Our Town Everywhere
Our Town Everywhere
Artist Team
An ever-growing team of artists and library staff is championing Our Town Everywhere: A Self-Portrait of Madison throughout the city of Madison. This unique portrait-making project will act as a catalyst for joyful connection, deeper conversation, and collaborative creation.
Popping up in libraries, parks, shelters, and other community spaces—who knows!—folks of all ages will be invited to create and contribute their own stamped self-portrait into the collection for the exchange of another community member’s portrait.
Our amazing team will be helping us develop the project further. For the residencies, an extension of the Our Town Everywhere project, artists will be encouraged to explore the idea of community portrait through a variety of mediums—similar to the Bubbler Artists in the Neighborhood program in our neighborhood libraries. The Exhibition and Logistics Leads will be strengthening the project and its reach throughout Madison.
Return to the Our Town Everywhere page.
Our Town Everywhere
Artists-in-Residence
Mars Patterson
Central Library, May - July
Martina Patterson (she/they), known as Mars, is an Artist, Master Naturalist, Herbalist, Environmental Educator, and Land Steward. Through the interdisciplinary art of fiber and eco-mixed media, she explores, highlights, and reflects the phenology of Nature and the human experience with the intent to grow, inspire, and educate.
Maria Schirmer Devitt
Central Library, September - December
Each week, Maria will be in the Bubbler Room, hosting sessions to create enchanting art together.
Grace Olson
Central Library, January - March 2024
Grace Olson (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist, music maker and childcare worker based in Madison WI. Her practice seeks to cultivate connections with and between others through shared creative experiences.
Our Town Everywhere
Exhibition Lead
M.Rose Sweetnam
M.Rose Sweetnam (they/he/she) is a mixed media artist creating primarily in collage, print, digital experimentation, and movement/embodiment. They currently reside in Madison and are working on LGBTQ+ community care, mental health advocacy, and somatic awareness. M’s recent art practice reflects an effort to transform artmaking from goal oriented back to a playful and restorative pursuit; their art practice centers what sparks joy and curiosity, with a focus on nature, queerness, archives, fantasy, embodiment, and the inner process.
Our Town Everywhere
Design Lead
Rita Salm
Rita Salm is an artist and illustrator based in the Madison, Wisconsin, area. As a queer and non-binary illustrator, they like to focus on things made for everyone.
Our Town Everywhere
Logistics Lead
Alicia Rheal
Alicia Rheal (she/her) has over 30 years of experience as a muralist and as a painter for theater, opera, ballet and television. She has designed, produced and collaborated with artists from around the world and her work can be enjoyed in public spaces and in private collections. Alicia is an active “Walldog” and has worked as a designer, project leader and painter on the organization’s historic-styled murals. From 2014-2022, Alicia served as the Director of Production for Dane Arts Mural Arts (DAMA) where she facilitated the creation of murals involving elements of community and youth participation and programming. Alicia was an integral part of the design, painting and installation of mural work attributed to DAMA.
Our Town Everywhere programming is supported by a grant from the Madison Arts Commission.
