Best Imagine MKE Podcasts (2024)

1
A Home for Milwaukee's Young Artists: Milwaukee Youth Arts Center 29:00

4M ago29:00

29:00

How might a young person’s future look different with exposure to and training in the arts? This is the proposition at the heart of the mission of Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. In this episode of Creative MKE, Elisabeth speaks with Chad Tessmer, the Executive Director at MYAC. They discuss how equitable engagement in the arts has a measurable positi…

1
Fantastic Food, Creative Collaboration, Seasonality, and Natural Wonders: MKE’s Got It. 29:00

4M ago29:00

29:00

“Cheese in different ways,” is only the beginning of Milwaukee’s compelling cultural offerings. From the astounding waters, to the presence of industrious creatives who are making things happen and helping each other to develop their skills and talents—Milwaukee is a vibrant community that continues to exceed expectations and enable a strong qualit…

1
The Milwaukee Vortex, DIY culture, “Yes, and...” Thinking 29:00

5M ago29:00

29:00

The Milwaukee Vortex, DIY culture, “Yes, and...” Thinking In this special episode of Creative MKE, we’re sharing conversations from a special event Imagine MKE hosted at Washington Park Media Center earlier this year. The event was a gathering of arts, culture and creative industry leaders brought together to discuss the strengths and opportunities…

1
Summerfest and Henry Maier Festival Park 29:00

5M ago29:00

29:00

Summerfest and Henry Maier Festival Park In this episode of Creative MKE, Elisabeth speaks with Kevin Canady, Vice President of Sales & Business Development, and Scott Ziel, Vice President of Entertainment, at Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., the organization that manages and hosts Summerfest, and books a variety of festivals and other events on the…

1
Championing Arts + Culture in Milwaukee 29:00

5M ago29:00

29:00

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…

1
Vel R. Phillips Plaza Art Commission 29:00

5M ago29:00

29:00

The Vel R. Phillips Plaza Art Commission In part one of this special two-part episode, Elisabeth speaks with City of Milwaukee Commissioner of City Development Lafayette Crump and arts leader Marilu Knode to discuss the plans for the Vel R. Phillips plaza. It’s a development project for which Crump and Knode are both serving on the art committee to…

1
The Connection Between the Arts and Economic Prosperity 29:00

6M ago29:00

29:00

“When we invest in the arts, those dollars aren’t just disappearing down some black hole of goodness. It’s giving back to the community and government to help pay for its needed services. There’s undercapitalization happening here. It’s just hard to imagine how much more arts and culture activity and impact and benefit to local businesses would be …

1
Milwaukee: an Arts and Culture Society w/ VISIT Milwaukee 29:00

1y ago29:00

29:00

It all begins with a visit. If you ask the leadership of VISIT Milwaukee, they believe that in order to attract people to live, work, and play somewhere, they have to first experience and connect to the culture of that place on a deeper level. The attraction of the outside world to Milwaukee is not an accident, and is, in large part due to the work…

1
Community Art at the Jimmy Banks Memorial Stadium w/ Tia Richardson and Jordan Banks 29:00

1y ago29:00

29:00

The arts. Sports. Oftentimes, they are thought of as in opposition to each other, but the pursuit of arts and sports have a lot of overlap. One remarkable local "artist" in the field of soccer and coaching was the late Jimmy Banks. Banks was a trailblazing Milwaukeean who was discovered in his young teens, playing pick-up soccer outside the Westlaw…

1
Girls Rock MKE w/D Kirschling 29:00

1y ago29:00

29:00

In this episode of Creative MKE, Elisabeth speaks with D Kirschling, a board member and the volunteer coordinator at the non- profit organization Girls Rock & Ladies Rock MKE. Participants of Girls & Ladies Rock MKE attend camps and workshops where they experiment and learn music in a safe space, working on traditional elements of a rock band inclu…

1
Milwaukee’s Creative Sandbox: If You Don’t See It, Make It w/ Michael Lagerman 29:00

1y ago29:00

29:00

Michael Lagerman recently joined Imagine MKE as Development Coordinator, but he’s also an accomplished artist, collaborator, and programmer within Milwaukee's art scene. Lagerman has a background in photography and infused his “thinking about images” with a study of philosophy in college. He went on to obtain his MFA at UWM’s Peck School of the Art…

1
Fresh Coast Jazz Festival w/ Carl Brown 29:00

1y ago29:00

29:00

When Carl Brown’s late father was dying, he challenged his son to think about putting others "before" himself. Brown, a retired advertising executive, was always a jazz lover—like his late father—often traveling far and wide to experience contemporary jazz performances with his wife. One day, while experiencing a jazz festival, his wife posed the i…

