Fox 6 News "Local artists use neighborhood signs to promote positive messages in Milwaukee"

WITI-TV, MILWAUKEE —

There's a Milwaukee neighborhood that has a lot of heads turning. It's using art to spread an anti-violence and safety message, and people are starting to take notice.

Capitol Dr. near 35th St. and the Old Tower Automotive site is a high traffic area, but motorists are now taking notice of art done in a very different way. The organization responsible for the new art is In:Site, which fosters temporary public art. Chairwoman Pegi Christiansen says, "The 30th St. industrial corridor, and business improvement district number 37 came to In:Site to do a 2-year project here near the century city site. There is a huge amount of city investment in the century city site, but people aren't gonna really see it until 2013."

So the idea is to create a buzz around the area now, and it's working. A billboard is what caught Lititia Williams' eye. She says, "I took it as be looking out for the neighborhood children. You know, if we all stick together in this community, and this area and as far as other areas. We can just really make a lot of difference."

There are five lead artists involved are all local. They decided the project would be based on dialogue within the community so many of the yard signs have quotes from residents and sketches of them. Some were designed by school children in the area, including 12-year-old Geraci Davis. Davis told FOX6, "She said just draw something that's in your environment and so people just started drawing. What did you draw. I drew me and my house with my dad and my dog."

The artwork shows up in unexpected places in an underpass, and high above enough to keep you guessing, and looking.

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Nonprofits & Activism

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• temporary
• public
• art
• Milwaukee
• IN:SITE
• insite
• century
• city