Curating art for all of Milwaukee
Clip | 5m 4sVideo has Closed Captions
Phoenix Brown mixes modern art with historic collections in galleries around Milwaukee.
Phoenix Brown has curated art for galleries around Milwaukee including prominent mansion museums, like the Allis and Villa Terrace.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Wisconsin Life is a local public television program presented by PBS Wisconsin
Funding for Wisconsin Life is provided by the Wooden Nickel Fund, Mary and Lowell Peterson, A.C.V. and Mary Elston Family, Obrodovich Family Foundation, Stanley J. Cottrill Fund, Alliant Energy, UW...
Curating art for all of Milwaukee
Clip | 5m 4sVideo has Closed Captions
Phoenix Brown has curated art for galleries around Milwaukee including prominent mansion museums, like the Allis and Villa Terrace.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch Wisconsin Life
Wisconsin Life is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- Angela Fitzgerald: Phoenix S. Brown is a curator, helping other people share their story through art.
- Phoenix S. Brown: As curator, my responsibility is to program the gallery spaces.
I coordinate artists, I develop exhibitions, I help run creative programming in response to the art that's on the wall.
Very powerful piece by... - Angela: Phoenix works in this space, Gallery 507, at the Bronzeville Center for the Arts.
- This organization was started by artists, which is really exciting.
I'm also an artist, so I love learning about how artists make their work.
- Angela: This artistic hub, located on Milwaukee's north side, is rooted in art, culture, and African-American history.
- Phoenix: Bronzeville is a cultural overlay of, like, a few neighborhoods here in Milwaukee.
Black residents have been here since the early 19th century, so the neighborhood is really known for Black cultural production.
- Angela: In addition to her work in the Bronzeville neighborhood, Phoenix has curated work in some of Milwaukee's most prestigious mansions.
- Phoenix: At the turn of the 20th century, this was considered the Gold Coast.
There was a lot of wealthy families building mansions along this corridor.
This home was the homestead of Sarah Ball Allis and Charles Allis.
They were industrialists, and Charles Allis was the president of Allis Chalmers.
- Angela: The Allis mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
As curator, Phoenix would find contemporary artists searching for a temporary place to showcase their work.
- The room that we're in right now is called the French parlor.
On this wall, we have a lot of French oil paintings that are, like, beautifully framed.
Everything is original to the collection.
And then also in the space, we juxtapose contemporary art next to, like, the historic works.
- I'll just hand you one, and then I'll take the other one.
- Phoenix: And our previous exhibitions have kind of responded to, like, people who identify as LGBTQIA here in the community and people of color, so thinking about critical issues of identity and hierarchies of power and feminism.
- Angela: When Sarah Allis passed away, she had one last wish for her art collection and this Tudor-style home.
- Phoenix: In the will, she dictated that whoever runs the home must inspire, delight, and educate with the collections.
- Angela: For three years, Phoenix was that person honoring Sarah's wish.
- Phoenix: This place is special.
It's like a gem of historic relevance that I think people often overlook, and it holds a lot of Milwaukee history.
- Angela: At the same time Phoenix was overseeing the art collection at the Allis, she was helping reclaim another piece of Milwaukee's past a short walk away at Villa Terrace.
- Phoenix: It was the original home to Lloyd and Agnes Smith of the A. O. Smith Company.
Villa Terrace was constructed in 1924.
The inspiration for the villa came when the family went to Italy.
It kind of appears as though that you may be on the Mediterranean Sea.
- Angela: Preserving the vestiges of power and privilege was not lost on Phoenix as she curated the mansions.
These are two homes that were owned by white people.
So, like, finding ways to make those accessible to our largest populations here is really important.
Welcoming communities in that may have never felt welcomed before 'cause it is intimidating.
You don't really know what's possible for yourself unless you see someone that looks like you doing the same thing.
And luckily in my life, I've had people who are people of color in these sorts of positions.
- Angela: Every place Phoenix works, representation and access are at the center of her mission.
- Phoenix: They are the first two Black men to be on a baseball team and be brothers.
This is important to me 'cause it feels like I am giving a platform to people that haven't had it in the past.
And sometimes, it's best for people of color to tell their own stories, you know?
That's, like, a privilege that we don't always get in this sort of sphere.