1
Milwaukee Pride + Cross Culturalization w/ John Riepenhoff 48:16

1y ago48:16

48:16

Milwaukee Pride + Cross-Culturalization w/ John Riepenhoff Artist, gallerist, and curator John Riepenhoff has built an art world enterprise over the last two decades and change. Throughout his career, he has been representing Milwaukee on a global stage-- a responsibility that he takes deep pride in. Fueled by a belief in how special Milwaukee cult…

1
Pushing Milwaukee's Culture w/ MKE Film's Geraud Blanks 29:00

1y ago29:00

29:00

Geraud Blanks has always been willing to push boundaries. From his early days at UWM leading the student organization SCOPE—to his work as Chief Innovation Officer at MKE Film, Blanks has been driven by desire to act as a storyteller, to bring communities together around meaningful programs, with a taste for going “big.” Brought on to the team at M…

1
Creativity + Collaboration at Milwaukee Public Library 29:00

1y ago29:00

29:00

It all started with deciding to employ a different social media approach: dreaming up engaging content first and finding ways to tell stories about the eclectic offerings of the Milwaukee Public Library system through that content. As the team of employees across different departments embarked down this path to try to drive reengagement with Milwau…

1
Start Where You Are And Plant Seeds w/ Jazmine Holifield 47:09

1+ y ago47:09

47:09

This week, Elisabeth spoke with Jazmine Holifield, a multi-hypenate Milwaukee creative who is a creative director within her own company, and also works at the Operations Coordinator at Imagine MKE. Holifield is one-half of C&B Creative, a local creative consulting company, which she founded in 2012 with longtime friend and business partner, Kayla …

1
Introducing: Imagine MKE's Executive Director Adam Braatz 46:11

1+ y ago46:11

46:11

In this episode, Elisabeth speaks with Adam Braatz, Imagine MKE’s new Executive Director, who stepped into the role in March. With a background in jazz and classical piano, Adam has carved a unique arc in his career, working as a professional musician on Carnival Cruise Lines, followed by enlistment in the Air Force as a musician and Basic Training…

1
Ko-Thi Dance Company w/ Sonya Thompson and Kumasi Allen 49:37

1+ y ago49:37

49:37

In this episode, Elisabeth speaks with Sonya Thompson, and Kumasi Allen, the Artistic Director and Musical Director of Milwaukee’s Ko-Thi Dance Company, which has been presenting, interpreting and celebrating traditions of African diasporic dance and music in Milwaukee for over 50 years. Throughout the conversation, Allen and Thompson speak about t…

1
Chosen: The Gifts of Milwaukee Artists w/ Brit Nicole 42:33

1+ y ago42:33

42:33

In this episode of Creative MKE, Elisabeth speaks with Brit Nicole, the poet behind the poem “Chosen” which is at the center of this year’s 414 Day Video. Nicole describes herself as a "spoken word artist, community healer, performer, musician, and facilitator based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin." In their wide-ranging discussion, Nicole reflects on …

1
Art About My Community, For My Community w/ Jovanny Hernandez Caballero 41:07

1+ y ago41:07

41:07

In this episode of the podcast, Elisabeth speaks with Jovanny Hernandez Caballero, a photographer and photojournalist from the south side of Milwaukee. Hernandez Caballero is an Art and Design major with an emphasis in Photography and Imaging at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, currently completing his BFA. As the son of immigrants from Oaxac…

1
MIAD's Gallery at the Ave w/ Monica Miller 42:24

1+ y ago42:24

42:24

In this episode of the podcast, Elisabeth speaks with Monica Miller, the Manager of MIAD’s new Gallery at the Ave, a new gallery and exhibition space dedicated to showcasing the work of MIAD alumni and students, located next to Third Street Market Hall. The space opens to the public on April 6, with an exhibition of work by MIAD alumni called From …

1
Bembé Drum + Dance 34:39

1+ y ago34:39

34:39

In this episode, Elisabeth speaks with Imani Jalil, Program Director and Dance Director at Bembé Drum + Dance. Since 2015, Bembé has been giving school children and adults in the Milwaukee area opportunities for exploring Afro-Latino culture through music and dance traditions offered through artist residencies, workshops, school programming and eve…

1
Milwaukee Jazz Institute w/ Mark Davis 34:40

1+ y ago34:40

34:40

In this episode, Elisabeth interviews Mark Davis, the founder and artistic director of Milwaukee Jazz Institute. MJI is a local nonprofit organization which was founded in 2019, which has several adult and youth ensembles, regularly programs Jazz performances with touring and local acts, holds improv sessions, offers classes and workshops, and gene…

1
Mike McAlister's Liftoff Creator Course 40:42

1+ y ago40:42

40:42

Mike McAlister wasn’t a creative when he started playing around with early design software on a public library computer as a middle schooler. But he quickly found himself in the medium, and over time developed his own design practice — eventually becoming a full-fledged graphic designer, combining his love of computers with his creative inspiration…

