MATC to feature new art, ‘The SoapBox Project’ at Gallery Night MKE

Mark Feldmann, feldmam1@matc.edu

October 20, 2022

Gallery Night MKE

MILWAUKEE – A second collection of art created by Milwaukee Area Technical College students, alumni, faculty and community members will be featured at the college’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus during Gallery Night MKE on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22.

dasha_kelly_hamilton-headshot.pngIn addition to the new art projects, Dasha Kelly Hamilton, MATC’s social justice chair and the poet laureate for the state of Wisconsin, will host “The SoapBox Project” Friday, October 21, 6 p.m., in Room M175 of the Main Building, 1015 North Sixth Street. MATC President Vicki J. Martin, Ph.D., will open the event with her remarks. 

The interactive soapbox project invites community participation. By definition, a soapbox is a crate used by public speakers that provides an opportunity for someone to air their views publicly. Soapboxes in place during Gallery Night MKE, and eventually located throughout MATC’s four campuses and the MATC Education Center at Walker’s Square, will allow students, employees and community members to listen, speak and share about their lived experiences as they continue to enhance equity at one of the most diverse two-year colleges in the Midwest. 

Gallery Night MKE at MATC includes art displays on the second floor of the college’s C, M and T buildings from 12 artists including four students, two alumni and one faculty member. The art will be on display from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, October 21, and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, October 22.

See photos of the art and artists

This is the second collection of art being displayed at MATC’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus. The first collection, from 13 artists, was installed across the campus in 2021. 

Galley Night MKE has been held quarterly for about 30 years and spotlights art and artists in locations around the city, including the Historic Third Ward, East Town and Walker’s Point.

Find more information about MATC’s Gallery Night events at https://gallerynightmke.com/participants/around-town/milwaukee-area-technical-college/

ABOUT MATC: Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 25,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 170 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.