Milwaukee residents invited to vote on future water initiatives

Milwaukee Water Commons and artist-in-residence Melanie Ariens will lead Milwaukee’s participation in the national Dare to Imagine Campaign for a full week, beginning on Oct. 10.

Milwaukee residents will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite future water initiatives at five events featuring the organization’s mobile inspiration station, the WaterCycle. MWC is inviting everyday Milwaukeeans to imagine and help shape Milwaukee’s future as a water city. Ballots cast will help determine which of a series of initiatives related to water MWC and its partner organizations will prioritize and build public momentum toward accomplishing.

In addition to voting, visitors to the WaterCycle will also have the opportunity to participate in water-themed art and have their photo taken with a statement about their favorite initiative.  

Weather permitting, the WaterCycle can be found at the following locations:

• Oct. 10: ReFlo Waterfest, 10am-12pm, The Guest House, 1216 N. 13th St.

• Oct. 10: Shorewood Fish and Feather, 1-4pm, Hubbard Park Lodge, 3565 N. Morris Blvd.

• Oct. 13:  Popping up near Colectivo, 11am-1pm, 2211 N. Prospect Ave.

• Oct. 14: with Wisconsin Green Muslims – 4-6:30 p.m., Location TBA

• Oct. 17: Milwaukee Public Market Harvest Festival, 11am-4pm, 400 N. Water Street 

“We are most proud of the work we’ve done to activate new and growing involvement in a bold, visionary conversation about our city’s water future,” said Alexa Bradley, co-executive director of Milwaukee Water Commons. “Recognizing our water as a commons is giving people hope that we can create change together, heal some of our city’s divides, and discover a collective capacity for revival and innovation. We are building toward change, toward being a true water city.”

Milwaukee Water Commons is a cross-city network that fosters connection, collaboration and broad community leadership on behalf of our waters.  We promote stewardship of, equitable access to and shared decision-making for our common waters. 

The Dare to Imagine campaign is a national movement led by the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, which is not an official government agency but rather a people-powered movement dedicated to cultivating empathy, equity and social imagination.

For more information, go to www.milwaukeewatercommons.org facebook.com/milwaukeewatercommons, http://usdac.us/dare-to-imagine/ or connect on Twitter #DareToImagine @USArtsDept or Facebook at facebook.com/usdac.us.