Black Arts MKE, Inc.

Black Arts MKE, Inc. Our mission is to increase the availability and quality of African American arts and culture.

Summer 2026, young people across our community will step onto a stage, pick up apaintbrush, or speak their first line of...
06/07/2026

Summer 2026, young people across our community will step onto a stage, pick up a
paintbrush, or speak their first line of dialogue - and for many of them, it will be the first time anyone has ever given them that kind of space.

Our I AM. Youth Performing Arts Summer Camp is free because we believe every child deserves a place where their imagination is taken seriously and their voice is not just tolerated but celebrated. But that place only exists because of people like you. Your gift - at any level - makes it possible for us to open our doors wider, serve more young artists, and say yes when a child shows up ready to create.

This summer, invest in a generation.

LINK IN THE BIO - Select Donate

Today we celebrate a powerful force in Milwaukee’s cultural arts community. ✨🥁Congratulations to Ojumire Dounfola Charle...
05/16/2026

Today we celebrate a powerful force in Milwaukee’s cultural arts community. ✨🥁

Congratulations to Ojumire Dounfola Charleston on being named a 2026 Mildred L. Harpole Artist of the Year by the Milwaukee Arts Board.

Through the work of Drums Up Guns Down 414, Ojumire continues to use West African drumming, dance, mentorship, and cultural education as a pathway toward healing, empowerment, and community transformation. From festivals and ceremonies to youth programming and healing spaces, her impact has echoed throughout Milwaukee for years — creating safe spaces where young people can honor their roots, discover their purpose, and build a stronger future.

“A child who hears the drum of purpose will not dance to the noise of destruction.”

Thank you for pouring into this city with intention, culture, rhythm, and love. Milwaukee is better because of your work. ❤️🖤💛

Congratulations on this well-deserved honor.

DrumsUpGunsDown414 MilwaukeeCreatives CommunityHealing WestAfricanDrumming MilwaukeeCulture BlackArtMatters YouthEmpowerment

We love seeing the city come together to celebrate creativity—especially when it’s centered around our youth. On Friday,...
05/01/2026

We love seeing the city come together to celebrate creativity—especially when it’s centered around our youth.



On Friday, May 15, Milwaukee Recreation is hosting its biannual Partnership for the Arts & Humanities Showcase at North Division High School. This event highlights the incredible work being created by Milwaukee youth through programs supported by the Partnership for the Arts & Humanities.

You can expect performances, films, student showcases, hands-on activities, and the chance to connect with over 30 organizations doing impactful work across the city.

While this isn’t our event, we’re proud to support initiatives like this that continue to pour into Milwaukee’s creative community. Tap in, bring your people, and show love.

Free and open to the public—we hope to see you there 🤍

We had the honor of attending and being part of the Notable Women: The Art of Becoming panel, and what an incredible exp...
04/27/2026

We had the honor of attending and being part of the Notable Women: The Art of Becoming panel, and what an incredible experience it was.

From the powerful conversations to the energy in the room, it was truly inspiring to witness how creativity continues to shape confidence, career, and community. We’re grateful to have contributed to such a meaningful dialogue and to share space with so many brilliant women.

A special thank you to UPAF for creating this platform and for inviting us to be part of something so impactful. And to the talented performers who brought their artistry to life—you helped make the experience unforgettable.

Moments like these remind us why we do what we do.

Thank you again for having us 🤍

THANK YOU An evening dedicated to honoring, uplifting, and celebrating women who are actively shaping our community thr...
04/24/2026

THANK YOU

An evening dedicated to honoring, uplifting, and celebrating women who are actively shaping our community through philanthropy, service, and advocacy.

the Notable Women Event truly is a space that not only recognizes leadership, but invests in the future through arts education and community impact.

Powerful gratitude to the phenomenal panelists: Willow Newell, Sheri Williams Pannell, MFA, and Dr. Nicole Eull. Your voices, your journeys, and your commitment to the work continue to inspire and move the culture forward.