I think it just really emphasizes the impact that he's had on the Negro League baseball league here in America.
And I think it's important to keep telling these stories and hold these stories so Milwaukeeans in the future are able to learn about where we came from as a city.
- Angela: The art sphere Phoenix creates is welcoming for all of Milwaukee, whether that is at a mansion museum or in the heart of Bronzeville.
[Phoenix chuckles] - I love curatorial.
Curatorial is amazing, and it's a privilege to be in these roles.
And I just love working with artists.
It brings me joy.
But then also, it's kind of like, people just doing really cool stuff.
[laughs] [bright music]
Now PlayingCurating art for all of Milwaukee
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 5m 4s | Phoenix Brown mixes modern art with historic collections in galleries around Milwaukee. (5m 4s)
Fiber artist weaves portraits of global water protectors
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 31s | Mary Burns honors water rights advocates with intricate woven portraits. (4m 31s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 42s | Arne Martinson reveals the exotic and vibrant mushrooms of the Northwoods. (4m 42s)
Special Olympics athlete becomes disability rights champion
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 39s | Given 24 hours to live at birth, Cindy Bentley beat the odds. (4m 39s)
UW-La Crosse entomologist's 'epiphany' reveals our bonds with bugs
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 41s | Lifelong insect enthusiast Barrett Klein explores our human bonds with bug life. (4m 41s)
MicroCar museum showcases 'goofy-looking' vehicles from post-war Europe
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 2m 50s | The Midwest MicroCar Museum houses diminutive vehicles with historic significance. (2m 50s)
Eagle Eye Farm brings alpaca farm magic to River Falls
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 5m 26s | Farmer Kerri Harting wants to spread the joy of animals and farming through her alpacas. (5m 26s)
Milwaukee's 'Comedy Auntie' marks three decades on stage
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 5s | Stand-up comic Chastity Washington gets plenty of material from her day job as a teacher. (4m 5s)
Research reveals Wisconsin loons are disappearing
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 7m 14s | Walter Piper documents declining loon populations in northern Wisconsin. (7m 14s)
Walk in the woods with an old growth guide
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 23s | Guide John Bates explores a remaining old growth forest, the Van Vliet Hemlocks. (4m 23s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 55s | Minerva Montooth, 101, worked alongside Frank Lloyd Wright and wife Olgivanna. (4m 55s)
Teen builds custom guitars from scratch
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 4s | Pulaski teen Ian Vanveen taught himself how to build electric guitars. (4m 4s)
45 years covering Wisconsin's dairy industry for The Milkweed
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 5m 12s | Pete Hardin is one of the last true originals in the world of agricultural journalism. (5m 12s)
Roll Train preserves Black skating culture
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 3m 47s | Milwaukee's Roll Train teaches JB style skating while preserving Black culture. (3m 47s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 21s | Twig's has been a family-owned bottler of Sun Drop and craft sodas for more than 75 years. (4m 21s)
A big scavenger hunt for tiny Wisconsin landmarks
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 5m 22s | Ken Fager hides 3D printed Wisconsin landmarks all across Madison. (5m 22s)
The robots being built on Washington Island
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 44s | Science teacher Miranda Dahlke helps put Washington Island STEM program on the map. (4m 44s)
Marinette draws in the Bigfoot believers
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 37s | Cryptid researchers and believers gather for the annual Bigfoot convention in Marinette. (4m 37s)
Craft distillery elevates cocktail culture in Stevens Point
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 47s | Brian Cummins traded in his job as a chemical engineer to distill Wisconsin spirits. (4m 47s)
How a distillery tour inspired a hit board game
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 5m 16s | UW-Stout professor Dave Beck created "Distilled," a whiskey-themed board game. (5m 16s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 3m 29s | Lake expert John Magnuson explains the phenomenon of "black ice." (3m 29s)
Ashland motorcyclist earns Guinness World Record after global journey
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 44s | Bridget McCutchen becomes youngest person to circumnavigate the world by motorcycle. (4m 44s)
Three generations tap maple trees during Saint Patrick's season
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 30s | The O'Brien Maple Grove produces gallons of syrup and generations of memories. (4m 30s)
