BRONZEVILLE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Bronzeville is a historic African American neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was, in its early to mid-20th century heyday, one of the major centers of Black life in that city. Home to more African American businesses than any other part of Milwaukee in the 1930s, an unfortunate policy-induced decline was well underway by the 1960s.

But today the area is poised for a significant revitalization. The proposed Bronzeville Center for the Arts (BCA) is one such project, and one that will help restore the district’s former energy and vitality.

In 2021 the BCA contracted Lord Cultural Resources to develop a master plan for the Center including refinement of the concept, development of planning assumptions related to visitor experience, collections, operations, staffing and space, and finally the projection of attendance, operating revenue and operating expenses for the first three years of operation of the new facility.

In 2022 we were asked back to update the plan in light of changed circumstances relating to the acquisition of a site from the City of Milwaukee, and later that year we were engaged for a third time to work with the Board to develop strategic priorities for implementation for the year 2023. We continue to work with BCA on an advisory basis.