And to our featured spoken word artists, Cambreyelle Getter and Jasmine Sims—thank you for bringing truth, emotion, and artistry to the room. Your performances were a reminder of the power of expression and storytelling.

Black Arts MKE exists to create space, connect artists, and ensure our creativity is seen, heard, and valued in rooms like this—and this moment was a reflection of that mission in action.

When women lead, communities transform. When art is present, impact deepens.

MilwaukeeArts CommunityImpact

Art has the power to transform, and this summer, we’re creating space for the next generation to discover their voice.In...
04/13/2026

Art has the power to transform, and this summer, we’re creating space for the next generation to discover their voice.

Introducing the I AM. Youth Performing Arts Summer Camp 2026 ✨

A month-long experience (July 1–31) where youth ages 14–18 will explore:
🎭 Performance
🎤 Spoken Word
💃🏽 Choreography & Hip-Hop
✍🏽 Creative Writing
🎬 Video & Storytelling

🗓 Monday–Friday | 8:45 AM – 3 PM

We’re excited to pour into young creatives and help them grow in confidence, expression, and artistry.

Applications release next week.
If you’re interested, message us now to stay in the loop.

This Women’s History Month, we honor the women who have stepped onto our stages, worked behind the scenes, led creative ...
03/30/2026

This Women’s History Month, we honor the women who have stepped onto our stages, worked behind the scenes, led creative visions, and helped shape the narrative of the arts community.

Your strength, creativity, and dedication continue to inspire the stories we tell and the spaces we build together.

From performers to directors, designers to technicians, and every visionary in between — thank you for the passion and brilliance you bring to the theater and arts world.

Today and always, we celebrate you.

02/27/2026

What a NIGHT! We had the honor of being part of the launch of the 2026 Community Campaign with the United Performing Arts Fund at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

What a beautiful reminder of what happens when Our Arts. Our Community. Our Impact. come together in one space.

Thank you Grady Crosby for your words, your support, and representation or ART, COMMUNITY, and IMPACT.

Antoine Reynolds & The Cream City Crew moved the room with “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and Ethan Hightire delivered a powerful testimony and poem that grounded the evening in truth and purpose.

Grateful that we were trusted to help bring voices into the room. Grateful to witness leaders, artists, and advocates standing in collective pride for Southeastern Wisconsin’s performing arts community.

This is what shared responsibility looks like.
This is what impact feels like.
This is why we do the work.

02/25/2026

🎬 RECAP: Vel & Groppi — In the Deep Tracks 🎬

What a powerful afternoon honoring Milwaukee’s history through art. Thank you to everyone who showed up and supported this meaningful community reading.

A few heartfelt thank-you’s:

✨ Black Arts MKE — for producing and hosting this incredible work.
✨ UPAF — for supporting the arts and helping make moments like this possible.
✨ Bronzeville Arts Ensemble — for your partnership and continued commitment to culture.
✨ Director Sheri Williams Pannell — thank you for your thoughtful and grounded direction.
✨ Playwright Josh Pohja — for bringing this story to the stage with care and depth.
✨ Our phenomenal actors and creatives — you made history breathe in real time.

A very special shout out to Margaret “Peggy” Rozga, the wife of civil rights leader Father Groppi. We had the honor of meeting her and receiving her approval after she experienced the contents of the play. She offered thoughtful input and expressed how proud she was of what was produced by these two students — these two actors — on stage. That moment meant everything.

Thank you to everyone who came to witness, support, and celebrate. The energy in the room was felt.

Now enjoy the recap 🎥

MilwaukeeHistory

She reinvented theatre by centering Black women’s voices, pain, and poetry.
02/23/2026

She reinvented theatre by centering Black women’s voices, pain, and poetry.

Address

929 North Water Street
Milwaukee, WI
53202

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

(414) 270-4494

Website

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