Martina Patterson
Martina Patterson, 30 year old, is an accomplished artist who lives and works in the Washington Park neighborhood. She has resided in this neighborhood for most of her life and she vividly remembers her childhood home at 40th Street. Patterson went to the Messmer Catholic School before studying fashion design at Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago. She received her Bachelor of Fine Art with a focus in fashion design in 2008. Currently, Patterson lives with her 18 year old sister and her cat in Washington Park. Her apartment appears spacious, filled with only items of value and necessity and her art work. She told us the story of her cat, who she found after hearing a meowing through the heating vents of her new home. She named her "Cygnus" after her favorite Rush song.
Patterson sees the Washington Park neighborhood as a community with a potential to "thrive." She wants to see the people of this neighborhood come together and get to know one another. She believes that out of such interaction will emerge a community that cares, where people look out for each other. She believes that simple acts of caring can bring about great transformations. One of two jobs that Patterson holds is at Express Yourself Milwaukee. This organization uses art programs to change the lives of at-risk youth and youth with mental illness. She believes that the neighborhood can be improved by simply spreading awareness of extracurricular programs for children. Many parents aren’t aware of the extracurricular activities available for their children in this neighborhood and Ms. Patterson hopes to spread this message far and wide. Martina Patterson, interview by Elizabeth Rose Osborne, Matthew Karl Stuessy & Wei Ye, June 2015 |
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