Help us increase the positive buzz surrounding the artistic community and bringing more awareness to all Kenosha has to offer.
If you are part of the creative class, and you want to help us to expose Kenosha or you know someone that needs to be exposed, send an e-mail to info@exposekenosha.com
This is the second in a series of interviews with people in Kenosha who may not necessarily be artists, but through their life experience, actions, and their dedicated work ethic make this a better place for the artist community. David Hankins and Mark Wistar have a rich historical ancestry which they shared with me for the first time. Like their families before them, they have the heart, courage and drive to create change for Kenosha and particularly the artistic community.
FRANCO: Are you native to Kenosha…tell me where you’re from etc., or even your families…any artists in the group?
DAVID: I was born in Waukegan, Illinois; my folks were from Alabama and Georgia. Father is son of Cherokee Indian which settled in Alabama after they returned from Oklahoma during the the Trail of Tears*. My mother’s father was Geech African (Geechee from the West Coast of Africa, were brought over in the 1600’s by English slave traders), captured off the once Ivory Coast now the Gold Coast of Africa. After being freed and given land they lived in Ohio. I have five brothers and. two sisters. All attended college and graduated…. father insisted we own our land.
Explore the streets and sidewalks of Downtown Kenosha and find talented, inspiring artists at work. Watch in awe as they create original works of art right before your eyes. You never know what you’ll find around the next corner! Look for artists at work at these locations, marked with our signature Bloomin’ Days balloons to guide you right to them!
Just across the street from the Bloomin’ Days main festival site, you’ll find the most unique live art event around! LemonAID brings up to 40 talented artists from around the Midwest to an outdoor “studio” where you can watch them create original works of art right before your very eyes! Artists will set up beginning at 9:00 am Saturday and work throughout the day on their art pieces. At 5:00 pm, a live auction of the completed pieces will be held with proceeds benefiting Lemon Street Gallery & Art Space. Lemon Street is a non-profit organization dedicated to community arts education, and instituting arts initiatives that compliment the vital work of social service agencies.
Explore the streets of Kenosha’s Downtown & Harborside, where you’ll find even more musical entertainment! Look for our signature balloon bouquets to market these performers’ locations throughout the district.
With daylight beaming in, 716: Fine Art in downtown Racine, Wis. will open its doors on “Character Reference,” a solo exhibit by Kenosha artist Jessica Meyers this Saturday.
A mixed media painter who deals primarily with acrylic paint, ink, newspaper, Meyers admits “Character Reference” shows her style “under renovation” with simple black and red ink illustrations making up the majority of the show. Meyers embraces the shift noting illustration’s smaller scale and faster-paced creation.
“I’ve always enjoyed ink and old story book illustrations. Ink just seems to work with the subject matter and I get a kick out of using a dip pen,” Meyers stated.
Rachelle has worked with children for 10 years as a primary teacher, fine arts teachers and story time leader for a library in California and Racine Public Library. She is currently working with the preschool children of Small World Montessori School in Racine. Rachelle has been telling made-up stories to the children before nap time and has developed a series based on one of the students named Riley and her talking pet deer, Bucky. With sound effects, humor and fantasy she takes children on many adventures with Bucky and Riley.
All sorts of fantastic things happen in her neighborhood and school. They go back to the land of the dinosaurs, acquire a shrink ray gun, solve problems with the snow-eating aliens, help keep snow woman alive through the summer and help a lost pirate find his ship.
So come on down for a special story time and find out what Bucky and Riley are up to!
Former Kenoshan Javier C. Rivera has completed a demo version of his film, Sometimes I’m Sad. This version was edited using sketches by Hui Min Liu, early voice recordings by Ashley Ramirez, and music by Tino Ghost. Although these elements are not final drafts, this version represents what the final film may look like when complete. To learn more about Javier’s children’s book and short film based on it, visit www.SometimesWeb.com.
The Kenosha Theatre restoration project will be have a work day and open house on Saturday, June 7th, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The public is invited to come and see plans and meet with members to discuss the restoration efforts underway to bring what is the former movie theater back into operation as a live performance theater. Volunteers will be provided with gloves, brooms and shovels, but are encouraged to bring their own.
The Kenosha Theatre is located at 5913 6th Avenue, at the south end of downtown Kenosha. For further information about the
project call 262-658-2355 or visit www.kenoshatheater.com .
Smooth, cool, alive, hot, fun, versatile…and when is the last time you’ve tried eating a fine meal from an oil painting? Fused glass art is truly appreciated as both an art form and a practical method of creating useful items for the home, garden, or personal ornamentation. The artist might be creating an abstract work of art or something so useful as a place setting of dishes.
Jayne, who resides midway between Milwaukee and Chicago, is a marketing and communications professional by day and enjoys creating attractive and useful fused glass art on weekends and evenings. She especially enjoys creating decorative art pieces that can be used as bowls, trays, items for the garden, or fun vases to bring the garden inside. Continue reading →
Explore the streets of Kenosha’s Downtown & Harborside, where you’ll find even more musical entertainment! Look for our signature balloon bouquets to market these performers’ locations throughout the district. 
The Bucky and Riley Show by 
