Haggerty Museum Lending Watts Mural to Milwaukee County Courthouse

(MILWAUKEE, WI) The Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University will lend the mural "WattsHappeneding" by Elliot Pinkney to the Milwaukee County Courthouse. The mural was completed by the artist at the Haggerty Museum in conjunction with the exhibition Watts: Art & Social Change in Los Angeles, 1964-2002.  Pinkney held an open studio during the first week of the exhibition, January 23.  The mural will be unveiled to the public during a ceremony May 12, 2003 at 10:15 a.m. and will be exhibited at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.  County Executive Scott Walker, Robert Wild, S. J., president of Marquette University and museum director Dr. Curtis L. Carter will be in attendance.

The 8 by 16-foot mural depicts notable people and events impacting the community of Watts, California between 1965 and 1992, as well as social problems that continue to plague cities across America.  Portraits of Martin Luther King, Jr., Thomas Bradley (the first African American mayor of Los Angeles), and Willie L. Williams (the first African American police chief of Los Angeles) are set against images that serve as a time-line linking 1965 to the present.  Newspaper headlines recollect the Watts riots of 1965 and the beating of Rodney King in 1992.  A looming, skeletal figure speaks of gun violence, drug abuse, and death.  Overlapping bandanna-clad silhouettes symbolize gang violenceóspecifically referencing the Crypts and the Bloods.  Infused amidst the despair, however, are suggestions of positive change.  A heart-shaped, blood-red hand clenches a stopwatch that questions what the future holds.  A co-joined Mexican and American flag, a trio of doves, and a soaring eagle serve as symbols for peace, hope and freedom.

"The Haggerty Museum and Marquette University welcome the opportunity to share with the Milwaukee community, Elliot Pinkneyís "WattsHappeneding", a mural created to stimulate discussion on art and social change.  Art in public places is an ideal way to create public awareness and to promote greater cultural understanding.  We are grateful to County Executive Scott Walker for providing this mural to the public."

The exhibition Watts: Art & Social Change in Los Angeles, 1965-2003 featured art by African-American artists working in Los Angeles prior to the Watts Revolt of 1965 to the present. The exhibition provided a unique opportunity to focus on the rich body of work produced by artists, poets and musicians who were instrumental in exploring art as a means of social change.  Watts artists reaffirmed the importance of learning and creative self-expression as an alternative to street violence. They mentored and inspired younger artists and participated in the urban renaissance of the area, while providing training for future artists in the community.

The Haggerty Museum of Art is located at North 13th St. and West Clybourn Avenue on the campus of Marquette University. Museum hours are Monday - Wednesday, Friday - Saturday, 10 am-4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 10 am-8 p.m.; and Sunday, noon-5 p.m.. Free parking is available in the Mary B. Finnigan Parking Lot (enter on 11th St. through Marquette Lot J). For more information on the Haggerty Museum call (414) 288-1669.