1
gener8tor X Sherman Phoenix Visual Art Accelerator 37:30

1+ y ago37:30

37:30

This episode features Maureen Ragalie and Darius Smith from gener8tor’s Milwaukee office. Gener8tor is a nationally-ranked venture capital firm and accelerator that brings together startup founders, investors, corporations, job seekers, universities, musicians and artists. Recently, they have teamed up with Sherman Phoenix, a marketplace and mixed …

1
"We Are Not Ghouls" from Good Credit Productions 33:19

1+ y ago33:19

33:19

This episode finds Elisabeth in conversation with Milwaukee filmmaker Chris James Thompson, of Good Credit Productions. Chris’s second full length feature film, We Are Not Ghouls, will be released February 28th on video on demand (Itunes, Roku). The film is about US Air Force JAG Attorney Yvonne Bradley, who volunteered to defend Binyam Mohamed, a …

1
Art Against the Odds: Wisconsin Prison Art w/ Portrait Society Gallery 38:35

1+ y ago38:35

38:35

This week on the pod, Elisabeth speaks with Debra Brehmer and Paul Salsieder from Portrait Society Gallery of Contemporary Art, who joined to speak about the forthcoming exhibition Art Against the Odds: Wisconsin Prison Art. The exhibition features works of art by over 60 incarcerated or formerly incarcerated individuals from Wisconsin. Throughout …

1
Representation, Relevance + Purpose: Black Nativity from Black Arts MKE w/ Ashley Jordan and Christopher Gilbert 41:22

1+ y ago41:22

41:22

In this episode of the pod, Elisabeth speaks with Ashley Jordan, the Director of Arts & Cultural Programming, and Christopher Gilbert, Choreographer of the production of Black Nativity. The conversation kicks off with Chris and Ashley sharing about their own upbringings, and how early transformative performance experiences empowered them to transla…

1
Promises: For the Love of the Game w/ Joey Turbo 24:15

2y ago24:15

24:15

In this episode of the pod, Elisabeth speaks with Joey Turbo, co-owner of Promises Bar in Milwaukee. Turbo starts the conversation off by reflecting on his experience touring with his band Platinum Boys in Europe, and how the experience solidified for him a new standard of hospitality for touring bands, one that he wished to emulate. Turbo has been…

1
Creative Business Incubation at Hover Craft w/ Cortney Heimerl 28:48

2y ago28:48

28:48

In this episode of Creative MKE, Elisabeth speaks with Cortney Heimerl, one of the co-founders and organizers of Hover Craft, Milwaukee’s Annual Handmade Holiday Shopping Event that is about to host its 13th iteration. Heimerl is an organizer with over 20 years of experience creating opportunities for artists, crafters, designers, and makers that f…

1
Imagine Staff's Arts + Milwaukee Origins 1:17:52

3+ y ago1:17:52

1:17:52

This week on the pod, something a little different: instead of the usual one-on-one interview with a Milwaukee arts leader, we welcome the entire Imagine MKE team to share their early memories that sparked a love of the arts and their Milwaukee origin story. Lindsay is joined by co-host Esteban Contreras, Communications and Network Development Fell…

1
David Bloom | Present Music 54:18

3+ y ago54:18

54:18

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE hosted by Lindsay Sheridan, Director of Marketing and PR at Imagine MKE. Each episode, Lindsay sits down with an arts leader and asks them about their early memories that sparked a love of the arts, what they're up to in their work now, and their dreams for the future of arts and culture in Milwaukee. This week, Lindsay …

1
Richard Hynson | Bel Canto Chorus 1:12:39

3+ y ago1:12:39

1:12:39

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE hosted by Lindsay Sheridan, Director of Marketing and PR at Imagine MKE. Each episode, Lindsay sits down with an arts leader and asks them about their early memories that sparked a love of the arts, what they're up to in their work now, and their dreams for the future of arts and culture in Milwaukee. This week, Lindsay …

1
Katie Cummings | Pink Umbrella Theater Company 42:25

4y ago42:25

42:25

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE! Each week, we talk with an artist or arts leader in Milwaukee about their early arts memories, their Milwaukee origin story, and their vision for the future of the city. Today we hear from Katie Cummings, founder and Executive Director of Pink Umbrella Theater Company. Head to their website to learn more about their wor…

1
Debra Loewen | Wild Space Dance Company 57:24

4y ago57:24

57:24

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE! Each week, we talk with an artist or arts leader in Milwaukee about their early arts memories, their Milwaukee origin story, and their vision for the future of the city. Today we hear from Debra Loewen, Artistic Director of Wild Space Dance Company. To see her work live - soon! - head to www.wildspacedance.org to buy ti…

