sculpture for solidarity with Milwaukee's Black communities

Credit: TODAY’S TMJ4
Duration: 01:57s 0 shares 1 views

Floral artists create sculpture for solidarity with Milwaukee's Black communities
Floral artists create sculpture for solidarity with Milwaukee's Black communities

A new floral art installation outside of Sherman Phoenix hopes to lift black voices and black-owned businesses.

TOUGH CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACEAND INEQUITY ARE HAPPENING ALLTHROUGHOUT MILWAUKEE RIGHT NOW.OUR RYAN JENKINS SHOWS US HOWONE GROUP OF LOCAL áFLORISTSARE USING THEIR GREEN THUMBSTO RESPOND TO THOSECONVERSATIONS.RJ: THIS ART INSTALLATION WASDESIGNED BY MKE SEEN, A GROUPOF FLORISTS WHO, AMID ALL OFTHE CONVERSATION ABOUT RACIALJUSTICE AND AMID THE CALLS FORCOMMUNITY REFORM, WANTED TOUSE THEIR TALENTS TO LIFTBLACK VOICES AND BLACKBUSINESSES.

08:06:25 ShermanPhoenix is a meaningful andintentional spot for usbecause it's one of theexamples of taking somethingthat wasn't great for thecommunity and really buildingout of that a black space forblack businesses to incubateand get their start.AT FIRST,IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE NOTHINGMORE THAN THE PERFECT PHOTOOPP.BUT FOR THE ARTISTS WHODESIGNED PIECE OF ART ... THEINTENTION RUNS DEEP.(Liz Egan,MKE Seen)08:08:55 Our hope isthat the flowers speak tosomething that only nature cancommunicate.USING THE PLANTSTHEY WORK WITH EVERYDAY, THESEWOMEN ARE ADVOCATING FORMEANINGFUL CHANGE IN MILWAUKEE.08:12:02 This is the languagewe speak, this is our art,this is how we expressourselves.

THEY'RE CREATINGPUBLIC ART, LIKE THIS, TO LIFTCONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE ANDINEQUITY AMID ONGOINGPROTESTS, MARCHES AND CALLSFOR CHANGE.(Sally Vander Wist,MKE Seen)08:12:20 There'ssomething really emotional andpowerful about flowers.THEINSTALLATION IS ALREADYPLANTING A SEED OF POSITIVITYIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.(TinaRivera, Milwaukee resident)09:43:10 I was having a goodday.

I'm having a great daynow!

I love flowers!(KhasemaJohnson, Milwaukee resident)09:54:45 I think it's apowerful statement.A SYMBOLICSTATEMENT ... SUPPORTED BYTHESE WORDS.08:13:25 We seeyou, we hear you, we standwith you.RJ: THIS INSTALLATIONWILL STAY UP UNTIL MONDAY ANDMKE SEEN TELLS ME THEY PLAN TOCREATE DOZENS MORE OF THESETYPES OF PIECES AT PLACESTHROUGHOUT THE CITY OFMILWAUKEE IN THE MONTHS AHEAD.

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