Post Script

Shop local, eat local ... and play local, too

One of the things we love about Milwaukee is its diverse and rich arts scene. From Ko-Thi to the Florentine Opera, from the symphony and the Rep to Danceworks, we have big-budget and small-budget productions to choose from. Many of those organizations receive up to 20% of the their funding through UPAF, however, and UPAF is having a hard time.

That's according to Milwaukee Magazine. At the Outpost, we believe in supporting local businesses. Sometimes, it helps to receive a reminder that local arts groups and non-profits need that support, too. If you want to donate to the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF), go here.

(Can the recession go away now?)

Bringing food and art into the city

Driving around Milwaukee's streets this summer, you'll notice a little bit of the countryside has been brought in. And you'll be able to take a piece for yourself.

Karen Herzog of the Journal Sentinel wrote this morning about some new -- but definitely old-style -- farm stands that are rolling into the city in time for farmer's market fever.

The project was the idea of the Wormfarm Institute  - a Wisconsin non-profit dedicated to agriculture and the arts; to fostering links between people and the land. With the roadside stands, the organization is bringing a rural aesthetic and fresh food to highly urbanized areas. Art and agriculture.

Herzog writes that another benefit of the project is that the rural artists are able to preserve their culture and heritage; taking wood from barns that are soon to disappear from the landscape, and recycling them into a new, functional form.

The full story and photos at the Journal Sentinel.

Read a book, give a book

Here's a way to read to your kids and get books into the hands of kids who don't have them at the same time. WeGiveBooks.org will donate one book for every book you read on-line. You choose which literacy charity benefits from the donation, and you choose the title you want to read. The more you read, the more they give. Want to learn more? See what people say on Facebook.

Seems like a win-win to us.

 

Want to go bowling? No, no that kind of bowling ...

... this is bowling of an entirely different kind. You've all heard of the annual Milwaukee Empty Bowls fund-raiser, right? The one that's held every fall, where shoppers purchase a beautiful artisan bowl, fill it with scrumptious soup from a local chef's kitchen, and tuck in, mingle and listen to live music  ... with proceeds going to food pantries? Yes, that one.

Well, this year, the people at Milwaukee Empty Bowls want to invite the soup-lovin', bowl-lovin' public to come to Murray Hill Pottery Works to see how the gorgeous little vessels are made. On Saturday May 8, potters work in the studio all day, turning scraps of recycled clay into the 800 bowls that will be sold at the fall fund-raiser. 

Full details can be found here and here:Download Bowl-A-Thon

Cooking, preserving, crafting ...

Here's a good screen-read for the weekend, and it comes to us from one of our regular columnists, Annie Wegner. Annie is "The Budget Gourmet" for the Exchange, and her May column features the same grape leaves recipe that she posts on her blog. If you're ever in need for some thoughtful musings on urban homesteading, you know where to find them - Annie's place.

Keep your friends close, and your little friends closer!

We would be remiss if we didn't give a nod to our friends at The Little Friends of Printmaking because we're completely in their debt forever and a day. The friendly creatives made all the fabulous artwork for our birthday posters, bags, t-shirts and in-store banners and all the good, graphic-y print-y design-y stuff that we're celebrating with this weekend.

You can get your own gear in the three Outpost stores. No pressure, but all the cool kids are doing it.

Head to the pier for farmer's market, arts & crafts this Saturday

Looking for something great to do this Saturday? Discovery World is hosting the East Town Market, featuring local farm market vendors, artists and craftspeople. There'll be live music by Kyle Feerick and Ethan Keller and everyone who buys something from the market can explore Discovery World for a discounted $10.

Organizers want you to know about the organic meat, eggs and cheese, farm fresh veggies, raw foods, smoothies, locally made truffles, chair massages, handmade jewelry, kids clothing and other wonderful bits and bobs they'll have in store. And Sweet Water Organics will be there, so if you feel like talking aquaponics, you're all set.

Discovery World, Saturday March 27, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Don't say we didn't tell you.

Mmmm ... Matisse-inspired croquettes

When artists take their inspiration from food, the results are often a delectable runaway hit. As in the case of "Like Water for Chocolate" or, more simply, "Chocolat."

That's why we love this blog post featuring an apple and shallot croquette recipe -- a nod to the Matisse show that opened March 20 at the art institute in Chicago. The show runs through June 20.

Detail from "Apples," 1916, Oil on canvas, Matisse. © 2010 Succession H. Matisse/Artists Rights Society A(RS) New York

This eco-documentary is guaranteed a solid soundtrack

 When you take a subject as serious as climate change, it helps to imbue the message with grace, humor and whatever else you can find to make it pleasant and hopeful. You can't do much better than having mellow musician Jack Johnson provide your soundtrack for you.

"1% For The Planet" is a documentary film introducing us to the people who donate one percent of their business profits to environmental non profits, via the "1% For The Planet" organization. Johnson is just one of them, sharing funds from record sales for a better world. One percent of Jack is indeed an amazing thing.

No word yet on when the film will be released, but we can follow the one-percenters on their blog, on Twitter and on Facebook.

Peeps: What would Damien Hirst do?

Staff at the Racine Art Museum, we're guessing, are no strangers to the dilemma of leftover Peeps® ... those pesky (are they edible?) sugary creations that linger long after Easter has come and gone. Otherwise, we're at a loss to explain this but of fun: Make a piece of artwork out of some Peeps® and submit to the museum. The winning entry will go on display during Easter week.

The artwork must be delivered to the museum with a brief description or title, the names of everyone who worked on the project and their ages, and a contact e-mail address. Judges will look for creative use of Peeps®. Open to all ages. Any variety of Peep® will do. The deadline is 5 p.m., Friday March 26. 

We're imagining a yellow bunny suspended in a blue vitrine.