Tia Richardson is a major force in the Milwaukee arts scene, having become especially known for her murals, which emphasize community. In some cases, she even gets that community to help her create, as was the case with her Sherman Park mural.
After Sherman Park experienced a surge of violence and rioting, Richardson recruited residents of Sherman Park to help her design and paint a mural in the area. With each project, Richardson emphasizes connection and healing.
"Part of why I get so emotional is just because when we realize the level of the lack of connection that we have with each other that's the cause of so much depression, loneliness, isolation, mistrust, that feeds into substance abuse, that feeds into a lot of the generational, societal issues that we see," Richardson said. "A lot of the systemic issues that we see were created by people who have something going on with them that is caused by, in some way, their own level of suffering and trauma."
Festival intern Arrisa Robin sat down to chat with Richardson about Milwaukee and what inspires her. Listen to the full series of interviews below.
