I search for murals no matter the weather, although rain makes it unpleasant. That's why I didn't give a second thought to travel to Milwaukee in the dead of winter. The first day's weather was tolerable; however, the next was bitter cold thanks to the unforgiving winds. Because of this, I had to narrow down most of my walking to downtown and Riverwest. I don't drive, so I decided it was best to save Bayview for another time.
Let's begin with the downtown area, which continues to flourish in public art. The area is walkable, and the art is easy to find. Downtown Milwaukee becomes more colorful and impressive with every visit. I'm also happy to have made a Milwaukee connection recently. Murals of MKE was helpful in my recent quest for street art.
I spent the next day in the quirky Riverwest neighborhood, where I love spending time. I found out there were two new murals, so I had to see them. I used my favorite way to gain some miles north with Milwaukee's very own streetcar. It's called the
Hop, and it's free! It travels from downtown to Burns Commons, which leaves a relatively short walk to Riverwest (short in my eyes).
En route to Riverwest, I came upon a couple of goodies. Surprises like this make walking in the cold even more worthwhile. However, one of my biggest pet peeves is trying to photograph beautiful art with cars in the way😖 If I have the time and feel patient, I will wait for a while to see if they move. In this case, it didn't happen, so I had to make the best of it.
Artist Mauricio Ramirez - Intersection of N Water and N Humboldt
Artist Sarah Elise - 1875 N Humboldt
At this point, I decided I owed myself some beer. I encountered
Black Husky Brewing and felt it was time for a break. The glowing, dramatic fire pits were too inviting. Several beers on the menu were calling my name, so I chose a flight. All four beers were equally tasty, including the Belgian Quad, Headbutter, Twelve Dog Imperial Stout, and Belgian Golden Strong Ale.
I left feeling ready to conquer some more distance! Both the murals I was after were nearby, and they exceeded my expectations. These are two Milwaukee artists I have admired for a while, and it's always great to see their work in person. In addition, I found another striking mural two blocks from Black Husky.
Artist Drew York - 825 E Center
Artist COSECHA - 720 E Locust
I still had time before my bus departure, so I opted to walk to one more area. Since I had to exclude Bayview this trip, I decided to go to the Harbor District (much closer). I fell in love with the work of an artist I just discovered, and she has a third mural in the Harbor District. I'm glad I made the trek because she's a stunner. I took a different street walking back and found another beauty. See how this works?!
Milwaukee is a fantastic city with so much to offer no matter the season. I have tons of other mural photos from previous trips, which you can find
here. There are still lots to find, and I look forward to heading back soon. Please be sure to check out all the artists and their work! Until we meet again.
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