“Converging Paths”
A One-of-a-Kind Choose Your Own Adventure Art Experience
Want to gift a print to your friends and family? Buy them a gift code so they can go through the story and find the print they were destined to get!
The idea for this project started forming towards the end of summer 2021.
I was super lucky back in 2021 to collaborate with more artists on a variety of projects, from collaborative performances on stage, to painting shoes while sitting on Bradford Beach. Working with other insanely talented artists has been the greatest part of my art journey the past few years. Seeing the crazy amount of local talent in Milwaukee, I was itching to do a large-scale project involving a bunch of artists. However, I was unsure what that would look like.
Then it hit me! I’m known for being an artist who does extremely custom work, but I had been slacking when it came to designing and selling prints. I had also just met an incredible local poet and author, Mikey Cody Apollo, over the summer and had fallen in love with their writing style. In one of those “shower thought” moments, it hit me that I should create a choose your own adventure story, where all of the outcomes would lead to an art design that could be sold as prints. It means the person going through the story would be choosing exactly what art piece was meant for them, and would tie a personal story to the print, as well as make for an awesome conversation piece.
I immediately reached out to Mikey and we sat down in the newly Autumn breeze to start brainstorming what this crazy idea may look like, and slowly started to form the basis of the storyline. I then started a process to try and find artists to work on the prints, as I wanted each one of the designs to be a collaborative effort between a local artist and myself. What ensued was a mixture of reaching out to artists I knew, artists reaching out to me, and a series of meetings scattered all around Milwaukee as each piece of the puzzle came together all at once.
The resulting product of these few months of eclectic art making is what is before you today! I am immensely grateful to everyone involved in the project, and I am incredibly excited to see what you think of what we came up with! This is by far one of my favorite projects I’ve been apart of, and love how it showcases the underdog talent in Milwaukee!
I hope you enjoy “Converging Paths” and please see more info on all of the artists down below! I recommend going through the storyline to find the print that was meant for you, and you can replay the story as many times as you’d like. You can also click on the “Prints” tab to see all the prints showcased in a more traditional shopping experience. Thank you to everyone involved in this project, and thank you to YOU who’s reading this for your support!
-Michael
-
Mikey Cody Apollo
Writer
Mikey (also pronounced my-key) Murry, also known as Mikey Cody Apollo, is a Black queer writer, filmmaker, educator, and feminist killjoy from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Most of their work explores themes such as race, gender, sex, and religion. Mikey is the autho of the self-published collection of poetry titled Black Girls, Silence, and Other Things Made of Gold and when she grows up, she wants to be the first Black woman to receive the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
-
Olivia "Liv" Burks
Artist
Liv is a black, bisexual artist on the rise in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In her art she displays themes of duality, vulnerable, self discovery. Some of her greater goals are to create a space for BIPOC to express their creative outlets.
-
Nyia Luna
Artist
Nyia Luna, 20 years young, was born and raised in Milwaukee’s Southside. She is currently based out of Oakland, CA where she is a member of two non-profits: Bay Area Mural Program and Graffiti Camp For Girls. She is currently leading a class at City Arts and Tech High School - this semester her and her students are painting a mural on a staff member’s car.
-
Reid Finley
Artist
Reid Finley is a visual artist and designer based in Milwaukee, WI. His work is largely abstract, with a focus on strong compositions and shadows. His pieces often use forced perspective and geometries that enhance a sense of depth, while creating scenes for the viewer to project their personal interpretation onto. Large compositional moves are mapped out in the process, but most of the detail comes from subconscious reactions to the work as it’s created.
-
Julien Roberson
Artist
Born in Miami, Florida Julien moved to Milwaukee, WI to attend MIAD. He is a 2020 Illustration graduate with a focus on Concept Art. He is constantly building his skills to create work. Concept Art is his passion and something that he finds incredibly valuable to himself.
-
Tom Barrett
Artist
Tom Barrett is a photographer and designer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Barrett is studying at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Advertising. His portfolio is a collection of Milwaukee’s D-1 athletics, world-wide travel, and portraits. Barrett is a sports photographer and social media manager at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Athletic department. He presented works at the Student Union’s Crossing Over Exhibition and received awards for best and most downloaded photograph on Unsplash. Barrett has special interest in Photoshop and digital manipulations of images throughout his practice.
-
Ruby Jung
Artist
Ruby is a student and creative living in MIlwaukee for the past three years. She is a lover of travel, vintage fashion, and art.
-
Elisa Jimenez
Artist
Elisa is a local MKE artist. She does graphic design, photography, and painting. All her work is very graphic, colorful, and imperfect. She’s been diving back into doing her craft for over a year but has been an artist her whole life. She loves collaborating with other creatives to create art. She is very excited about this project and hopes you all like what we’ve come up with!
-
Miguel Leija
Artist
Leija is a first generation, south side Milwaukee artist. As a Chicano artist, walking the line between the two worlds has always been a source of inspiration, which allows for a unique perspective on how to interact with the world around him. Although primarily a musician, Leija also has an affinity for graffiti, lettering, and drawing.