1
Brent Hazelton | Milwaukee Chamber Theatre 47:01

4y ago47:01

47:01

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE! Each week on this show, we sit down with an artist or arts administrator in Milwaukee and dive deep into their story – asking them about their Milwaukee origin, their early memories that sparked a love of the arts, their present work, and their vision for the future of the city. On today’s episode, we speak with Brent H…

1
Aperi Animam: Part 1 35:42

4y ago35:42

35:42

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE, a podcast out of the Imagine MKE podcast shop hosted Lindsay Sheridan, Director of Marketing and PR. We're back from break with a double feature episode about professional vocal early music ensemble Aperi Animam. In this first part, we hear from Daniel Koplitz, Executive Artistic Director, and Jackie Willis, General Man…

1
Aperi Animam: Part 2 1:10:35

4y ago1:10:35

1:10:35

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE, a podcast out of the Imagine MKE podcast shop hosted Lindsay Sheridan, Director of Marketing and PR. We're back from break with a double feature episode about professional vocal early music ensemble Aperi Animam. In this second part, we welcome three panelists from Aperi Animam's recent virtual event #BlackVoicesMatter.…

1
Mini Episode: Maggie Nowakowski 14:55

4y ago14:55

14:55

And now, for something a little different. This week, we're taking a break from the usual full length episode to do two things. First, Lindsay sat down with Imagine MKE's summer Marketing and Communications Intern, Maggie Nowakowski. Maggie is an artist in her own right – she dances professionally with an Irish Dance company out of Chicago – and is…

1
Matt Kemple | The Laughing Tap 1:04:15

4y ago1:04:15

1:04:15

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE, a new podcast out of the Imagine MKE podcast shop. Each week on this show, we’ll sit down with an artist or arts administrator in Milwaukee and dive deep into their story – asking them about their Milwaukee origin, their early memories that sparked a love of the arts, their present work, and their vision for the future …

1
Samer Ghani 43:07

4y ago43:07

43:07

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE, a new podcast out of the Imagine MKE podcast shop. Each week on this show, we’ll sit down with an artist or arts administrator in Milwaukee and dive deep into their story – asking them about their Milwaukee origin, their early memories that sparked a love of the arts, their present work, and their vision for the future …

1
Mark Niehaus | Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra 44:15

4y ago44:15

44:15

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE, a new podcast out of the Imagine MKE podcast shop. Each week on this show, we’ll sit down with an artist or arts administrator in Milwaukee and dive deep into their story – asking them about their Milwaukee origin, their early memories that sparked a love of the arts, their present work, and their vision for the future …

1
Cara Ogburn | Milwaukee Film 33:15

4y ago33:15

33:15

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE, a new podcast out of the Imagine MKE podcast shop. Each week on this show, we’ll sit down with an artist or arts administrator in Milwaukee and dive deep into their story – asking them about their Milwaukee origin, their early memories that sparked a love of the arts, their present work, and their vision for the future …

1
Ruth B8r Ginsburg 56:15

4y ago56:15

56:15

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE, a new podcast out of the Imagine MKE podcast shop. Each week on this show, we’ll sit down with an artist or arts administrator in Milwaukee and dive deep into their story – asking them about their Milwaukee origin, their early memories that sparked a love of the arts, their present work, and their vision for the future …

1
Brian Rott | Quasimondo Physical Theatre 37:52

4y ago37:52

37:52

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE, a new podcast out of the Imagine MKE podcast shop. Each week on this show, we’ll sit down with an artist or arts administrator in Milwaukee and dive deep into their story – asking them about their Milwaukee origin, their early memories that sparked a love of the arts, their present work, and their vision for the future …

1
Brandon Minga 37:28

4y ago37:28

37:28

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE, a new podcast out of the Imagine MKE podcast shop. Each week on this show, we’ll sit down with an artist or arts administrator in Milwaukee and dive deep into their story – asking them about their Milwaukee origin, their early memories that sparked a love of the arts, their present work, and their vision for the future …

1
Ken Brown 37:01

4y ago37:01

37:01

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE, a new podcast out of the Imagine MKE podcast shop. Each week on this show, we’ll sit down with an artist or arts administrator in Milwaukee and dive deep into their story – asking them about their Milwaukee origin, their early memories that sparked a love of the arts, their present work, and their vision for the future …

1
Dasha Kelly Hamilton 56:08

4y ago56:08

56:08

Welcome to Arts Forward MKE, a new podcast out of the Imagine MKE podcast shop. Each week on this show, we’ll sit down with an artist or arts administrator in Milwaukee and dive deep into their story – asking them about their Milwaukee origin, their early memories that sparked a love of the arts, their present work, and their vision for the future …

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