In this second portion of this discussion about the Vel R. Phillips Plaza public art commission, Elisabeth and guests City of Milwaukee Commissioner of City Development Lafayette Crump and arts leader Marilu Knode reflect on the wider context of the project.  

Crump and Knode discuss the relevance of public art and the presence of artists to the city’s 2040 downtown plan, the power of the arts on individuals’ lives, as well as the collective power of Milwaukee’s creative industry. Knode shares specific suggestions of how the city can continue to turn the tide towards a more robust and supported creative sector: 

A dedicated arts office within the city; a 1% Law: Art for All, and increased public support for the arts. To that, Crump adds on the need for more affordable housing for artists, so that they can live, work and contribute to Milwaukee’s culture, long-term. 

To listen back to the first part of the conversation, stream it wherever you stream podcasts, or visit Imagine MKE on the web.  

Milwaukee Department of City Development: Milwaukee Arts Board 

City of Milwaukee Artist in Residence  

Ranking of Per Capita Arts Invesment 

Milwaukee High School of the Arts 

Genre: Urban Arts 

America’s Black Holocaust Museum