A new podcast is in town! Hosts Shelly Roder and Meagan Shultz highlight the work of women entrepreneurs and makers in the cream city, Milwaukee, WI. Episode 8 sheds light on the magic of making murals together as a community. Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1969604/10861651-tia-richardson-of-cosmic-butterfly-design "Get inspired by this important conversation about the place of art in creating the kind of city and world we want to live in. And then be sure to look up and around next time you’re driving through Milwaukee to find some of her pieces across the city." ~ Meagan and Shelly  

Iverson Bell Midwest Regional Diversity Summit 2022 “From Talk to Action: Becoming a Change Agent on your Campus.” "Healing Through Art" - May 20, 2022 Dejope Residence Hall Artist Tia Richardson was invited by Richard Barajas, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as a keynote speaker and to present her work. Part of the invitation was to offer veterinary school students, staff and faculty a chance to participate in a collaborative mural they could help paint as part of the conference. Her keynote includes a screening of the short film 'Rockford Taking Flight' and photos of her collaborative art efforts in southeastern Wisconsin and Illinois.   The Iverson Bell Summit is named for the first African-American veterinarian to hold the position of Vice President in the American Veterinary Medical Association. The primary goal of the summit is to promote diversity and inclusion in veterinary medicine, with special attention to academia.   For more info and c...

Adapted from Pulpit Speech  Sunday June 12, 2022 Unitarian Universalist Church West, Brookfield, WI 'Milwaukee Gaia Buddha' Recently, I was thinking about the fact that we live in a multicultural society. In honor of this Juneteenth, I'm thinking about the principle of freedom, specifically the efforts by many to gain it throughout our nations history. And - having made gains - the challenges that comes with it in a society where we interact daily with people who have different histories, cultures and traditions from the group or groups we belong to. In my journey I've had the chance to interact a lot with different cultural groups abroad, locally and around the U.S. For many, including myself, it's the experience of traveling and getting to know different cultures that makes it fun. There's things I value, and other things not so much - for example, the foods that might not agree with my stomach. But, being an artist and traveling is great. What's better ...

Intersection of W. Locust St and Fond Du Lac Ave - Milwaukee, WI (2021) This mural brightens up a grey intersection. It had been a place people wanted to beautify for many years. After a conversation with Alderman Khalif J. Rainey, who asked to see something uplifting there, I felt moved to create something that not only would be beautiful for the area, but uplift people's mood, too. The Wonder of Life a gallery The Wonder of Life height 1500 width 2000 The Wonder of Life height 2000 width 1500 The Wonder of Life height 1500 width 2000 The Wonder of Life height 1500 width 2000 The Wonder of Life height 1500 width 2000 The Wonder of Life height 1500 width 2000 I want to show that its ok for us to get in touch with our inner child. If we want things to get any better we have to have an open mind and be curious. It takes having an open mind to embrace anything new. Children are the guardians over nature, they are our future generations. This mural shows all the kingdoms i...

'BUILDING COMMUNITY WITH COMPASSION' Kim, an artist assistant putting finishing touches on the lotus Grand Avenue Club (GAC) is a little known gem in Milwaukee's downtown. It's a community center where adults who have experienced mental illness can join for free as members for pre-vocational training, paid employment opportunities, educational support, and enriching activities. When I was first introduced to GAC for this project by Milwaukee Downtown BID #21 I was moved by the sense of community there and the way they help members to participate as part of the larger whole that is our city. Its an honor to work with them to create this mural because I want to be a part of that! Grand Avenue Club mural a gallery originaldate 1/13/2022 2:36:59 AM height 1085 width 1440 orientation 1 camerasoftware Instagram originaldate 1/13/2022 2:37:00 AM height 1082 width 1440 orientation 1 camerasoftware Instagram originaldate 1/21/2022 6:25:37 PM height 1082 width 1440...

A program in collaboration with Milwaukee Christian Center and Muskego Way Forward A core philosophy: 'Your art expands as you expand.'  ... "In 2018 I was offered a chance by Milwaukee Christian Center to join their artist-in residence program, Youth Artists United, where an artist works with a group of teens to develop self-confidence, collaboration, self-awareness and other skills. I draw from my own background with healing community murals and using art as a way to relieve emotional stress from trauma to help young people get in touch with themselves and their community through a mural project. When I felt depressed or struggled growing u p, as soon as I picked up a pencil or brush I felt better. Training young people through community art is the jewel of my heart. They are our next generation. I believe in the power of art to heal, to unite, and to inspire, and to make a difference in the world. Community murals has changed my life - and I see how it can change others...

Discovering our role as co-creators with the Creator  presented by First Congregational Church Of Webster Groves Featuring Ecological Advocate Mick Smyer, Artist Tia Richardson, host Jan Barnes with technical direction by Terry Peterson Exploring the Blessings and Wonder of God's Creation  Music by The Oikos Ensemble  A program of MICA (Ministry of Imagination, Creativity and the Arts)  This program is made possible through a Vital Worship Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Grand Rapids, Michigan, with funds provided by Lilly Endowment Inc.