Milwaukee nonprofit builds boats and confidence with local youth
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 40s | All Hands Boatworks teaches kids to build wooden boats, fostering hands-on skills. (4m 40s)
Creating work-life balance at Kickback Cafe
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 5m 34s | An Oregon coffee shop offers an inclusive workplace that prioritizes well-being. (5m 34s)
From backyard garden to high-tech strawberry farm
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 3m 46s | Horticulturist Erin Warner leads a hydroponic strawberry operation at Warm Belly Farm. (3m 46s)
A modern-day barn raising brings music to Driftless Music Gardens
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 27s | A farm-turned-venue fosters a vibrant music scene with the help of its local community. (4m 27s)
Wildlife rehabilitator nurtures injured squirrels and rabbits back to health
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 4m 39s | Holly Hill-Putnam runs a home sanctuary caring for local wildlife in need. (4m 39s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 2m 25s | Zainab Hassen shares Mbakbaka, a one-pot spicy pasta stew highlighting Libyan spices. (2m 25s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 2m 40s | Dongjood Choi shares his family's tradition of making Bossam kimchi. (2m 40s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 19s | Artist Mauricio Ramirez was inspired by healthcare workers to paint a new mural. (1m 19s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 2m 14s | “Jump Around Wisconsin” founders Greg Thomson and Joe Lahti prepare for one final jump. (2m 14s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 2m 18s | Even in a global pandemic, love finds away. Couple has traditional Hindu wedding via Zoom. (2m 18s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 2m 12s | Reedsburg photographer takes photos of families on front porches as food pantry fundraiser (2m 12s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 2m | Milwaukee rapper Wes Tank puts Dr. Seuss' rhymes over Dr. Dre's beats in a fun way. (2m)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 41s | People walking by see the "X" on the driveway and the request to dance. They do. Watch. (1m 41s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 12s | Two friends hold signs asking drivers to honk for air hugs. They stand 6 feet apart. (1m 12s)
Clip | 1m 39s | Cellist Hans Christian performs an impromptu solo in the rafters of an old building. (1m 39s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 34s | Music teacher at Viking Elementary challenges faculty and students to do online karaoke. (1m 34s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 37s | Neighborhood puts their own twist on a Badger tradition while social distancing. (1m 37s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 2m 39s | Chef Elena Terry (Ho-Chunk Nation) cooks “SassSquash”-dish celebrating indigenous foodways (2m 39s)
Pilot Abdul : Grandmother’s Food
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 42s | Abdul cooks Red Beef Curry with Potatoes: Burmese dish described as "grandmother's food." (1m 42s)
Rebecca Webster and Laura Manthe: Oneida White Corn Soup
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 30s | Two cousins and members of Wisconsin’s Oneida Nation make traditional white corn soup. (1m 30s)
Monica O'Connell: Mother’s “Famous” Rum Cake
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 40s | Monica O’Connell makes her mother’s rum cake to celebrate southern foodways and music. (1m 40s)
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 48s | Lucy Lor makes a Hmong feast in La Crosse, bridging culture, family and identity. (1m 48s)
Laila Borokhim: Wisconsin-grown Ghormeh Sabzi
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 22s | Laila Borokhim makes Iranian Ghormeh Sabzi and cherishes cooking the food of her family. (1m 22s)
Kennia Coronado: Mexican Cheese from Racine
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 22s | Kennia Coronado explores Panela cheese as a bridge between Mexican heritage and Wisconsin. (1m 22s)
Wisconsin's Great River Road: Night Fishing
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 7s | Jesse Heu and Ko Hung fish at night along the St. Croix river as it joins the Mississippi. (1m 7s)
Wisconsin's Great River Road: Michael Valley
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 1m 43s | Since 1983, commercial fisherman Michael John Valley has kept a shop in Prairie du Chien. (1m 43s)
Wisconsin's Great River Road: Mahjong Club
Video has Closed Captions
Clip | 2m 3s | In Trempealeau, a dedicated group of women has met for eight years to play Mahjong. (2m 3s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
Support for PBS provided by:
Wisconsin Life is a local public television program presented by PBS Wisconsin
Funding for Wisconsin Life is provided by the Wooden Nickel Fund, Mary and Lowell Peterson, A.C.V. and Mary Elston Family, Obrodovich Family Foundation, Stanley J. Cottrill Fund, Alliant Energy, UW...