SHERMAN PARK RISING

'Sherman Park Rising' is a documentary short about how after events of tragedy and unrest, many community members of the Sherman Park neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI find a way to express their feelings through a mural project. Interviews with participants, the lead artist and elected officials allow us into their hearts and minds. 

Directed and Produced by Andrew Gralton and Tia Richardson 

Watch trailer here

4715 W Center, Milwaukee WI (acrylic on brick)

Read essay: TOGETHER WE RISE: On Painting the Community Mural, "Sherman Park Rising"

“I didn’t realize I was a part of something bigger.” Charmane Perry, Safe and Sound Youth Organizer

“It felt heavy, and while we were helping it didn’t feel as big. It’s deeper than what I thought it was.” Gabri-El Taylor Bey, Sherman Park Resident & mural participant

This essay was first published in “The Milwaukee Anthology,” a nonfiction and poetry collection new from Belt Publishing. The anthology is available in fine bookstores throughout southeastern Wisconsin as well as at www.beltpublishing.com. Read here

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A little background

In June of 2016 I was invited by Safe and Sound, Inc. and the City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services to do a beautification mural that would have some community engagement in the Sherman Park neighborhood of Milwaukee, WI. 

The mural was funded by the city and began in 2017. I only expected a handful of participants, but we got more than 150 people to help design and paint the mural. The mural includes narratives and images that were sketched by residents themselves during community design workshops. The mural took six weeks to complete and would not have been possible without the  effort of all who participated! Many thanks goes out to all!

 

"SHERMAN PARK RISING" short documentary has screened virtually and live for festivals, schools (grades 3-12), conferences, universities and in communities around the country. To host a screening please contact Tia.

 

Beloit International Film Festival, Beloit, WI (2018) 

Bethel Bethany Church, Milwaukee, WI (2018)

Baha'i Center, Rockford, IL (2018)

SGI Buddhist Center, Milwaukee WI (2018)

Bare Bones Film Festival, Muskogee, OK (2018)

Manhattan Film Festival, NY (2018)

Culture Shift, Albuquerque, NM (2018)

Hollywood North Film Festival, Toronto, CA (2018, Best Original Music)

Greater Milwaukee Foundation Lunch and Learn (2018)

Medical College of Wisconsin's 3rd Annual Community Engagement Conference, Milwaukee, WI (Keynote, 2018) 

Memphis, TN (2018)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, Milwaukee, WI (2019)

University of Northern Iowa (2020)

Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (2020) 

Leaders Igniting Transformation, Milwaukee, WI (2020)

First Unitarian Society Sunday Forums, Milwaukee, WI (2020)

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts (guest presenter):

Arts and Social Entrepreneurship (2018)

ArtsECO (2020) 

Artists Now Lecture Series (2020)