Bronzeville Center for the Arts; focus on African American art, history

MILWAUKEE - The Bronzeville Center for the Arts (BCA) announced on Wednesday, Feb. 2 its vision for a world-class art and cultural center in the heart of Milwaukee’s Bronzeville District. 

A news release says BCA’s $1.6 million land purchase proposal will be considered by the State Building Commission on Feb. 9. The proposal will also need approval from the State’s Joint Committee on Finance. If approved, BCA would transform the site into a campus at 507 W. North Avenue, including a 50,000-square-foot facility that would serve as the BCA’s premier institution. The campus will feature exhibitions, education, and immersive artistic programming.

Construction will begin on the BCA's first investment in Bronzeville this spring, a $1 million redevelopment of 507 W. North Avenue. The North Avenue project will include the redevelopment of an existing duplex building as well as the construction of an addition, which will span an adjacent vacant lot. The BCA’s North Avenue development will be home to a gallery, workshop space, and BCA offices.

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The release says BCA’s proposed programming for its future Bronzeville developments includes: 

• Museum-quality exhibitions of the visual arts;
• Educational programs, lecture series, panel discussions, and seminars both live and virtual, that bring together artists, scholars, educators, community leaders, organizations, and innovators within and beyond the U.S.A., to examine art history, dynamic art projects, career opportunities, creative entrepreneurship, and issues of art and race, among others;
• Hands-on art workshops that explore various techniques with an emphasis on teaching creative skills, as well as intellectual and professional development; and
• Performances in the visual arts, music, dance, and spoken word, among others.

To learn more about the Bronzeville Center for the Arts, visit BCAMKE.org.