Play. Listen. Share. Exhibit. Discover. Join In!
There’s a surprising calendar of events at our community arts center.
It’s a venue for all ages, blending rich histories of music and arts with today’s energies.
Stop in for a sampling of what creativity can do!
Current Gallery Exhibits
Opening Reception — Saturday, April 13, 3 – 5 PM
“Homage” is an art exhibition that invites the viewer to remember, reflect and renew our hopes for the future.
Whether in recent months or decades long past, we have lost many loved ones, both individually and as members of our broader communities. But it is also springtime, a time to look to the future — in this case, by celebrating, honoring and remembering those who have come before and who have made the world a better place.
The exhibition “Homage: Honoring Those Who Have Come Before,” presents the work of established and emerging Milwaukee-area artists. The works range from the highly personal to reflections encompassing historical and ancestral themes.
In addition: “Homage Celebration” by Earth Poets, Musicians and Special Guests, Saturday, May 18, 8 p.m.
Upcoming Events
Friday, May 24, 2024
At the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts - 926 East Center Street
Original jazz compositions by Derrick Bounds.
Date: May, 24, 2024
Time: 7pm
Cover fee: $10 (please note we do not sell tickets in advance, doors only. both cards and cash are accepted)
Saturday, May 25, 2024
At the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts - 926 East Center Street
Trace Ellington and Mood Indigo Recordings humble beginnings started in Oakland California. There he wrote and produced and recorded many independent hip hop artists. His first platinum project was with the group Digital Underground. Followed by many other artists like Tupac, Too Short and other Oakland hip hop superstars. Trace has always been a multifaceted performer and musician. Trace musical roots go all the way back to Duke Ellington. Trace Ellington’s debut project Let Love In was released overseas on the Soul Brother This Is Soul. The album Life Love & Music is due to drop this year; it is a blend of Soul Electronic funk and tales of divorce and reflection and the legendary STAX sound . It was recorded in Chicago during the course of the many urban challenges that help create this masterpiece. In the last four years Trace has been producing and writing for Independent groups like High Diamond , Trio Dubb Jazz, Ja Rocka, Tra Soul , Anna Belle Black and many more. Trace started his label Mood Indigo Recordings back in 1989 in Oakland and he is still releasing gems from over the many years of his career with a new project on the horizon. So this is a night to showcase some of Mood Indigo Recordings new projects along with new up and coming independent artist like B Wyzdom, Brandon Frizzell, Cece Rodriguez and many more.
Date: May 25
Time: 7pm
Cover fee: $15 (please note we do not sell tickets in advance, doors only. both cards and cash are accepted)
Sunday, May 26, 2024
At the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts - 926 East Center Street
Raised in culturally mixed households in the U.S., Robert Lehmann and Toby Ramaswamy prefer to exist in the in between - somewhere at the intersection of the Philippines, India, Germany, and the Midwest. Fittingly, the keys and drums duo play improvised music that’s hazy in its boundaries - not quite jazz, not quite neoclassical, not quite minimalist, not quite drum and bass. On keyboard, Lehmann pulls in melancholic melodies from Romantic and Impressionist era studies, the heavy bass lines of electronic music, and influences from years of playing in afrobeats and Arabic music ensembles. Ramaswamy glides between tight, propulsive strings of beats and loose, open textures evoking nature. For Ramaswamy and Lehmann, improvisation is a commitment to vulnerability and an avenue into liminality as much as it is an approach to crafting sound.
Date: May 26
Time: 7:30 PM
Cover fee: $10-$15 sliding scale (please note we do not sell tickets in advance, doors only. both cards and cash are accepted)
View more upcoming Art, Performance or Community events.
View full Event Calendar
News & Announcements
On Stage
May 5
Djangophonique + Christo's Novelty Combo. Jazz. 7:00pm - 9:30pm. 15$ cover
May 11
Max Brown Sextet. Jazz. 7:00pm- 10:00pm. Free admission
May 12
Italian Surf Academy. Jazz. 7:30pm-10:0 Opm. $15 cover
May 16
Kelli Frances Corrado + Annie Grizzle/Wandering Nerve + Hunner + Mom's Brownies. Folk/experimental/poetry. 7:00pm-10:00pm. $10 cover.
