Sarah Davitt’s workshop is overrun with plastic traffic cones. The artist, and MIAD graduate, is building what she calls the “Art Car.” It started life as a Ford Ranger and ended up on a municipal tow lot, but over the past six months, she’s been transforming it into a rolling work of art. The truck will be covered in bright traffic cones, some carved with city landmarks, including the Basilica of St. Josaphat, the North Point Water Tower and more. Think Mad Max, Milwaukee-style.
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But this isn’t simply an art project. Davitt is Milwaukee’s first public artist in residence (PAIR), a position created by the city in 2023 to address civic challenges in Milwaukee with creative, artistic ideas.
The Art Car is her major project, set to hit the road in the spring. The PAIR program was heavily influenced by similar residencies in New York City and Los Angeles and is paid for through the city’s Public Art Fund.
The artist in residence tackles one issue during their tenure – Davitt, who was chosen from a pool of applicants, is taking on the scourge of “Milwaukee slides,” speeding and swerving known as reckless driving.
“It’s an urgent topic,” says Sally Svetic, an economic development specialist with the city. “Reckless driving was the issue that we knew needed to be addressed immediately.”
Davitt spent the first months of her tenure speaking with people across the city to get a firmer grasp on the problem. During these conversations, she thought of ways to reach reckless drivers through art. “I’m hoping to bring shared understanding through dialogue and conversation,” she says.
Davitt contrasts her approach with what she calls “punitive” measures, like fines and speed bumps. She notes the importance of promoting a culture of safe driving and awareness of the consequences of driving recklessly. One such idea for another project, which is still awaiting permit approval, is the installation of painted or etched human eyes around city roadways to trigger an empathic response.
With the Art Car, she hopes to create a “spectacle … with a sense of joy,” she says. “When you’re finger-shaking, you don’t really reach people. [I’ve found that] people will relax if they know you’re not there to yell at them.”
The attention-grabbing truck includes messages carved into the cones, such as “Safe Travels,” meant to spark conversation. “How can we embed a mobile icon into the collective psyche of Milwaukeeans, with a positive message that benefits road users?” she says.
Davitt’s long-term goal is to have the Art Car outlive her PAIR tenure, which ends this spring. She envisions the eye-catching vehicle in parades, attending block parties, visiting parks and more to promote safer driving.
“We’re all together on the road,” she says. “It’s not about shaming people and saying, ‘You’re doing it wrong,’ but saying ‘Hey, maybe we can all do this better.’”