... 'Bridging Milwaukee's Heart' is a mural Tia completed in August of 2020 with six artist assistants and several volunteers, under the I-794 freeway located on N. Broadway.  In early 2020, Milwaukee Downtown BID #21 commissioned four murals painted by four different artists on the freeway piers of I-794. The murals are part of a bigger initiative called ' Brighten the Passage ' which also includes streetscaping and improved lighting. Tia was inspired for her design after meeting with the project planning team to better understand the purpose behind their initiative, which is to strengthen the connection between two distinct parts of downtown separated by the freeway.  Check out the progress of the four murals and artists here: At 2,600 sq. ft. this is Tia's largest mural to date and has a lot of details like buildings, landscapes and figures. She put together a crew of college student-artists for extra help, including several who'd worked with her during ...

Instagram links are listed here by most recent event. For an in-depth look into the art, visit www.cosmic-butterfly.com  ______________________________________________  Wall to Wall: How Mural Art is Changing MKE's Cityscape https://fb.me/e/1SzHIuZSP ______________________________________________ BUTTERFLY PARK + YOUTH ARTISTS UNITED MURALS (vote until 8/19/21) https://urbanmilwaukee.com/mandivote/ ______________________________________________ "HEART AND SOUL": The Art of Flavor murals for Jack Daniels with the Milwaukee Bucks: https://www.jackdaniels.com/en-us/artofflavor ______________________________________________ 2021 MAYOR'S CHOICE DESIGN AWARDS - "Spaces and Places" Youth Artists United murals  Complete list of winners and categories: https://city.milwaukee.gov/DCD/Planning/UrbanDesign/MayorsDesignAwards (Video) Youth Artists United mural program https://youtu.be/LprCFNooTig   ______________________________________________ Beloit International F...

'MEET THE ARTIST' In 2020 the Milwaukee Art Museum commissioned me to design their annual Holiday Ornament! Instead of a live meet-the-artist event which they normally host for members during their First Sundays event, they asked me to record this video. Find out more on the inspiration behind the design, background on many of my murals and what inspired me to become a community artist! Here I am working in my studio early in the year

Tia shares about her new work in 2020; how it was impacted by COVID 19 and thoughts on the George Floyd murals that have been created. Joanne Williams is host of the TV series Black Nouveau on Milwaukee PBS. This interview was recorded on August 1, 2020

Article written by Kate Madden Yee

Jameson interviews artists for his creative aging program. In this episode Tia shares some of her experience, including how to get a community mural project started, why including people with little to no art experience is important and what makes community art fun. Jameson is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, a creative aging facilitator, a musician, a songwriter, a visual artist and a storyteller. Through collaboration he seeks to build connectivity and foster community.  This interview was recorded Wednesday, August 29th, 2020.

  'PURSUING THE VISION' Biden-Harris Campaign Mural Commissioned for Murals Across America, a project run by Washington, DC based media company Truxton Creative and sponsored by the Biden-Harris campaign. Published in Hyperallergic online art magazine for an article on the 2020 elections. Read more here

'Milwaukee Gaia Buddha' - 2016 Photo Credit: Milwaukee Independant We need more ways for people to freely share their unique perspectives with the larger whole in a way where they can be appreciated for the value they bring. From my experience working with people from different backgrounds, working together in a creative way to make something better for the common good can create a sense of unity. This is often surprising to me given we have so many different opinions on how to do things. But, it shows we can work together when there is a sense of mutual respect for each person to freely share their perspective.  'Beauty Opens the Door to Join Us' - 2016 One thing that helps this connection grow is creating creative resources, spaces of beauty and joy that inspire us to be more open-minded and caring. The attractive energy of our caring attitudes can have unseen impacts on our surroundings like seeds planted that grow and show up in our lives in little ways. We replant ...

Featuring work of 6 artists inducted into the 2018 Sisters of Creativity OPENING JULY 6 - SEPTEMBER 2020 Including gicleé art prints of Tia's murals and the short film 'Sherman Park Rising' Due to COVID there will be no formal reception; visiting is during normal hours Learn more about the exhibition and the featured artists here:  https://wisconsinart.org/exhibitions/a-community-of-voices.aspx?fbclid=IwAR1MU0yqhFV_AXANp9sEj3zHhqiFNxEYHBRf5FgdKmRr7qN7AYoreECHorE

The Film | Rockford Taking Flight Rockford Taking Flight is a short film that debuted at the 2021 Beloit International Film Festival. Embark on a journey where one artist struggles to heal herself and a community through a collaborative art effort. It has screened for keynotes and presentations across a diverse range of audiences including K-12 schools, universities, non-profits, conferences, diverse faith-based organizations, and in living rooms.  Thanks to the efforts of Rockford's own Toni Ashely McLaughlin and Neil Bloom we have this incredible journey to share with others.  Directed by Toni McLaughlin in association with Neil Bloom of Future Memory Media  Produced by Tia Richardson Trailer | Rockford Taking Flight ___________________________________________________________________   THE EFFORT | HOW WE DID IT THE STEPPING STONES 1) Starting the Journey 2) Fundraising the Project 3) Community Design Workshops 4) Finishing the Design - Public Reveal 5) Painti...