Urban Ecology Center - Washington Park mural
'The Twinkling of Life'
Sound of children laughing
Community fishing
Soil, moss, microscopic, tardigrades
Warmth - sunlight
Children in a wooded area, hidden gem
Tadpoles, plants
What's in the unseen world?
Diving into what we can't see
Sitting under big willow tree - enveloped feet
In water - tadpoles, fish, cattails, bittern
Warm, midday full sun
End, sunset, four seasons
Beauty in all the seasons, all times of day
Reds, purples, pinks - sunset
Willow vibes. Sun through willows
Twinkling coming through, twinkling on lagoon
From insect activity or fish
Dragonfly laying eggs on water produces Twinkling
Twinkling on snow
Sunrise, sparkly movement and life
Life no matter the season
Kids engulfed by forest
Bridges, ephemeral pond bridge
Kids cross by being an animal
Kids walking on lagoon, sledding
Mom and baby deer
Wauwatosa (Wauwatessi) Firefly
Wawashkeshi - flickering white light
Flickering of the tail of the deer
'Wawa'
Monarch tagging, blazing star patch
Kids in every space - forest digging for worms, composers
Jumping into colorful leaves in the hollows
Warmth coming through trees onto children
People using binoculars, pond scooping, turtles
Small pieces make a bigger thing.
GRAND OPENING of the URBAN ECOLOGY CENTER - WASHINGTON PARK
On February 1st, 2025 the beautiful brand new branch of the Urban Ecology Center in Washington Park opened its doors to the public. A day long grand celebration for the community included winter activities in the park like ice skating, horse and carriage rides, apple cider, educational tables about the center and its programming for youth and adults alike; and remarks from many community leaders to celebrate the center's work over the years. To learn more about what this branch offers, you can visit them on their website.
To get inspired for the design for this mural, I did an initial concept piece and submitted it through their RFP process. Then, once selected, we planned a two-hour visioning workshop for staff to share their ideas and journey with me to expand on the design. One brisk January morning we met in their temporary location inside the Washington Park poolhouse. On a tour I saw the incredible way they made use of the space, turning former bathrooms, lifeguard offices and a small reception area into a multi-functional space geared for youth nature programming. They are so dedicated and enthusiastic about their work it was hard NOT to be inspired! And, this took place on the day just before they were to pack up everything and move into the new space being built across the park!
Community Visioning Workshop
Staff participated in a guided visualization journey and shared what they saw, heard, or felt. I jotted notes from listening to what they shared and it became this beautiful poem. The mural lives in the new animal room, located on the first floor adjacent to their main lobby.
Preparation for design
Painting process
After the design was approved, my assistants and I spent two weeks finishing the mural, in time for the grand opening. Part of the mural included a decorative border around the entrance to the animal room and fish tank. It was a fun experience to interact with the staff and see the children come through on their field trips while the mural was being completed.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE UEC or GET INVOLVED
Milwaukee, WI 53208
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