On a brisk October afternoon, while birds chirped and leaves began to fall in Washington Park, dozens of neighbors painted side by side, filling the crosswalks with bright flowers and bold colors.
“I saw people doing art, and I wanted to join,” said Muta áliah Green, a local artist and Washington Park neighbor.
“I make fine art and do murals around the city. I feel like art is so important for bringing the city to life,” Green said.
Neighbors volunteered on Oct. 3 to transform three crosswalks along North 40th Street between West Galena and West Roberts streets into colorful works of public art designed to improve pedestrian safety and create a more welcoming entrance to Washington Park.
The “Paint the Pavement” project was organized by Rooted & Rising – Washington Park, a resident-led neighborhood organization focused on public space improvements and arts programming, in partnership with Artists Working in Education, or AWE, a Milwaukee nonprofit that connects professional artists with schools and public art projects. The project was the third installment of the Cultural Art Vibes series, a free monthly event series that combines arts, music and other family-friendly activities.
The series uses community art projects to bring neighbors together and strengthen the Washington Park neighborhood.
“For Rooted & Rising, everything we do is community-led,” said Adrian Spencer, the organization’s deputy director. “We want the community to tell us the what, the how, the when, and we want them to engage as much as possible so that they feel ownership; they feel like it’s theirs.”
Patricia Rodgers, a Midtown neighbor, brought her two sons to the event.
“I just wanted to help support the community and give back that way. I want my kids to know how important the things we do in the community are,” Rodgers said.
Milwaukee artist Emma Daisy Gertel designed the crosswalk artwork. In her presentation of the project she states that the design draws on themes of diversity, belonging and growth through flowers and bright colors.
She said she kept the design simple and repetitive so neighbors of all ages and experience levels could help paint the large-scale murals, while ensuring the design remained bold and effective.
“Having more helping hands is great, but it’s also about folks who are there to be a part of creating something meaningful and joyful for their own space and to make it safer,” Gertel said.
The finished crosswalks now stand as a colorful reminder of what can happen when neighbors collaborate to help shape the spaces they share.
“We’re very invested in this area, in this community,” Rodgers said.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
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