Arts @ Large

Built in 1890 by Patrick Cudahy, this Queen Anne-style Walker’s Point building originally featured three commercial storefronts on the first floor and eight apartments on the upper two floors. The building served many purposes over the last 100 years, including as a Tavern, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the So-Lite Neon Sign Company, and most notably as “The Polish House” which opened to the public in 1938 as a youth recreation and art center. Opened in 2019, Arts @ Large transformed this historic building into a vibrant community arts space that features a gallery, art studios, a café, a training center and conference rooms, office spaces for Milwaukee-area nonprofit organizations and artist-owned small businesses, and public spaces for events. The Community Center now serves as the south anchor of Milwaukee’s newly defined “Creative Corridor” in the historic Walker’s Point neighborhood.

Guests are welcomed on Saturday, September 23 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. to participate in a variety of interactive and engaging activities that directly align with the Arts @ Large mission of making the arts accessible for all. Come make art with us and learn the history of our 100+ year-old building!

10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Join local Milwaukee artists and Arts @ Large to chalk the walk and add color and beauty to our Walker’s Point sidewalks. All materials (chalk, stencils) will be supplied. Welcome to all ages. No chalk experience is needed.

Drums Instruction and Tours will begin at the top of every hour from 10 a.m. with the last session at 4 p.m.

Led by instructor Mark Soriano, participants will have the opportunity to play traditional African Drums, learning various rhythms and ways to communicate with each other (without using words). All ages are welcome and drums will be provided!

Following the 20-minute drum session, a member of the Arts @ Large staff will take participants on a tour of the organization’s historic Walker’s Point Community Center. Built in 1890 by Patrick Cudahy, this Queen Anne-style building originally featured three commercial storefronts on the first floor and eight apartments on the upper two floors. It has served many purposes over the last 100 years, including as a Tavern, the St. Vincent de Paul Society, the So-Lite Neon Sign Company, and most notably as “The Polish House” which opened to the public in 1938 as a youth recreation and art center. Learn how this historic building was transformed into a vibrant community arts space.

10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Join in for the closing weekend of “Blueversity,” an interactive exhibit produced by the Arts @ Large Youth Legacy Mentees. Artists Aliyana and Lilly will guide you through their art practices, both looking into the concept of diversity. There will be multiple ways for guests to interact with the exhibit including a participatory “leave your mark” reflection wall, as well as multisensory art pieces. Open to all ages.

10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Join Arts @ Large for an interactive exploration of the Arts @ Large Artist-in-Residence program. Experience what it’s like to create through the artistic vision of past residents by activating our legacy studio. Create a poetic dialogue with photographic history, make your mark on a variety of surfaces, and draw out your imagination through sound queries. All ages are welcome.