Located between East Kenilworth Place and East Ivanhoe Place is an alley like no other in Milwaukee. Every corner of Black Cat Alley features magnificent street art. Murals, such as Paper Airplanes, Merlin the Albino Buck, and We Are All Immigrants, on the walls, are much more than just spray paint: they are wonderful pieces of art that should be better known to the public.

Each summer Black Cat Alley puts out a call for new artists. There is a formal application process meant to discourage artists from painting over the murals on their own. Black Cat Alley features many Milwaukee artists as well as those from around the country and as far away as Berlin.

Black Cat Alley has also had its share of controversy. In September 2016, a local artist named Adam Stoner installed a large orange mural depicting an African-American man in a prison jumpsuit. Stoner intended to show compassion toward those who are imprisoned, but many viewers felt that it reinforced negative stereotypes, and the mural was eventually removed after it was repeatedly vandalized.

In July of 2016 MTO, a Frenchmen who specializes in street graffiti, insulated an image entitled, Glitch Frog. This painting was what later started Black Cat Alley in September. Not much is known about MTO, other than his art spans across Europe, and at one point he lived in Berlin.

Black Cat Alley is important because it is a place for local artists to show off their skills and express themselves. In places like Black Cat Alley, artists who otherwise would not be able to show their work to the public have the opportunity to do so. On Saturday, June 15, 2024, Black Cat Alley will feature seven live musical acts throughout the day to draw even more visitors to this groovy hideaway.

References

Black Cat Alley, https://www.blackcatmke.com/. 

“2024 Lineup.” Summer Soulstice Music Festival, https://www.summersoulsticemke.com/line-up.

“Controversial mural in Black Cat Alley destroyed by vandal.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 7 November 2017, https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/arts/2017/11/07/controversial-mural-black-cat-alley-destroyed-vandal/842399001/.

Snyder, Molly. “on/adam stoner – Stories on adam stoner, mural, black cat alley.” OnMilwaukee, 7 November 2017, https://onmilwaukee.com/on/adam%20stoner.