The Native Wellness Garden at Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health enhanced its Medicine Wheel, which is used to ceremonies, by restoring traditional plants and repainting it in traditional colors. With ancestral seeds from the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, the team planted a rope and timber trellis for the beans and a Three Sisters Garden. Additional funding supported colorful, convertible benches for community gatherings. So far this year, they have harvested and provided 540 pounds of food to the community. This year marked record participation, higher levels of traditional plant teachings, and the involvement of children volunteers from the neighborhood or the Indian Community School. The Garden Club is stronger than ever in the Native Wellness Garden’s nearly 11 years.

Natalie Derr’s funds are to support the generation of a documentary film about Isaac Steele, a 3rd generation Black cowboy who runs a Western-themed welding shop in Milwaukee. Derr’s short film, “Forged in Steele,” premiered on March 29th, 2026.

Nateya Taylor’s funds are to support a short documentary film about how residents of Metcalfe Park neighborhood are creating more greenery, mutual aid and a pool to combat food insecurity and extreme heat in a redlined neighborhood that the government continues to ignore.

Milwaz Talleres is hosting a 3-day workshop and subsequent Afro-Indigenous traditional Fandango event showcasing music, food, percussive dance on a wooden platform, and crochet.

Riverworks Development Corporation & Heard Space MKE produced a “Mockumentary,” which is short film about Harambee and had a free public screening of the project.

Your Move MKE Inc.’s Music Heals Alleyway project transformed a once-overlooked city alley into a vibrant, interactive space that celebrates both hip-hop and the rich Latino culture of the community. Six underrepresented youth completed a six-week Urban Trade Skills workshop, earning OSHA-10 certification and receiving compensation while building custom benches and a stage for the space. Over the summer, their four events brought together residents, families, and artists for music, art, and connection. Through music, collaboration, and community spirit, the Music Heals Alleyway has become a symbol of hope, healing, and joy — a space where people feel seen, valued, and inspired.

Quasimondo Physical Theatre put on the first ArtPark Eco-Jam, a vibrant public celebration of art, ecology, and community. The event marked the groundbreaking of the North Milwaukee Artpark, a new public green space. It informed attendees about the green infrastructure technologies being installed and the environmental benefits for the neighborhood. This free, family-friendly event featured 19 local artists, musicians, and performers along with three food vendors, four local artisans, and five local organizations. This free, family-friendly gathering featured 19 local artists, musicians, and performers—most from minority backgrounds—along with three food vendors, four local artisans, and five local community organizations. With over 250 participants, the mural project, interactive arts activities, speakers, and live performances beautified a public space, and they achieved greater then anticipated civic engagement with a plethora of residents, artists, local stakeholders, and sponsors/partners in attendance.