May 17
ASTRO. Jazz. 7:00pm - 10:00pm. $10 cover.
May 18
Homage. Poetry and Music event organized by Earth Poets and Musicians. 8:00pm -10:00pm. Free admission
May 24
Derrick Bounds with Jazz Flux. Jazz. 7:00pm-10:00pm. Donations encouraged.
Free Improvisation Sessions - Every Saturday, 10 AM - noon
On View
April 13 - June 1
Main Gallery. Homage: Honoring Those Who Have Come Before. An exhibition that invites the viewer to remember, reflect and renew our hopes for the future.
Thursday May 2 (IN-PERSON)
Vince Bushell of Riverwest Currents: May 2024 Issue
Friday May 3 (IN-PERSON)
First-Friday Drum Circle
Tuesday May 7 (RADIO)
Walter Wilson speaks on Wisconsin National Organization of Minority Architects: WISCONOMA.com
Thursday May 9 (IN-PERSON)
Artist Ann Roetz: Doll-Making Demo
Friday May 10 (IN-PERSON)
DIY Creative: Bring your own project or use our materials
Tuesday May 14 (RADIO)
Karen Beaumont Presents: Tribute to Bach
Thursday May 16 (IN-PERSON)
Ruth Gibbons: Life & Leadership in the Salvation Army
Friday May 17 (IN-PERSON)
Spotlight on the Importance of Comedic Relief
Tuesday May 21 (RADIO)
"The A.M. Book Report," On Media Literacy for Disinformation
Thursday May 23 (IN-PERSON)
Short Films with a Focus on Cultural Oppression of Women
Friday May 24 (IN-PERSON)
Watercolor demo by artist, Tim Ladwig
Tuesday May 28 (RADIO)
Karen Beaumont Presents: The Peasant Astrologer
Thursday May 30 (IN-PERSON)
Artificial Intelligence Imagery: A Closer Look (Featuring Allison Alexander Westbrook IV)
A look back at this year at the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts
Presented over 80 music events
Hosted over 40 community meetings and events
Staged over a dozen visual art exhibitions
Hosted over 100 older adult program sessions
Provided the venue for over 100 lessons and workshops
Expanded the Saturday morning improvisational sessions
Began the Manty Ellis Jazz Series
Started the Les Paul Sound Engineering program
Initiated the Riverwest Jazzfest music festival
As a 90% volunteer operated nonprofit community arts organization, we rely on you to keep this momentum going in 2024.
In 2024 we plan to:
Improve our historic music venue
Produce a music series for new genres
Initiate an innovative emerging artist series
Expand our ambitious outreach program
We do all of this for you, our diverse and engaged community.
Many thanks from us to you, our audience, for the great year!
Support the Jazz Gallery!
Donate Now!
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VISIT US
Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts
926 E Center ST, Milwaukee, WI 53212
GALLERY HOURS
Exhibits can be viewed online or in-person:
Gallery Hours are Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays; 12 noon – 5 PM
OR make an appointment for Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday; email us at info@jazzgallerycenterforarts.org
Please review our COVID Policy if you are planning a visit to the Jazz Gallery.
JGCA Riverwest Radio Shows
Check out Jazz Gallery shows on 104.1 fm in Milwaukee and riverwestradio.com everywhere else.
Tuesdays at 7:00 pm on Riverwest Radio, WXRW, 104.1 FM.
Stream the show live on riverwestradio.com, if you can’t get radio reception, or if you miss the radio broadcast, you can catch it anytime at: https://www.riverwestradio.com/show/owl-older-wiser-local/
PERFORMANCE
JAZZ IMPROV, HIP HOP, EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC, SPOKEN WORD—AND MORE.
Our stage speaks diversity.
ART
PAINT, FIBER, PHOTOGRAPHY, SCULPTURE, CERAMICS, ASSEMBLAGES…BEHOLD!
New exhibits every other month.
Credit to OUr Sponsors - Thanks for your Support!