MILWAUKEE, Wis. - February 23, 2022 - Artists Working in Education, Inc. (AWE) and Associated Bank will work together in the Sherman Park neighborhood with a collaborative art installation & community celebration this summer.
Residents, key stakeholders and businesses in the area will be invited to co-create an installation under the leadership of one of AWE’s skilled professional artists. Installation and a community dedication will take place summer of 2022.
Associated Bank reached out to AWE to ignite imagination on Burleigh before the pandemic. After several conversations, AWE decided to return to the idea in an effort to spark creative placemaking in the area.
“Through our banking relationship with Artists Working in Education, Associated Bank identified mission overlap in both wanting to support jobs and the entrepreneurial growth of artists’ business,” says Bill Kopka, Community Accountability Officer, Associated Bank. “We are celebrating this common mission and are excited to partner with AWE to bring life to a mural on the branch building’s wall at the corner of W. Burleigh Street and N. 49th Street.”
AWE believes communities thrive when residents, businesses and neighborhoods design the environment in which they want to live, work and play. With an investment from Associated Bank, AWE believes the creative impact will be a catalyst in the commercial corridor.
“Our goal with the project is to spur financial literacy, community connectivity and create radical joy,” says LaShawndra Vernon, CEO at AWE. “We’re excited to spread more radical joy this summer with our partners at Associated Bank.”
AWE’s intended impact is to ensure everyone has access to the creative economy pipeline. AWE believes that communities have the right to practice self-determination while honing the necessary skills to identify creative solutions.
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About AWE: We believe in cultivating community and activating imaginations through creativity. We envision ourselves as a mighty catalyst changing the perception of art and creativity as a viable path to success for all. We focus on building radical joy, restoration of identity, dignity and purpose. We create or enhance spaces with cultural diversity and preserve history in communities deeply impacted by disparities in access.
About Associated Bank: Associated Banc-Corp (NYSE: ASB) has total assets of $35 billion and is Wisconsin's largest bank holding company. Headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Associated is a leading Midwest banking franchise, offering a full range of financial products and services from more than 200 banking locations serving more than 100 communities throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota, and commercial financial services in Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Texas. Associated Bank, N.A. is an Equal Housing Lender, Equal Opportunity Lender and Member FDIC. More information about Associated Banc-Corp is available at www.associatedbank.com.