Looking for a new hobby as the winter months creep in? Mitchell Street Arts (MiSA) has you covered with over 500 free art programs they offer yearly.
Located at 710 W Historic Mitchell St., just two miles away from Marquette’s campus, Mitchell Street Arts contains an event venue, public arts stage, gallery, makerspace, woodshop, darkroom, 2D art room, ceramic studio, kiln and spray paint booth—all free of cost.
Sam Wolf has been on MiSA’s team since its grand opening in 2023, originally starting as the makerspace coordinator, but has since taken over as the executive director.
“My background is in the arts, and I also came from somewhat of a background with limited financial means,” Wolf said. “Finances can be a huge barrier between people and the arts, and so we want to lessen that gap.”
To get to MiSA from Marquette, students just have to take the 80 bus south on 6th Street until Mitchell Street.
MiSA also has an Artist in Residency program that allows Milwaukee-based artists the space and resources necessary for their work.
“We like to give preference to people — I’m always inclined to say younger artists — but I mean artists who are newer on the scene,” Wolf said.
MiSA offers a variety of classes throughout the week, which you must register for. Click here to see upcoming classes and events at MiSA.
In the upcoming year, Wolf hopes to focus on accessibility and the healing quality of art at MiSA. MiSA offers Spanish-speaking programs and hopes to increase accessibility, specifically in their ceramics programs.
“We always knew that art was therapy, that’s why it’s an area of study…” Wolf said. “I think it is surprising to me how healing we’ve found the programming to be.”
Barry Paul Clark, an artist and musician, has been a model for MiSA’s life drawing sessions for the past year and a half, where he poses for six to eight artists over two hours.
“When I first had that experience, it really scratched a new itch for collaboration that I’ve really been enjoying,” Clark said.
While all classes are free, MiSA encourages people to donate. Donations from classes go directly to the respective instructor, and donations from Wolf’s classes go towards the organization.
“I always think access to the arts is a real top priority in any sort of society or community,” Clark said.
Also involved in the life drawing programming as a model, Tarun Bali has a gallery exhibition opening at MiSA on Dec. 5th.
“I started by just showing up to MiSA as an artist, and I drew a couple of times, and right off the bat, it was green flags across the board,” Bali said.
Bali’s exhibition will show a collection of charcoal and digital sketches capturing figures, portraits and more, setting out to capture a snapshot of the current phase of Bali’s life.
“The mission [of MiSA] is something that’s overall good, and obviously people see that,” Bali said. “They’re passionate about it, they show up with that energy and it’s nice to feed off the positive energy people bring to the space.”
Wolf believes their goal is to help humanity, giving everyone a chance to experience the arts regardless of their economic situation.
“I think the creative impulse is a part of people’s humanity – I think that’s what you’re denying them – a large piece of their humanity,” Wolf said.
