2011: Our year in review: Urban Anthropology Inc. (UrbAn)
Citywide/statewide programming (see details below)
- Ethnic studies
- Documentaries
- Museum Exhibits and tours
- Lost Milwaukee tour
- Internship program/educational programming
- Ethnic coalition
- Cultural Connect Program
- Tobacco Cessation Consulting
- Genealogy services
- UrbAn Anthropology Inc. in the media
Park Neighborhoods’ Programming—Milwaukee (see details below)
- Healthy Neighborhoods
- Winter Wonderland skating
- Beautifying the Park Neighborhoods
- Annual picnic
- Southside Cultural Connect program
- Family Tree Project
- Artist activities (Guild, Art Spaces, Gallery Night)
- Block clubs/block watches
- Neighborhood opinion survey
- Project Oasis
- Arcadia book
- Landlord organization
- Old South Side Lecture Series
- Newsletters
- Lincoln Avenue cultural and architectural tour
- Arcadia book
CITY-WIDE ACTIVITIES
ETHNIC STUDIES. During the year, UrbAn completed its 12-year study of 55 Milwaukee ethnic groups, including 426 hour-long interviews. The findings will be summarized in an upcoming book by UrbAn staff.
DOCUMENTARIES. UrbAn has 15 documentaries created of ethnic groups and historic neighborhoods. While most of these have appeared at least once on PBS, the documentaries appear weekly on Milwaukee’s Channel 14. Some were placed on Amazon.com this year.
MUSEUM EXHIBITS AND TOURS. UrbAn continues to offer tours of our Old South Side Settlement Museum to residents all over the city. Groups that took these tours in 2011 included the Racine Cultural Club, Milwaukee Public Libraries docents, Grant School, classes at UW-M, and many others.
LOST MILWAUKEE TOUR. In 2011, UrbAn staff developed the Lost Milwaukee bus tour, which will take interested participants to places such as the now extinct community sites of past Indian villages, trading posts, the Jones Island fishing village, Bronzeville, and the Irish of the Third Ward.
INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS/EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING. Since UrbAn began in 1998, we have had interns every semester, including summers. These are mainly anthropology students from local universities. The internship program has also drawn students from as far away as Hawaii and Germany. During 2011 we had eight interns learn about Milwaukee cultures, research methods, and neighborhood organizing.
ETHNIC COALITION. In 2011, the UrbAn board voted to begin developing a city-wide coalition of ethnic leaders from the 350+ ethnic organizations in the greater Milwaukee area. Work is beginning on this major project.
CULTURAL CONNECT PROGRAM. UrbAn has a full curriculum for schools on nine cultural groups, including African Americans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Irish, Hmong, Poles, Germans, Urban Indians, and the homeless. The curriculum includes documentary material presented by anthropologists of each group, written materials, “faceball” cards of cultural leaders, and handouts. UrbAn offers the curricula throughout the year.
TOBACCO CESSATION CONSULTING. Researchers from UrbAn have participated in studies in 2011 where we contribute our knowledge of cultures and qualitative methods to the University of Wisconsin (Madison) on tobacco control and cessation.
GENEALOGY SERVICES. UrbAn staff and interns perform free genealogy services for any residents of Milwaukee. Included in the services is information about the cultural migration patterns and practices of the person’s ancestors.
URBAN ANTHROPOLOGY INC. IN THE MEDIA. Our organizational work was featured this year in features in OnMilwaukee.com, Milwaukee Public Radio, and Adelante (PBS). Neighborhood efforts will also be featured in Around the Corner with John McGivern on PBS in January.
LOCAL PARK NEIGHBORHOODS’ PROGRAMMING
HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS INITIATIVE. As a member of greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Healthy Neighborhoods’ Initiative, UrbAn provides daily neighborhood services to residents of the Park Neighborhoods, including assistance finding homes, help with home repairs, conflict resolution, and coordinating the work of the police with residents. This continued in 2011.
WINTER WONDERLANDS SKATING. UrbAn contracts with Milwaukee County Parks to access the pond at Kosciuszko Park and develop it into a skating rink for winter. UrbAn staff and interns also supervise skating and rent skates at no cost. The skating was again offered in 2011.
NEIGHBORHOOD BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS. In 2011, through assistance from the Mary Nohl Fund, Wisconsin Arts Board, and NIDC, UrbAn and local residents developed (a) a second Youth Art Pillar celebrating the cultural history of the Park Neighborhoods, (b) a Native Couple bench, and (c) a Victorian garden—All in Kosciuszko Park.
ANNUAL PICNIC. Over 130 residents enjoyed free food at our annual picnic on June 5, 2011. Many of these signed up to get copies of our newsletter emailed to them, as well.
SOUTHSIDE CULTURAL CONNECT PROGRAM. UrbAn staff created a Southside Cultural Connect program specially for local southside schools. In 2011, we did this program with students from Grant School. The program was one day a week between January and mid-June, and the students not only learned about the various ethnic groups on Milwaukee’s south side, but also went on two field trips to important spots.
FAMILY TREE PROJECT. Through this program, local residents contributed trees to Kosciuszko Park in honor of their ancestors. UrbAn was able to draw a small grant from the Sweetwater Foundation to double the number of trees contributed in 2011. The total trees added were 14.
ARTIST ACTIVITIES. UrbAn sponsors a Southside Artists and Writers Guild. This guild helped to set up three art spaces in the Park Neighborhoods—one at Harris Bank, one at Koscisuzko Community Center, and one at the Old South Side Settlement Museum. The guild also held a Gallery Night in July.
BLOCK CLUB/BLOCK WATCHES. UrbAn has helped residents organize over 30 block clubs in the Park Neighborhoods to control crime, watch over negligent landlords, and keep residents informed. UrbAn staff meets on average with 1-2 block clubs each week.
NEIGHBORHOOD OPINION SURVEY. Every other year, UrbAn staff conduct a door-to-door survey with at least one-hundred households in the Park Neighborhoods. In 2011, the survey was repeated. Findings show that residents continue to have improved opinions of the neighborhood.
PROJECT OASIS. In 2011, UrbAn staff developed Project OASIS, which is an attempt to draw artists, scholars, and innovators to the Park Neighborhoods. Through this effort, six new artists moved to the neighborhood in 2011. Thirty-five agencies and organizations are in collaboration with UrbAn to make this project successful.
LANDLORD ORGANIZATION. Beginning late in 2011, UrbAn began developing a database of all absentee landlords in the Park Neighborhoods. Through this database, staff will invite landlords to participate in improving blocks and learn what is happening in the neighborhood. We hope to eventually organize an Investor’s Coalition.
LECTURE SERIES. UrbAn continues to offer public lectures in summer under our tents at the Old South Side Settlement Museum. This summer the lectures focused on findings from the ethnic study.
NEWSLETTERS. UrbAn creates two newsletters—one called the Park Neighborhoods’ Newsletter and the other called the Project OASIS Newsletter. Each is published bimonthly. The neighborhood newsletter focuses on the events, history, and people of the neighborhood. The latter focuses on artistic and scholarly endeavors that are created in the neighborhood. The newsletters are distributed over email and via hardcopy through our 10 literature boxes throughout the area.
LINCOLN AVENUE ART AND ARCHITECTURE TOUR. In 2011 UrbAn staff continued to offer the neighborhood tour to interested individuals and groups. The tour is offered every other Saturday, during warm months.
ARCADIA BOOK. UrbAn staff, through our Scholars Project, is under contract at Arcadia Publishing to create a book on Milwaukee’s Old South Side. The book will chronicle the cultural history of this area from the time of Native villages through Polish settlement to today’s multicultural population.
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